A Day at the Park

I took Charlotte to Dogwood Park (may I just say how much I'd love to live in that neighborhood?!) on this lovely Saint Patrick's Day - she had a ball!

We started on the swing. Her little peanut body left lots of room in the seat, so I tucked a blanket around the back side to provide a little padding. She loved swinging as much as she loved sitting still & kicking her dangling legs, shaking her head in the breeze, and watching all of the other kids playing around her. It was actually really hard to snap pictures with her facing me! 

There were other babies wanting turns on the swings, so we moved to the grass. This was Charlotte's first big experience with grass and she was captivated. She loves to explore new things, studies everything very carefully, and doesn't miss anything. She LOVED the grass. If the ground hadn't been so damp from last night's rain, I would have let her crawl around in it more. I'm sure the day will come when I don't care if she gets muddy...

Next, we took a musical break. Lately, Charlotte's been glued to this shaker that Ben brought home. It's hard to tell in still photos, so you'll have to take my word for it - she played her heart out!

This side-lay is Charlotte's favorite way to play this week.

 We stopped to take a look at some flowers on the way out. I love the way she looks at everything - it's all so brand new and thrilling to her. That's been one of my favorite parts of motherhood so far - seeing the world through her eyes.

Mommy wanted to walk a few laps around the park on the trail, but looking at this tired face told me it was time to head home for a nap. I was right - she fell asleep in the 3 mile drive home.