So Much To Do, So Little Time

At the beginning of the summer, I wondered what in the world I would do with Sydney each day to not only keep her occupied and entertained, but also so that both of felt our summer had been well spent. Now, in the middle of July, I'm wondering how I will find time to do everything we want to do as many times as we want to do it.

First of all, there is just so much more to do around here than I thought. Last summer, we went to the park and the pool and the library, of course. We also found the Nature Center and the Children's Museum. This summer, we've made it to the pool and the park several times, and we've enjoyed the newly fenced in backyard, but haven't done the Nature Center or the Children's Museum at all. Instead, we keep finding "new" things to do around town. Last week, we went to a children's amusement park. Everything in the park seemed to be designed for children five and younger. Sydney could ride all of the rides and enjoyed everything but the pony rides (which they didn't make us pay for after she decided that all she wanted to do was pet the pony).

Sydney's favorite ride was the carousel. We had ten tickets and seven of them were spent on the carousel. I had a hard time getting a good picture of her on the ride, though, because if the horses were not in motion, she was crying, and if the horses were in motion, I was motion sick and couldn't take the picture.

There were also rides with boats, cars, and airplanes that were all the same "go 'round in a circle" concept. Sydney thought they were alright, but honestly, they didn't go fast enough for her, I think.

Then, this week, we found an indoor playground that Sydney just loved. The whole place had padded floors and things to climb on. We went with my friend Kara and her son, Peter. Even though Peter is almost a year younger than Sydney, and not walking, yet, the place was well designed enough that there was plenty for him to enjoy as well.

The biggest attraction there for Sydney was the sloped floor that led up to a foam "lava" pit and the slide that went down the side. Sydney would run up the side and back down over and over again. Then at the bottom, she would climb up the slide so she could run down again.

In the other section, there was carpeting that looked like water and many "boats" to climb in and out of. She climbed and ran the entire two and half hours we were there.

As if that weren't enough to do, it turns out that there is a water park less than a half hour from our house, and indoor bouncy house kind of place, and a huge park with a big sand pit with "dinosaur bones" to dig up, all close by.

I can't believe that I was wondering what to do with her.