roller.

a roller coaster of emotions, plus a roller slide today. took the three girls to veterans park in richfield. i think we will go again, but probably on a day when luna and wren have had more sleep the night before. they were excited to be there, but also pretty tired, and struggling to keep it together...

here wren and olive test their balancing skills on this fun wobble equipment. you will notice how wren considers having a little meltdown, but then hangs in there and goes back to her play. they were also really interested in all the big kids there with summer programs...



and here are a couple vids of the roller slide. i remember these being both fun and painful as a kid. you like it, but its also sort of pinchy and uncomfortable.








then we went for a walk on the nice trails at the park. this was probably when everyone was the happiest, although wren insisted on being carried for much of the walk, and luna and olive had some arguments on which trail to take. luna would say, "i want to go this way." and olive would say, "i want to go to the water" (because i had told them there was a bridge trail and water). i said, "the way luna wants to go is the way to the water", and then they would both march off all huffy and triumphant. i guess they both won??



then we got to the bridge trail and i frantically tried to keep the girls ON the bridge so that we didn't end up adding swimming to our day. it was a really pretty trail, and i imagine it must have been especially impressive down at their level. completely surrounded by tall grasses...

it was great until we got to the lake, at which point the wind (one of olive's big fears) started gusting and making the grass blow every which way. i tried to keep it light and talk about the grass dancing for us, but i could see olive freezing up and getting ready for a cry. so, we sat on the dock and sang a song about our bad day. then we walked back, somewhat tearful, and ready to go home...

another bounce back, because on the way to the car we found a toad in the grass. everyone perked up instantly and we took turns gently holding it. we set it free and said goodbye, then found another a few steps later ("his brother!") and then a minute or two later, another, AND another. ("the papa! the mama!"). we sent the parent toads off to find their kids and make them lunch. probably grass soup...and we went home for lunch, too....