Slide

Park Visit

Yesterday, we met Christie & Henry at a park in Wilsonville.  It has this huge slide structure:

Photo from Portland Family Adventures

The red stuff is very rubbery and soft, so it's a very safe slide despite its appearance, particularly because whatever they've done to the actual slide, it is sooooo slow to go down (the first time I saw it from a distance, all I could picture was kids tumbling down red concrete).  Even though Avery could walk up it herself, she wanted to hold someone's hand on the way up.  To help me out, Christie instructed Henry to hold Avery's hand on the way up.  Talk about cute.  He'd wait for her at the bottom, then they'd run up the hill holding hands.  After a stint on the swings and breaking for a snack, Avery and Henry both went down the slide after it had been sprinkling for a while.  Avery got to the bottom and said her pants were wet and she wanted her jacket so she could sit on it to slide down (she'd seen Christie let Henry go down on his jacket earlier in the day).  I knew it would make her go faster, but figured she could handle it.  And she did indeed handle it just fine, but man, I wish I'd been videoing!  She flew down the slide and her face was just shocked.  I could see she was going to fly off the bottom into the sand, but I had something in my hands, so I couldn't catch her.  She landed in the sand with a thud, cried for about 3 seconds, then realized it was fun.  She looked at me and said, "I went way fast!"  She was so pleased with herself.  Very cool. 

Dinner & Movie

I met Amber, Christie, and one of Christie's friends for dinner and a movie last night.  It was such a needed night out given my state of mind this week.  And I got my appetite back.  I devoured my entire (large) piece of lasagna.  And I got candy at the movies.  Here's hoping I don't put back on the pounds I've lost in the last month or two because I like fitting into all my clothes. It's rather a nice feeling.

Books

I finished The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.  I highly recommend it to anyone who, even slightly, enjoys non-fiction books.  Thanks for the recommendation, KMK!

I'm now going to start on the book for our newly formed book club: That Old Cape Magic.  In fact, I think I'll do that right after I walk the dogs.