Sucking the marrow

It's amazing what kids teach you. I have 3ish weeks left until I return to the workforce fulltime, and I am determined to have fun with my children, housework be damned! So today, after we went to gymnastics, we went to the bakery and purchased an assortment of goodies and took them to Kings Park for a picnic lunch. Lazing around on the grass in Synergy Parklands, soaking up a bit of sun, playing on the the playground and exploring the park, collecting banksia and gumnuts and feathers is a pleasant way to spend an afternoon. Gosh I love Kings Park, what a beautiful thing to have right in the middle of a capital city. I told the girls the story of how Uncle M pushed Mummy in the very same lake 30 odd years ago and was reassured when they said that they would have a stern talk with him about it. He swears to this day he never pushed me in, but I know the truth oh brother of mine...

While we there, I spotted a fantastic couple. They must have been in their 70s, with matching hats and jeans pulled up to their nipples. Walking along the paths, holding hands and watching children play. They looked so content, it was lovely. I want to be that couple one day, complete with nipple high jeans. I figure if get that far, I might as well be comfortable!

And, because no day is complete without a bit of aggravation I will admit that I nearly punched a guy in the back of the head. Said guy was letting his son (probably a little more than 2) wander around the park unsupervised. Climbing on playground equipment that was probably 2 storeys high, in close proximity to a concrete lake which had been drained for cleaning but was readily accessible by a 1m drop onto straight concrete. My kids had been playing with him, so I shadowed him for a bit and then lost sight of him. Found him later rolling around in a large slimey puddle in the middle of the drained lake. (He was having a grand time LOL). I kept an eye on him and tried to track down a parent. A little girl my girls had befriended turned out to be his big sister, so I told her to go and get her Mum and I would watch him and make sure he didn't hurt himself. She found her dad - who promptly whistled at the boy as if he were a dog, pulled him out of the lake by his arm and smacked him soundly on the backside. Here's a tip mate - SUPERVISE your two year old! Two year old boys find a slimey puddle and they are going to roll in it. That's what they do. You're just lucky he didn't crack his head open getting to it. Dumb arse.