Perfect Afternoon

This afternoon, I was slated to meet a dear friend for ice cream. We planned to hit a neat gelatto place and sit and gab for a while. I've had it rough of late, as has she, and we both desperately needed it. Well, Mr. Mac got wind of Ice Cream to be had, and he felt, emphatically so, that he and Little Miss S should be included as well. I couldn't really object, especially given the lovely park and playground down the block and the temps forecast in the 80s.

So off we went to meet Future Mrs. USA (that's US Attorney) at 3 pm. Such a smart, funny woman. I adore her. And we got our gelatto - mine was pear, peach, zabaione and dulce de leche. LMS had banana. Mr. Mac had sour cherry and chocolate. Oh this stuff is yummy.

As we walked down the tree-lined streets, it seemed that every branch contained a bloom and budding leaves. The soft greens, the beautiful pastels of spring. It was glorious. Little Miss S insisted I stop every so often and pick her a "pwetty fower!", from which she then promptly pulled all the petals. There were birds singing, and loads of small, white butterflies.

This neighborhood is a very easily walked locale, so parents and children were converging on the playground after naps to run off the afternoon energy. Many carried small containers of gelatto from the same place we went, while others had Ben & Jerry's from a block the other way. Children were running and playing, grown-ups sitting and chatting.

The best thing about this playground is that it naturally divides between big-kid areas and little-kid areas. The big kids are content to play on this giant set with spinning stools and swinging things. Really made for their size. The little kids, however, are thrilled with another set that had slides, ladders, bridges and tunnels. Off to the side is a firetruck set that had wheels to turn and knobs to mash.

For the next two and a half hours, I sat and gabbed with my friend, while Mr. Mac and Little Miss S went to "Go swide down now" and "Da bridge!" and "Inna tunnel! Weeee!" She was so tired when we left that she just rested her head on the side of her car seat and zoned out. After arriving home, I fixed her some of her favorite, Kraft Mac 'n Cheeze, and she ate it all. A short bath, some time on Mommy's bed with a few books and an episode of Dora, and she was ready to go nigh-nigh at 7:30. She's just starting to stir now at 8 am.

I love it when Mr. Mac has the time to take to play with me. I love it when Little Miss S has so much fun she can't hold her head up at night. I love it when, for just a few hours, I'm able to forget the pressures of the world, and just relax outside on a beautiful soft spring day.