The
sudden heatwave was wreaking havoc on my limb yesterday, but it
certainly did not seem to impact the boys. Despite my suggestions that
it would be more comfortable to play inside, Robby pleaded to go to the
park after school. Last week he bumped into a group of boys and had a
great time playing. When we left, they invited him to return on
Wednesday to play again. It turns out that he has been looking forward
to reuniting with his new friends all week and was going to be
devastated if I had refused.
So, despite the heat and my swollen leg, I drove to the park so Robby could meet up with his friends. Although I knew he was going to be disappointed, part of me was hoping that the heat was enough to keep his new playmates away. As soon as I drove up to the playground I saw the mini van, and I knew that I was destined for an afternoon of hot and sticky fun.
Robby jumped out of the car, grabbed his military hat and took off running. Timmy and I spent the next two hours playing at the park. Despite my efforts to convince him to play in the shade, he was set on climbing the structures and digging in the mulch. At one point the police drove past the playground on a routine patrol. The officer waved and I saw some other kiddos wave back. In response, he turned on his lights and sirens, a gesture that sent the kids into an excited frenzy. All of the kids except for Timmy.
For some inexplicable reason, Timmy became panicked when he saw the lights and heard the siren. He looked at me, dropped his truck and exclaimed "Ut oh. Run!" He then took off at a full sprint in the opposite direction. I have no idea why his instinct was to run away from a police siren, but his reaction was succinct and strong! After sprinting across two soccer fields I finally managed to convince Timmy that the police weren't chasing him and he agreed to return to the playground.
It turns out that Robby's new friends are part of a local homeschool group. The boys (all age 10-12) meet every Wednesday for "unguided play." Robby was delighted to be invited into their circle. So, it looks like Wednesday afternoons at the park will be put onto our regular schedule. Even though it was hot and uncomfortable, it was really nice to see Robby so happy. Now if I could just figure out why Timmy tried to outrun the fuzz...
So, despite the heat and my swollen leg, I drove to the park so Robby could meet up with his friends. Although I knew he was going to be disappointed, part of me was hoping that the heat was enough to keep his new playmates away. As soon as I drove up to the playground I saw the mini van, and I knew that I was destined for an afternoon of hot and sticky fun.
Robby jumped out of the car, grabbed his military hat and took off running. Timmy and I spent the next two hours playing at the park. Despite my efforts to convince him to play in the shade, he was set on climbing the structures and digging in the mulch. At one point the police drove past the playground on a routine patrol. The officer waved and I saw some other kiddos wave back. In response, he turned on his lights and sirens, a gesture that sent the kids into an excited frenzy. All of the kids except for Timmy.
For some inexplicable reason, Timmy became panicked when he saw the lights and heard the siren. He looked at me, dropped his truck and exclaimed "Ut oh. Run!" He then took off at a full sprint in the opposite direction. I have no idea why his instinct was to run away from a police siren, but his reaction was succinct and strong! After sprinting across two soccer fields I finally managed to convince Timmy that the police weren't chasing him and he agreed to return to the playground.
It turns out that Robby's new friends are part of a local homeschool group. The boys (all age 10-12) meet every Wednesday for "unguided play." Robby was delighted to be invited into their circle. So, it looks like Wednesday afternoons at the park will be put onto our regular schedule. Even though it was hot and uncomfortable, it was really nice to see Robby so happy. Now if I could just figure out why Timmy tried to outrun the fuzz...
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