no violent rain, only violet rain.
Current mood: happy
Category: Life

My daughter and I sat outside the coffee shop today, she played with her miniature barnyard jungle animals, I sat talking to my best friend. The sky was overcast, the sun hiding his face. I promised her yesterday that we would go to the pool today. She reminded me every time the clouds shifted, letting in a bleak little ray here and there. It was too cold to go swimming so I began to bribe her with trips to the park in hope of a distraction. She agreed with an audible sigh and we went to the local park next to NC states campus. The park that has its own little ghetto train that circles the playgrounds and man-made pond complete with little wooden bridges. I was feeling lazy and wanted her to play on the playground without my assistance while I read my book...of course that was not going to happen. She began trying to coerce me into taking her on the train "just once...pleeeaaase," I agreed and we made our way over there, I with my step slow and disinterested, she with her feet barely skimming the sidewalk in her excitement. We climbed into the miniature cars and I felt her lean her sweaty little body into mine,swinging her feet, bouncing with excitement. I looked over at her noting her red little face, her freckles darkened from the sun and began to feel a little more conscious. conscious of the moment, conscious of my company...a little girl at the park with her mom, getting to ride on the train that goes over the bridge "so fast it feels windy". I listened to her rattle on about each and every part of the ride and even the park that she deemed her favorite as we made our way through the tunnel and over the pond. we looked down and saw the pedal boats and I started to think about taking her in them. I commented on them and she thought them to be "too scary" and it was then that I decided that we would go on them before we left. when the train ride was over I said nothing of my intention as I led her to the little dock and heard her squeal behind me. she asked me why we were going down there and I told her that I was going to take her UNDER the bridge and then maybe she would have a new favorite thing about the park. when we got to the bottom, she got herself as close as humanly possible to my legs without actually tripping me and let me put a lifevest on her. We got in the little blue boat fairly uneventfully and set off for the middle of the pond my hand firmly on the steering wheel, hers firmly under her bottom, gripping the seat she was on. she slowly began to relax as I pedaled and skimmed our way toward the ducks commenting on each one. She began to point out to me their various colors and what each one was doing. she pointed out the lost feathers floating on the water and asked me if the birds missed them. she pointed out the flowers blooming on the bank guarded by the "pretty mean gooses" that hissed and flapped as we floated by...a little too close for comfort. she pointed out the ducks that were sleeping with their heads tucked under their wing and asked me if they were shy. she pointed out the ducks hiding in the branches of the low lying juniper bushes around the water. we talked about the differences between the girl ducks and the boy ducks and why they were so different looking. the little girl noticed every little thing and I found myself really listening and really enjoying her 5year old company. I should really do that more often because after we picked up her sister from camp and went home, I still craved her company so much that I decided to play barbies with her, dressing them