This morning at the park

On Wednesday mornings - in an attempt to save gas (which is now $2.06 a LITRE) - I drive Matt to work and then go to the teen mom's program I help out with at church. This is in efford to NOT drive two cars all the time, even though we are harbouring (what is it, a fugitive) a 2nd vehicle while my parents are away. Twice I have done this and had errands to do, but today I had no errands. And since I had gone to a store a few weeks ago and been stopped by security (large bag, no purchases... you do the math), I decided I didn't feel like wandering through a store to get eyed up security for a little while. (There's been a big push about shoplifting her in NZ recently, and I'm very aware that I look odd just wandering the isles). Anyways... All that to say, we went to the park.

Of course, as luck would have it, we got there and found this 'group' of men sitting around smoking. Yeah, in a kids park. And part of me got nervous - because it looked like the Parole Department with a work crew - and I'm just not fond of my 2 year old being watched by parolees - never mind why they were convicted, it just weird. And especially since there weren't any other kids in the park - just me and Oceana. But I stuck to my guns, I figured its a park - they're the ones that look out of place. Only once did I hop up to follow her - this is to prove my daughter is afraid of NOTHING - and wanders straight through the group of rough looking (fairly large) men smoking, so she coudl get to the entrance of one of the jungle gyms.

Then I sat down and knitted. And I was very aware that some of these - seemingly 18 year old - men were staring at me - probably thing, what the heck is she doing. I KNOW I KNOW I look like a total Gramma knitting on a park bench, but who gives a stuff. I knit because - we we all know why I knit.

Anyways. So then it started, "Mommy, svhing? Mommy, svhing? Mooooooommmmmyyyyy, Svvvvvvhhhhiiiiiiiiiiinnngggg!"

My reply, "Hang on a second, let me finish this row." That poor kid hears that all the time.

And then we Svhung. (Swung, swinged, uh... did some swinging... hehe there we go)


And I fiddled with the camera. I'm not completely happy with this photo, since her toes are out of focus. But I'm in love with the composition. Ok - I know, I've been reading photography websites. Yay me, now I know what exposure ACTUALLY means. Now I can look back at every photo I've ever taken and go - "Ew."

See the knees? That's because she insisted on walking through the wet, nearly muddy grass - while I was wearing my suede boots. Do you see my excitement? And when she fell? I said, "That's what happens when you walk in the mud."

Do you see those shoes? Ew! Those came off quickly - she spend the rest of the day barefoot. They were water shoes too (I did not choose them, but we were in a hurry today and I didn't have time to argue that Dora water shoes aren't a good choice in the winter), which means the socks were drenched too.

Not from today, but yesterday. Pre-exposure lesson - so it's in my "Ew" bank, but I liked the shot. Can you see the spiderweb?