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.