Babies go to the park

There are a few houses on our street that are being done up at the moment and so every now and then we get an interesting delivery to watch. This morning was the best so far. We heard a big lorry and I sent Isaac to look and see what it was and the excited cry came back that it was a cement mixer. So out we all traipsed to sit on the front wall and watch as 3 wheelbarrows took it in turns to empty a load from the cement mixer. The dog got a bonus of greeting every passing pedestrian as well - he just presumes everyone is coming to see him.

Once the cement mixer had gone Isaac could hear some machinery in the park and so was all for going immediately to see what it was. I suggested we put some shoes on first.

Instead of his bike he wanted to take his buggy and baby so off we went.

His buggy was parked next to mine when he went on the swings and then moved around to the climbing frame and other equipment as he went even though I'd gone to sit on a bench and he could have left it with me.

Although obviously he wanted his baby to take part some of the time.

He didn't get this off me and I have rarely tipped a child out of a buggy (I would like to say never but I'm not very good with buggies and am much safer having my children strapped to me in a sling).

I've been making a big effort in the last few days to put the laptop away and fully engage with my children. In part this is because Isaac has been watching a lot of 'animals' (videos on YouTube) and there have been tantrums when he's been told no more. It has helped to remove it and he's only asked for 'animals' once when the laptop was put away. We've had fewer tantrums too (well from him at least, I've had a rough couple of days). I'm reading Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves when I get chance at the moment and finding it both enlightening and challenging. One of the hardest things is realising that small children need you to be fully engaged and not thinking about other things. Naomi Aldort suggests that thinking of all the things that need doing while you're reading to your child robs both you and them of the experience of reading. It's hard in our busy lives to be fully in the moment and it's making me slow down and try to be with my children (it's hard juggling the needs of both though). I'm not quite sure when Aldort thinks the washing gets done and things like that but we're managing mostly.