I heartily agree, sir

I took both boys to the park Sunday evening after Amy and her girlfriend finished with the cleaning they had planned to do.  The boys have a greater tendency to get whiny in the house these days, but lobbing them outside works as a wonderful panacea for that annoying affliction.

Dex has gotten brave enough that he's willing to wander around most of the playground equipment as long as he has me within eyesight.  This allows me to follow behind Tavish's perambulations and dissuade him from eating sand or the occasionally unearthed bit of last autumn's garbage.

As we neared the time that I'd have to plop both boys back in the stroller and head home for bath time, Dex was climbing across the wooden bridge ("Daddy!  Lookit me!") and I was sitting with Tav in the middle of everything, just playing with the sand and not eating it.  There was a small group of teens playing at getting from one side of the playground to the other without allowing their feet to touch the ground.  That is until Leader Teen fell off the monkey bars and decided the gig was up, so went to swing on the swings.

There, he pumped himself up to a good height and bellowed to his friends the most perfectly logical statement I've heard all week:

"You know guys, whoever invented the swings should be awarded every single Nobel Prize... including the one for chemistry!"

Comments

[Mark]

Reminds me of our time in neighbor's driveway early Monday evening. We just sat and talked while Ben played with their little girl in the garage (it's fairly kid safe). Of course, you had Tavish to watch instead of a couple of grills full of pesto-topped portabello mushrooms, pork chops, steak, and chicken, but the feeling's the same: the child can go an hour without needing a thing from you. Whoo-hoo!

That quote from the teen is priceless. I can't imagine what teens around here would say that. Probably not the kind you'd find outdoors on a playground. Or maybe exactly that kind. Interesting thought.

Please... help me... apply label.

[Moksha Gren]

I don't know...swings are pretty cool, but I was alwasy a climber myself. jungle gyms and monkey bars. The swings afforded occasional amusement in the form of jumping off...but generally they were avoided for the more high impact fun. Which is not to say they are undeserving of Nobel's, mind you. Simply that they weren't my cuppa tea

Actually, I'm quite happy to see the teen set fiercly debating Nobel recipients. Nice to know the prize has gained a bit of street cred.

[Paul]

I was never a fan of the swings. I always hated that sinky feeling you get just after you've reached the apex of the swing, and started back down. Elevators have always made me squidgy for the same reason. Don't even talk to me about roller coasters.

[Émilie B]

I spent a whole summer on the swing in our backyard with my walkman, at some point in my youth - you know that age where you're too old to play with toys, not yet old enough to be allowed the more 'grown up' outings. (Yeah, weren't many friends my age around.) There's a girl (pre-teen?) next door that's spending all her summer days on her trampoline, minds me of myself.

I'd get queasy within 30 seconds, now. Lost all my endurance and swing-training. Darn.

I guess it's just as well. We'll be pushers from now on anyway.