New Berlin Park Series: Lions Park

After a 3 week start-to-finish encounter with shingles for Mom, we just got back to our park visits today! It was a beautiful, low humidity day. We ventured a whole 2 miles (probably less) to Lions Park.  As per usual, Miss V saw the playground and marched right over and said "Oh! Cool!" We did the swings first of course.

Miss V looooves climbing stairs and these were pretty big steps for some small legs!

So determined to do it herself!

She just realized that there were other kids on the swings!

Miss V's adventurous side comes to a halt at the top of a slide. She still will not go down without me. And although it is sometimes a squish, I will take a lap rider down the slide any day :)

You don't really think I'm going to actually go down this without you mom...?

It wouldn't have been a park experience without some strange animal "rides."  I don't know what it is about these odd creatures that kids like!

Scary looking eyes! Miss V did not care!

Oh Violet! Please do not put your mouth on that OMG!

We stopped to explore a stump and the baseball diamond on the walk back to the car. Curious Miss V. was naturally curious about both!

Another picture Mom, really?!

She listened about staying on the grass! I could just picture little footprints all across the diamond...

This is what summer in Wisconsin is all about to me! Nice afternoons at the park with a curious almost 2 YEAR OLD!!!

Nostalgia Round Two

Curious Miss V, Grandma and I had the chance to go to Bay Beach this weekend! It was my first time back since I was probably in middle school. I remember Mom, Kellie and I waiting and waiting for the ferris wheel and tilt-a-whirl and Dad watching in the shade. He would take us on the bumper cars and big slide. All four of us enjoyed the train with views of Lake Michigan. V enjoyed it just as much!

Look! The train is coming! 

It did rain a little so I didn't get a ton of pics but it was cooler than anticipated which was nice and there were not many lines. As a kid I remember the lines taking forever! Miss V did the baby swing on the playground first and had a great vantage point of the train route and loved just swinging and watching and listening for the train. Once we got her to the line she was excited and ready to go. She kept saying "move! move!" as we were waiting for all passengers to load the train. A big ole grin stayed on her face the entire ride. Then we went to the kiddie rides which she loved just as much. 

Go this way boats!

Big girl

I just could not believe how grown up she looked sitting in these rides by herself. For some reason I thought I remembered that adults could sit with the kiddos but that was not the case. I strapped her in and went behind the fence and she did great. A little bit of concern/stoicism at first and with the "faster" rides, but no crying! 

Hang on!

Don't mind me...just sitting here driving this race car...

She really got the hang of the steering wheels. Miss V was not the happiest having to get off each of the rides and kept saying "more cars! more boats!" and would just march over to the next ride with that determined, arm-swinging walk of hers.

How does this bell work mom?

Both Grandma and I took her once on the carousel or the "horsies" as she called it. Pure joy riding on that one, bummed I didn't get a good pic. Miss V talked about our trip the rest of the day and told Dad all about it on video chat! Such a fun place; I'm looking forward to taking her again and doing some of the "bigger" rides!

Bouncing Baby?

Curious Miss V got to experience her first bouncy house at my cousin Jordan's graduation party a few weekends ago. She was unsure at first but loved watching the kids going in and out and I knew it wouldn't be long before she wanted to take a peek inside, especially if Auntie Kellie and Mom were going too.

She couldn't even stand up the first time she went in. Just crawled and looked very confused/excited. She is not a great climber and she is funny about uneven surfaces like walking on grass so this did not surprise me.

Fun with Auntie

Tongue out for concentration 

Love that smile

She was very curious about the ladder and wanted to just climb right up it like the bigger kids. But she would try and stand or pull up and then someone would bounce and knock her back and she'd start the whole process over again. Even when she did get close she changed her mind much like she does with playground slides once she gets to the top. Curious but cautious: a good combo :)  This did all change when the adults started going down the slide part and she went a few times on the laps of Aunt Hope, Jordan and Auntie Kellie. It was a team effort and Mom and Dad watched from the ground and were quite entertained! 

Wouldn't be a cute blog post without the baby butt although with the skirt the diaper butt is less pronounced ;)

All in all, Miss V loved the bouncy house and I see many more in our future! It was an awesome party; congrats again to Jordan!

Big Girl Step Stools

Be prepared...this blog has many pictures of Big Girl Miss V not baby Miss V! She is now tall enough to stand on a step stool and reach the sink in our bathroom to wash her hands.

She loves playing with water and I knew once she could do this "on her own" she would be happy as a clam. I do have to hold her hand to give her a little boost since the step is pretty big but she could have cared less because she was so curious about the stool and the water. Her face lit up when she saw herself in the mirror. That has only ever happened with us holding her!

There was a bit of a meltdown when it was time to be "all done" with the water but I pulled out the second stool (garage sale finds!) for the kitchen. The sink in there is still way too tall so I brought it by the living room couch and let her climb up and down from the stool to the couch and she loved it almost as much as washing her hands.

obligatory diaper butt pic :)

She is becoming a climber and recently figured out how to get herself up on our big ottoman. She also attempts to climb into her own high chair which is on a bar height chair and scares me!

She of course had to get a selfie in after all this climbing and then she relaxed on the couch. Always something adventurous going on with Curious Miss V!

Ahhh, this is the good life. My work here is done!

New Berlin Park Series: Biwer Park

Next up for the park series was a smaller neighborhood park not far from our house: Biwer Park. One thing I have liked about visiting more parks is I get to know my way around New Berlin!

Please mom? I won't get that wet...

My GPS took us to the back of the park so we had quite the adventure getting to the actual playground. V was of course curious about the puddles.

Then it was through a path in the woods...

And then we tromped through a field of long grass...

We made it! Let's swing!

V likes to say "Violet do it!" when asked if she needs help. This picture makes her look so big!! Just a 22-month-old climbing up a big kid sized staircase by herself...

Climbing to the top of a slide and/or sitting on it at the bottom is way more fun for V than actually going down it...

The park was pretty old and not the cleanest as you can see by this interesting creature that V called a dinosaur! We had the whole place to ourselves though and saw a very little baby dear and Mama crossing the street on the way back to the car. We of course had to take a park/playground selfie.

I apparently need to get better at applying sunscreen as you can see by the smears on her nose :) Now that we have gone to three or four parks, Miss V now knows what "park" means and starts listing swings! slide! fun! as soon as I mention our destination. We still have a lot more to go so stay tuned!

Peshtigo Park Series: The One and Only Badger Park

Waaaaaay back in the mid 1990s, the Becker family of Peshtigo helped build what is now Badger Park less than a mile from my childhood home. It was a huge community event and everyone pitched in. I remember doing something with the tires that act like stairs in one part of the park. Beyond that, my memories are of riding my bike with my sister to the park probably 2-3 times a week for my entire childhood. We also had "field trips" every year from school to the park for end of the year celebrations. My babysitter Melanie took us there during the summer. I took kids who I babysat there all the time. So, needless to say, there is a major nostalgia factor with this post!

This bouncy bridge freaked Miss V out at first but then she realized it was pretty fun! I remember bouncing across this many times!

Moving Stairs! So determined to do it herself. I remember thinking these were the coolest stairs ever.

I'm gunna do it! Well....maybe!

Rolly slide with Dad! Again, as a kid I had never seen a slide like this before so I was in awe and went down it many times with each trip to the park

Big swing with Dad! They have identical squinty eye smiles. These two are twins!

V has been on this type of swing at a few parks in New Berlin and she loves them! Very hard to get a picture however!

Walking home with Grandma. V spends just about as much time out of her stroller as in these days :)

So, not to get emotional but as I said...major nostalgia factor with taking my own kiddo to the park I played at as a kid. The Peshtigo River is right across the street and that will always hold a special place in my heart. I attended probably 5 or 6 Angeli's grocery store employee picnics at the park shelter. I played disc golf with my dad in the woods surrounding the park. I ran cross country meets through the park grounds. I rode my bike through the wooded paths with my sister. I played in our jazz band at the bandstand. It is a special place and I'm glad I can share it with Kyle and V! 

New Berlin Park Series: ProHealth Care Park

We live very close to the HUGE Prohealth Care complex which includes a small park and walking path through a little prairie/pond. I have gone running on it several times and I thought we could "kill two birds with one stone" and do a jogging stroller trip to this park!

Miss V got right to work as soon as I unleashed her from the stroller buckles. She does like to go running with me but prefers if we go on a busy street/sidewalk so she has some entertainment with the vehicles! So she was ready to get out and play after my slow paced jog (because pushing her slows my already slowish pace way down! LOL)

Baby diaper butt pics won't be happening too much longer so I couldn't resist!

Climbing stairs is one of the most fun parts of a playground for Curious Miss V! I think it makes her feel like a big kid.

Look Mom! I'm so high up! Don't have a heart attack! I won't fall I promise!

These next pictures are a great summary of Miss V's personality! So excited about life.

When it comes to slides, Miss V is still cautious and almost always wants Mom or Dad to sit with her. She will get right up to it and sit down like she will actually do it but then backs up. I'm happy ot be her slide buddy for a little while longer...as long as its not a tube slide those are tight for grownups I have found out!

I'm going down!!

Maybe not...

Overall, we love this park! It's new and has the nice rubbery flooring. It is pretty big for Miss V but she will grow into it I'm sure :) Our park trips are increasing with each week of "summer" so stay tuned...