Showing posts with label Cruise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cruise. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Park Hop -- Presentation Mini-Park - 6/10

Last week after book club I decided to take Holly out to the park and let her run around after hearing No, about 20 million times, over at Arden's un baby proofed house I thought she deserved some freedom.We found this little parked tucked away off of California Street near University called presentation mini-park and from the street when we drove by on the way to book club it looked like fun so we decided to stop in.Holly had a lot of fun exploring and learning to walk all over again in the tree bark group. She reverted back to cruising for a bit but was able to make the rounds all over the park as she practiced and got her footing.It of course wouldn't be a day in the park if Holly wasn't climbing and going down the slide. She liked to sit at the edge and scoot and pretend to go and then "fake" me out it was quite cute. With her socks on she was very slippery so she had no traction and went down the slide fast. She of course loved this. It was an itsy bitsy slide so she did alright. She just didn't like that it was too hard to climb back up.So she gave in and used the stairs instead. She likes to practice going up and down them, and these were the perfect height for her to be able to sit on the stair and then go right to standing.She had lots of fun crawling around the entire play structure which was pretty baby safe as these things go. And since it was a tree bark bround it was pretty clean and she didn't get very dirty climbing around.There was even a tunnel she could crawl through where she liked to play peek-a-boo with mommy. She would start on one side and then go to the other and laugh when she saw me waiting for her on the other side.Then she tried to fake me out on the tunnel, and half way through she would turn and go out the side she came in, peeking around the corner at me waiting on the other end. Its so cute she was teasing me.After playing for a while we took a bottle break in the grass and I let her walk around a little bit. It was sunnier over there so we put on her little hat to protect her fragile head.She decided that instead of milk she wanted to drink mommies tea, and sadly I think she has figured out how this bottle works. It is so bumped up and the lid is now broken that I am thinking of retiring it and getting myself a new one and letting her have this one for water.On the way back to the car I let her walk all on her own. She loved how the texture of the sidewalks changed and she would waddle all the way on the smooth surface and then as soon as she got to the pebbles she would stop and crouch down and feel them, every time.And yes, there was a surface change every 3-5 or so feet, so it is safe to say that just getting to the car was an adventure in itself.

Slides - 1 - There was one but Holly could mostly do it all by herself.

Swings - 0 - None...

Surface 0 - It was tree bark chips, not my favorite surface.

Shade - 1/2 - Not too much shade, but it was a nice day when we went.

Climbing - 1 - lots of fun climbing and even a cool tube Holly could go through

Parking - 1 - Right on the street, just off of the park entrance

Bathrooms - 0 - None anywhere nearby

Distance - 1 - close to home. Just on California near University.

Friends - 1/2 - There was one other kid while we were there, but it was quiet

Fun - 1- Holly enjoyed herself, and it is a nice little park, the play structure is enclosed, but there is grass and room to run just outside. it is off the street also which is nice.

http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ContentDisplay.aspx?id=12764


Mommy had to pee so we went to visit daddy at work and Holly said Hi to all of his co workers. Then we headed over to the park by our house to wait for Daddy to finish up at work.Another brand new surface to walk on is sand. So Holly held tight to the San Pablo Express train and walked her way down the length of it getting her footing.Under some of the sand is that bouncy rubbery stuff which she was able to walk on, but it was like a path with steep sides into sand pits so I had to watch close that she didn't tumble off the edge.We took a break from exploring and played on the swings, but that didn't last long. There were two little boys using the other swing as a basket for there ball and they kept almost hitting her with it, and she kept almost kicking them as they ran around the swing or under her to get there ball.I was quite annoyed by this and told them to be careful and that there was a baby several times but they didn't listen and there mother was with there little sister on the play structure talking to a friend not paying attention. I didn't want to start something so after the second time the swing ran into them I took her out.We went to climb on the structure for a bit and Holly found these little sliders. Talk about great stretching, she is practically on her tippy toes to reach the second room and push them all from one side to the other.After a bit Daddy came and we went down the big slide a few times. When we had the two of us, I sat on top and he caught her on the bottom so we let her do it herself. She isn't very steady on this slide because it is very wide. She did it herself quiet a few times but then once she turned while going down and bumped her head on the edge. After a momma kiss she was fine, but needed a break from the slide.
All tuckered out we went home and had a yummy dinner. it was a fun afternoon at the park, and a very busy day.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Super Franks

So this will be a short update with a few pictures of Super Franks. It is the indoor play area we went to last week in Pleasanton. Its actually like a 30-45 minute drive away, so not too close by, but a lot of the people in one of my playgroups live further south and further inland then I do. Technically its all the East bay and all Alameda county, we actually have an eye doctor appointment out that way next week. BUT that said, I don;t think I will be back there on a regular basis. It was not very expensive about 7$ for the upstairs and downstairs "Tot Town" Rooms, but the day is broken into sessions from 10:00-1:00 and 4:30-7:30. So for only 3 hours, and such a long drive.

These top two pictures are in the upstairs room. it was pretty cool to have all the little play houses with various themes, one is a school house and another a home and another a fire station. inside there is a little kitchen or a table and other items to play with. There is also a stage in the second picture and there is a real light board where the kids and play with the various levers which change the color of the lighting with red and green and blue gels, and then out front is the TV where the parents can see there superstars inside.

My main issue with this place although very comfortable, is that even though there are a few cubbies the notion of putting strollers and shoes and bags in a separate area is not really adhered too. So the play area is scattered with diaper bags and other items that look like toys to little ones, and well Holly was much more interested in digging through someones purse or chewing on there show and pushing the stroller then she was in actually playing with the toys and structures. I think a lot of that has to do with her age and that many of the structures were for older kids like that cool twisty slide.

I did let her climb into the bouncy house which she had fun in. At the moment there was just one other little boy so it was pretty safe, but then I had to coax her back to the door and pull her out before the other kids climbed in so she wouldn't get trampled. Another thing about this place was that it wasn't really baby proof. This bouncy house was just plugged into the wall, the outlets were protected the wire wasn't hidden or taped down, and it was pretty easy to get behind it for a little explorer. So unlike some places I really had to follow her around like a hawk preventing me from really relaxing and chatting with the other moms.

Downstairs there were a few more things for her to play with and the space was a little more open. She loved throwing the puzzle pieces to the floor and of course was eager to show this little boy how to close the panda.

There was also this large slide downstairs which was too big for Holly to play with. There was also a few large mats and blocks for the kids to climb on and since this was a few weeks ago she was still cruising so it was nice for her to have stuff to hold onto and cruise. There were also cars and other push toys in the large open area to play with.

This is the little kitchen that I want to get for Holly. She played with it first over at Teagan's house and mainly spent her time opening every door and dumping out all of the food. You can see here she is still into opening all of the doors, there just wasn't any food for her to dump out. New this kitchen set cost a few hundred dollars and I have seen it a few times on craigslist for about 50$ or at least that is the price I would pay for it. But it seems that the top and the bottom do not separate from each other and there is no way it will fit into my car trunk, so I am not sure how I would get it home if i did buy it. Also I have to figure out where I would put it. The plan would be to convert downstairs into a playroom, but first I think I will need to sell the pool table. Regardless, Holly had fun playing, and that was our day at Super Franks.


Thursday, April 16, 2009

Pirate Cove


This week we had a playdate scheduled in Union City at a place called pirate Cove Park. As you can see the little park is shaped like a Pirate Ship. What was nice about this park was that the ground was that soft rubbery stuff rather then sand, dirt, or wood chips.

It was a pretty warm day here in Berkeley and Holly was wearing one of her new Spring /Easter Dresses. But by the time we got to the park, even though it was very sunny the wind was blowing strong, so i put some tights and a sweater on her. Also I had to make sure she had her sun hat, because even though it felt chilly by now, the sun was high in the sky and I didn't want her little noggin to get burned.

We left home around 10:30 for a Noon plat date because I was planning on stopping at two different locations to pick up Craigslist items down near there. We found the Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Superstar stage, which she loves for only 15$ an it normally retails for about 45$ She has played with this at Chloe's and loves the little mirror, will play the music and then kiss herself. Some might find it annoying but it continues to play songs sporadically for several minutes which she really likes and also re-engages her if she has wondered away from the toy.

The other item we picked up was a "Learning Computer" I haven't really busted it out yet, but found it at target for 41$ and we got it for 104 What is neat about it is it is a little Baby KeyBoard with shapes and some large Letter Buttons that fits on top of a normal grown-up keyboard. it domes with a CD with games on it, but mostly I wanted it for the keyboard. using it, Joel can figure out how it activates the keys below and then he can write his own computer games for Holly. So While it might be fun in its own right, in a little bit when she is old enough for it, it can be a prototype for Daddy games too.


We ended up arriving at the park a little late, it was about 12:20. Holly was supposed to nap in the car on the way up from 10:30-12:00 but she woke up late, around 9:00 and she refused to fall asleep. She also didn't want to drink her bottle with Motrin. Each time i stopped at a different location I would give it to her and she would drink a few sips or maybe an ounce and then push it away. For the most part she was content in the carseat and "rested" but never fell asleep.


The park had some neat climbing structures and a slide that I was able to put her on and hold her as she slide down, and that she tried to climb back up.

It also had a large area for her to crawl around and a few places where she could pull up, but overall it was not super "baby" friendly. the ship itself has a lot of openings on the platform, so while I followed her and let her climb up, there were gaping wholes she could have leaned back and fell through, so I didn't really let her stay up there and she couldn't really explore or wander on her own.
Then back on the floor there were a few non safe items like the end of a broken balloon which she picked up and I was able to take from her just before she put it in her mouth, so I had to watch her like a hawk and be at her side every second, which isn't her favorite thing. She likes the freedom to explore.

But I think for me the worst part of the day is that non of the other mom's showed up. 3 other's RSVP'd yes and then there were 3 maybe's In the post we talked about sitting in the grass on a blanket with the other babies and letting the older kids play. I think with the distraction of other kids she would have had more fun and not been so intent on exploring in ways that was not safe. But I was there from 12:20 - 1:10 and then left. Maybe they arrived earlier and left because it was so windy, or maybe they were all really late. But I was the only one in the park.
I got some cute pictures, but having to be just around the corner anyway to pick up the craigslist items made it worth it, it wouldn't have been worth the drive for just this park. Though I imagine when she is older things like the bars and peep hole and climbing wall and twisty slide will be a lot of fun.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Traumatic Thursday

So on Thursday we decided to head into the city for a Mom's Movie in the afternoon. It was free and they were showing Duplicity. That Morning mom had to get some blood tests done left the house early and spent almost two hours waiting in the clinic and had 7 vials taken, with two pricks... Daddy made her some breakfast and then we were all off. Holly had gotten up late and was given her bottle in hopes of falling asleep in the car ride to the city, and then hopefully to nap for some of the movie.

We arrived on Chestnut street near the Presido Theatre at around noon, and it took only about 10 minutes to wait for parking just across the street. Holly had fallen asleep only a few minutes earlier at around 11:45. The movie was scheduled to stat at 1:00 but mom was eager to get in and settled. After a few minutes she saw some other mom's with there babies and decided to gather her stuff to go into the theatre. It was around 12:30 and the second the car door opened Holly woke from her nap. We strolled over to the theatre and found the doors were still closed with a sign stating they didn't open until 1:30.. Confused mom saw the other mother's in a cafe next door and went in to ask if they knew anything. They also though the movie was starting at 1:00 but said the doors open only minutes before. So Mom orders OJ and a bagel, Holly had some Banana and Cherrio's and we waited.

Once the doors opened we went inside and found we would be in Theatre two, up a flight of stains, non accessible, which meant no stroller. So we parked in the lobby and gathered all our stuff. Mom was hoping to have the stroller and basket for help but managed. The screen was about 15 feet off the ground and couldn't really be seen from the first 5 rows, so we settled in the second section first row off to the side. There was a lot of floor space here and another baby was already comfy on her quilt playing. There was a bar in front off us and then the other seats below. The bar went above Holly's waits, to around her armpits and she decided to use it for some cruising back and forth from mom to the side wall. We spread out her blanket and toys and she began to explore and play.

She was being very well behaved, not fussing and having fun with her toys.. But then she decided she wanted to throw them. First went some sticky beads, and then a few minutes later went her Loopy Toy. This was about 30 minutes into the film. I looked over the ledge hoping it was simply on the seat in front of us but Alas, it was down below in the concrete floor behind the seat. I handed holly another toy and told her we would have to get the loopy toy after the movie. She seemed contented to play again and so I resumed to watch the film. She had previously been cruising and crawling around the entire area safely so I was not worried but then, next thing I know I saw her feet in the air and I jumped to out to reach them but I wasn't fast enough. I remember hearing a shrill scream and thinking ok, this is a good thing, she is crying. I thought this as I was leaping over the bar and down onto the seat below and then to the floor. I remember seeing her there behind the seat and I tried to reach her from the floor.

The dad in the row in front of us, also jumped up to my assistance. he too tried to pull her out but she seemed stuck. I remember I was sobbing hysterically and I was telling Holly it was ok, Momma is right here. The dad looked over the seat to try and get her but could not reach. I remember in the background someone said turn on the lights, go get help and then another mom came and was able to squeeze down behind the seats also. From this vantage point she could bend down far enough to pick up Holly. When I tried to get her from underneath I felt that one leg was up and I had been trying to straiten it out.

As soon as she would out and handed to me I rushed into the lobby holding her tight, I felt her relax a bit and though still screaming her cry softened. I was able to rub her back and head and she began to calm. I realized how upset I was and put myself in check. She needed to see me calm, not frightened, so she would know everything would be ok. I remember thinking, her neck isn't broken, there is no blood.

The dad came out with me and I learned he was an EMT and had experience with Concussions. He felt and moved her arms and legs and checked her neck. He looked at her back and head and so far everything seemed to be ok. She was beginning to calm down and we brought her to the light to make sure she was reactive. her pupils went tight and then back in the hall large again. From what he could tell there was no concussion. I found two little lumps on the left side of her head, one had a little scratch but they weren't even that big. The dad went to get me some ice, which she wasn't happy about and thing started to settle down.


I knew she needed a bottle so we went back into the theater to get my bag and we sat and I made her a bottle. She lied in my lap and drank. It was actually at this point that another woman, the wife came out and explained her husband was an EMT and what the Pupil dilation thing meant and what to look out for. Once Holly finished her bottle she was almost back to her old self. I knew her head still hurt at that point because she would begin to cry every time i tried to put ice on her bump. I let her crawl and cruise around climbing through the maze of strollers. The theatre was packed, there must have been over 100 mom's with there babies anywhere from new born to 4 or 5. Once I saw signs of my Holly I relaxed a little and began to sob and try to piece together what had happened. It was all a blur to me, but I realized that she must have stepped on Kylee the other baby to get enough leverage to go over the bar. She had seen me lean over to look for her toy, and well at home she is pretty fearless and dives head first into her ball pit. I think in the end it was a godsend that she fell between the seat and the wall because I am sure that slowed her down. The drop was around 4 feet, similar to as if she had went head first out of her crib, but onto concrete.

All of our stuff was still inside spread out by our seat and I went in to begin to gather our things. The dad helped me. Then I sat for a while longer in the lobby letting her cruise around and called the doctor. The Dad said she seemed fine but if it were his kid he would want the clinic to check her out to be sure, and well he wasn't a pediatrician.

I called and they asked if she lost consciousness, no i said. How far did she fall they asked. 3-4 feet. Did she vomit. No I replied. Are her pupils responsive to light they asked. yes I told them.. Well she seems fine, no need to bring her in they said. If she vomits, give us a call, once is ok, more then once we need to check her out. Can she sleep i asked, I am 30 minutes from home and it's her nap time, she will fall asleep in the car, do I need to keep her awake. Yes she can sleep they said. make sure her sleep patterns are normal and she isn't excessively sleep and that she can be aroused. and that was it. They didn't even seem to think it was much of a big deal, and i suppose compared to falling from a window it wasn't but for me, it was horrifying.

I strapped Holly into the car seat and we went for a walk around the block, I held the ice on her head and she didn't seem to mind it at all now, she was comfortable and apparently seemed to had already forgotten all about her fall. After a few minutes I decided she had been awake long enough and I put her into the car and headed home.

The traffic was bad, and she fell asleep right away. About ten minutes into her nap I reached back and started shaking her car seat, she growled at me, very unhappy, but I smiled. She was aroused, and I let her drift back into a slumber. She rested almost an hour while I sat in traffic. I didn't want to call and tell Joel the story until we got home so he could see her right away, which is what I did once we got over the bridge, it was just about his break time and I had him come out and meet us, so he could see her happy and cheerful in the car, and then I told him about our traumatic day.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Tumble and Tea

I was going through my pictures from last week and realized that I totally forgot that I went to Tumble and Tea on Wednesday. I never normally go out on a Wednesday afternoon, but at the time I was a little stir crazy, it was feeling like spring, Holly wanted to play and I was hungry. Tumble and Tea, has this promotion where if it is over 65 degrees, (warm enough to be out in the park) and you spend 10$ on food you get free admission, so off I went to have a late lunch and let Holly play.When we arrived there were several babies just about Holly's age between 9 and 16 months, so she had a lot of fun playing. She hung out at the puzzle table with Payton, crawled around with the other babies and hung out with there Mommies and had a blast.She learned a few things that she had never done before. There is a play structure there shaped like a car or jeep. It has bars for the older kids to climb and swing on and platforms for the littler ones to crawl up on. Holly hasn't ever done this before, but today she climbed up to the first platform, and then onto the second. Then just like she was taught she turned and reached her foot down and slipped back to the lower platform. At first I was so worried about her falling back, but she was careful and intentional and climbed around up and down and had so much fun. A few times she would sit really close to the edge and I would watch, but then she would be fine, reaching her legs down and supporting herself.The other thing she did was learn to slide, all on her own. Several times she climbed up the stairs into the little loft, hung out and then eventually came to the slide where she would sit with Momma's help and slide down. She also really liked climbing back up the slide and got almost half way up without any intervention. I could merely put my hand on her little tush for the extra support and she would climb to the top. Hang out a few minutes and then slide back down.Well it seems I am an enabler, and let Holly teach the other babies bad habits, and once they saw her do it several of them also tried to crawl back up the slide, but their moms didn't like that idea and stopped them. I guess I didn't see what was wrong with that, she liked climbing, and I remember when I ws a kid I liked climbing up the slide too.Holly also decided to walk around and explore the entire cafe. With the new layout of the cafe there is now an open area where there are tables and you can get to the front window but be blocked away from the front door. So she hung out by the window looking outside using the bottom of the table tops as support as she walked by.We had a fun afternoon Mommy had a great lunch, and just after 6:00 we left, Holly fell asleep for her afternoon nap, and then we picked up daddy.