We're having a nice, quiet Sunday. I like having at least a few days each week with nothing scheduled. This morning, after breakfast and after I folded the 3 or 4 loads of laundry that have been hanging out on top of the dresser all week, and after I put away the 20 or so books that Baby had taken off the book shelf, we set off on a stroller ride. First we went to Starbucks for a chai latte and bagel with cream cheese, then to the park by our house. Baby went in the swing, then played on the playground (it's geared to older kids but there are a few things she can safely do), and then when it was really starting to heat up, I pushed the button to turn the fountain area on! She loves water play. I put on her swim diaper, swim bloomers and a uv 50 hoodie (and quickly smeared some baby sunscreen on) and let her go at it. I love sitting in the sun and watching her giggle as she runs around and plays in the water.
Now we're home and she's napping and I was looking online at some blogs and found this blog post about kids and sports. Good food for thought. Obviously baby is not ready for sports yet, but this article sort of confirms some of my hesitations and concerns about organized sports for kids of all ages. Mainly, the whole culture of adults yelling and screaming at kids and making winning seem so important really rubs me the wrong way. Of course, I didn't care for sports much myself as a kid (and as an adult). So we'll see what Baby is interested in, but even if she does like soccer and softball, why not just play with her friends? Why must everything be so serious for kids? Why the need to schedule so much? Truth be told, I already sometimes feel like I have too much scheduled for her, or close to too much. Once a week we go to tumbling, once a week we have music, and soon we'll be starting a once a week mommy/baby group.
Unrelated to the above things, I've been reading a really nice book. I bought it on a whim at a store. The title, "Things Good Mothers Know" doesn't feel like the right title to me. Sort of smug or something. And I haven't really read anything in it that is only for mothers. I think a better title, just off the top of my head, would be "Nice Things To Read Before Going to Sleep." Which is how I read it. I have a few minor quibbles with the book, like that the author gives good advice ("simplify your life") but many of her examples show she doesn't take it herself (like the paragraphs she spends talking about finding some place to store her husband's illustrious leather-bound law journals). That aside, it's a great little book and makes me feel better about life.
