First-time parker, long-time player.

Saturday morning Hubz and I took Bean to a local park that I had been hearing about for a few months. I honestly couldn't figure out how to get there by myself. Me and maps don't mix. Me and GPS are just now starting to like each other. So...I needed a man to help me out. Hubz was the best I could find.

This was Bean's first trip to a real park. We usually go to this smaller one near our house but it only has swings and a couple of slides. This new park has trails, a few different playgrounds, picnic tables, all that jazz. We were uptown, baby!

At first Bean was a little shy and hesitant to play. She stared at the other kids and smiled but thought the other grown-ups were complete aliens or something. Frankly, I thought the same thing about a couple of them, too, but what the hey!

Here's Bean trying out some of the slides. She kept putting her feet down and braking her slide. All that kept going through my mind was "whiplash anyone?"

Then she wanted to try out the monkey bars.  Isn't it funny how everything and anything can turn into a song for a toddler?  She started singing "monkey bars, monkey bars, monkey bars" over and over.  She should be on Glee.

I can't get over how long her hair has grown!

She also liked climbing under the big playset.  There was a big spinning tic tac toe game, a car with wheels that spun around and some windows to play peek-a-boo.  Mommy liked this area too simply because it was the coolest spot on the playground.  The other kids tried to get me to move out of the way but I just kept pushing them down.  I kid.  I kid.  Except for that one...

Pretty much the look on Bean's face in this next picture shows you how much she enjoyed the new park.

I think we'll be returning soon.  The Beanster said so.