Until Recently

The weather in Texas is one of the things that I'm pretty sure I can get used too.  Being able to walk to the park any time we want is vastly different than the rainy and snowy weather we left behind in Ohio.  Thus walking to the park (the far one because the close ones don't have young child swings or swirly slides) is a pretty routine part of our day.  Well, routine on the days he wants to go because some days, Gabe doesn't want to go to the park.  I'm not sure why, but who am I to make him go have fun if he doesn't want to [smile].

Until recently Gabe's favorite park activity was the swing.  Sitting in the bucket swing or sitting under the bucket swing while I pushed it, were sure to illicit smiles and laughter alike.  We could literally spend hours playing with the swing in the park or in our back yard. 

But now, everything has changed! Gabe is all about the slide. Usually I will place Gabe on the slide and then sit down behind and we go down together.  That didn't work as planned when the little bugger started scooting down the slide before I had a chance to sit down.  Thus I shot down the adjacent slide (seriously, I haven't gone down a slide that fast since grade school) and made it to the bottom of his slide just as his little feet poked through. 

My first thought was I made it in time to catch him (which wasn't needed).  And my second thought was... he did it!  Gabe went down the super tall, swirly slide ALL BY HIMSELF.  I was so proud of him.  And I'm pretty sure he was proud of himself as well.  The fact that he could control his speed, use his feet to maneuver himself and that he was brave enough to do it all by himself just tickled me pink. 

What else tickled me pink?  His hearty and deep belly laughs that started the second he pushed off at the top of the slide and didn't stop until a few minutes after he reached the bottom.  And that laughter, made the next 25 or so times we climbed back up the stairs and then I flew down the adjacent slide to meet him at the bottom of his slide oh so worth it!

Here's the picture proof that Gabriel is now the master of the swirly slide!