Social Butterfly

Took the kids to the park this past Saturday afternoon. I think one of the things I miss most about living in Brooklyn is that there were always people at the playground. Sometimes too many people but that’s another story. There was always someone to talk to and there were always kids for Leo to play with. Since we’ve moved to the suburbs we play a lot more in our yard but I still like to get to the park. Saturday I think I spoke to more people in one afternoon than I have talked to since we moved to the burbs almost a year and a half ago. It made me feel good to know it's possible to have some social interraction in the burbs. Now it's not Brooklyn, but that's ok!

There was Don, the friendly young man playing basketball by himself. Leo was fascinated by him (we have a hoop in our driveway so he knows about “shooting hoops.”) At first I felt bad about Leo bothering him but Don was completely into it. Once he let Leo start shooting the other little kids in the park followed—Don was the Pied Piper of Stagg Field.

I also talked to a dad who was playing Frisbee with his son (when he told me his kid was four I was shocked—I am always amazed at how much bigger and just older (and of course chattier) typical kids are compared to Leo who is, gulp, almost four). I was pretty impressed that a four year old was even attempting to play Frisbee as I have yet to figure out how to really throw one without taking out the nearest tree or car windshield. The dad and got to talking about living in the city versus the ‘burbs (he’s been in our town for six years). Sure enough, Leo saw the Frisbee match and thought it would be fun to join in. He actually gave it a pretty good throw.

We saw some sort of terrier (looked like Toto in “The Wizard of Oz” but he was white. Leo got very excited when we saw him and turned to me and signed the word “cat.” Our dog Ruby is a large (sadly more in width than height Golden Retriever). Leo is not accustomed to small dogs.

On the way home I stopped and chatted with a woman who was gardening in her front yard. It a yard that I have enjoyed ever since we moved in. So many of the yards in our neighborhood are just so boring with these generic non flowering bushes with some blah azaleas and the usual annuals thrown in. This woman’s yard is filled with perinneals, and though it’s early in the season I’m reminded how lovely it looks by summer’s end. I told her I’d been admiring her garden and she beamed (and she said something cute: “I’ve been admiring your children!”

I could tell I had made her day. You’d have thought I told her she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever met. She started talking about how long she’d lived there and which plants do the best. Her husband even came outside and joined in the conversation. I told her I wished I could garden more and she glanced down at Ellie strapped to me in the Bjorn and Leo, squirming in the stroller. She told me what everyone tells me. That I have my hands full. She’s right. I am working on appreciating what I have, instead of always worrying how I can possibily fit everything in. I just can’t do it all and that’s ok. There will be plenty of years to garden. There will be a time when my kids don’t even want to hang out with me. That’s when I can garden. The days are long but the years are short. But in the meantime, I’ll do a little gardening when I can squeeze it in (I actually contemplated planting a few things last night in the dark after the kids had gone to bed but decided not to-how sad is that?).
Pictured above, we chopped down some big, generic suburban bushes to make room for more gardening space. An "after" picture isn't that impressive when you don't have a "before," but there it is. We have a long way to go but we're making progress. Also pictured is Ellie, having nothing to do with the park or gardening and smiling so wide that her eyes are closed. I just couldn't resist this photo. It just sums up her personality so well. Just so smiley.