Abby's "Day at the Park"

While I can't exactly say it was a nice day at the park, it was a beautiful day at the park. Cool and clear and peaceful.




We'd already had a pretty full day by our standards and Abby was saying "I was trying to tell you I wanted to go to sleep in the car" by the time we got to the park (though there wasn't enough time for that to actually happen and how previously she was trying to tell me, I have no idea - it wasn't with words).





It started out mellow. Not exactly what Abby had been hoping for I'm sure, but it was fine. The best part was for the thirty minutes it was just Abby and I at the park Abby spent the entire time singing the "True Love" song from "Enchanted"... Often under her breath, sometimes quite sincerely, but always, constantly singing.



There was a homeless lady asleep in the grass (later she was smoking watching the kids play) and a roaming man that had no apparent business there. Neither of which sparked any anxiety -- but did spark my notice a la Gina's talk about what to look out for at a park (Gina - missing child's producer on America's Most Wanted).



There were four girls basically Abby's age who came to play together and wanted nothing to do with Abby which was basically what did us in. Abby couldn't believe this. She went up to them... asked directly. Tried to tag along, tried to lead, tried to give them space... nothing worked.


She blamed her dress for not allowing to keep up and tried to pull it off. I tucked it rather fashionably into one leg of her panties (its so long it didn't look that weird actually).

She tried to get a drink of water from the water fountain and water got all over her front.

The whole thing was just not working out for her and finally, after she started reacting against me (who can blame her? I was there and the only one paying attention to her!) in defiant enough ways that I couldn't just let it slide, I was done, she was done... the day needed to be done too.

Oh well. I got some interesting pictures. She apologized in the car in that wonderfully sweet way she has, "I want to listen to that song again. The one I heard. And I'm sorry I didn't listen to you at the park."