Worst day of her life

"This is the worst day of my entire life," my daughter sobs.  Her eyes are red and streams of tears are dripping down her cheeks.  My darling daughter, I hope this really is the worst day of your life.  I hope your heart never hurts more than it does right now.   

Today, someone adopted the last puppy we have been fostering through the Animal Shelter.    Today, the big beautiful tree that shaded our front yard was taken down.  Today, my daughter mourned the  birds nests that she will never again watch from her window.  Today, she said goodbye to her furry little friend. 

In her eight years of life, this day was the first time I saw the twinkle in her eye dull just a bit.   My darling girl, the road ahead will be full of twists, turns, potholes, peaks and valleys.  I will be your cheerleader, your cloak, your calm in the storm.   I will pick you up when you fall, dust you off, and watch as you continue on your journey.  Even on the "worst day of your life", I will be there.

Kicking it old school

A few days ago I was talking to a friend about playgrounds and how "safe" they have become.  We began reminiscing about the play equipment of the past.  After our chat, I began to wonder, do my children really know what a merry go round is?  Have they ever been on a seesaw?  

Thus began my quest, to discover old school playground equipment.  The tall metal slides, seesaws, and  merry go rounds of the past.  I wanted my girls to climb up a metal ladder, going higher and higher, then sit down on top of the toasty metal and fly down the slide.  Well, that is unless you have sweaty thighs and then you slowly inch your way down, your thighs squeaking and squawking as your sweaty legs skid along the hot metal.  I want them to climb on a seesaw and have their bottoms raise off the seat as they are propelled into the air and then stop short with a jerk.  I want them to swing their legs at the top, contemplating how to get down.   They should experience a real merry go round.   The kind that as a child I laid flat on my back clutching the metal bars and watched the clouds spin by.

I discovered only one in South Austin.  It is in the Western Oaks neighborhood, near the Hampton Branch Public Library.  My three year old had a blast.  She screamed and giggled as she flew down the tall slide, over and over again.   She squealed with delight when her little bum came off the seat on the seesaw.  She went round and round on the merry go round until her tummy hurt.   She also experience a rite of passage, flying off of the merry go round tumbling to the ground.

Have you discovered any old school playgrounds in your neck of the woods?

Melissa, a former teacher, enjoys finding the humor in her everyday life. Thanks to her three daughters, there is never a dull moment. She has written for MomSense, Scary Mommy, and several local websites. Her blog, Domestic Engineering, helps to keep her sane.  In her "spare" tie she dreams of one day becoming a spokesmodel for StarSearch.