Living the Park Life

The weeks leading up to school starting involved a lot of parks and splash pads.  McKay ended up going out of town twice.  Once in August and once in Sept.  Those weeks with him gone were such a challenge for me.  I was terrified my patience wouldn't be enough and that we would literally go crazy while he was gone.  Like I was truly worried.  But after lots of prayers and a few park trips we survived both weeks and I hope he never goes out of town again. lol After he would get home I would go take a mommy break in very quiet places and just sit down in a daze.  Seriously, I am getting tired just thinking about those weeks. 

Our city, Syracuse, just put in a splash pad this year and it is a really awesome one.  We went there a few times in August.  The last time we went we were the last to leave in the evening and I decided that is my favorite time to go.  The crowds are all heading home and you get a beautiful view of the sunset. 

 

We went on a park date with Corinne and kids.  Friends at the park is always a bonus for the kids and mom.  Loy Blake is one of our favorite parks. 

When I take my kids to the park by myself I like to go to parks that are not very crowded.  That way it is easier to keep track of everyone.  We have a few that are our favorite go-to parks that I know will not be very crowded.  Oh the things you think about as a mom of many. 

One evening in August we were invited to a night at Cowabunga Bay water park in Draper with other foster families.  It was probably my favorite night we have had in the Foster world so far.  I was fascinated by everyone around me and had a great time people watching.  Everyone there was involved in Foster care in one way or another.  I counted more then fifteen 15 passenger vans in the parking lot.  There were lots of large families there.   None of the families matched genetically and rarely looked like each other.  You could barely tell who belonged to who.  There were lots of tiny babies there and yet you could tell the moms probably didn't just give birth to them.  At a couple moments I thought about the amount of trauma that had been experienced by  the group of kids/people there and my heart broke a little bit more.  In an odd way it was helpful and motivating to be in a group that you felt like you belonged in.  That everyone there knew the struggles you were facing right now.  The kids themselves had no idea about everyone else around them, but they had a GREAT time going down slides and floating around the lazy river.  We left the younger three kids at my parents house so it was a fun night with the "big" kids and I am grateful for the memories.