Bigger boy, bigger toys

We're kicking the pursuit of health up a notch and taking walks every evening. Last week, we walked to our usual park, and let Jonathan loose. You may remember my post from a few months ago, in which I commented that Jonathan was a bit shy about getting involved in play. With a little more time under his belt, he was prepared for this visit, and he wanted to play on toys that, only a few months ago, made him nervous .

This thing is a like a giant spider web, held up by four posts that stand at least 2 stories tall. Kids get in the middle and jump, climb the webbing, and even ascend the support poles. Jonathan liked the jumping, and wanted Mommy and Daddy to climb the poles. We both climbed up and felt the dizzying feeling of, "I'm not so young anymore."

Christine even managed to take a few pictures from on high.

We were proud of our big boy for trying new things, and proud of ourselves for not throwing our backs out or breaking a hip on our way up and down.

Jonathan wanted help getting down (about a 3.5 foot drop), but I made him figure it out on his own. He carefully got his feet dangling over the sides, then lowered himself down by hanging on the ropes, and then dropped a couple of inches to the ground, which was freshly covered with soft tree shavings. The whole place smelled like hamster!

Jonathan even volunteered to ride on the swings. I don't know why, but swings have always freaked him out. He doesn't like the baby swings, or the normal swings, even when Daddy is holding him. With Mommy on the swing next to us, we managed to swing for a couple of minutes before Jonathan had had enough.

So, Jonathan has mastered most of the stuff that this park has to offer. I think I'll take him to some new parks this summer and see how he does with other toys, and other kids. It's fun to watch him explore, challenge himself, and feel a sense of accomplishment when he learns to use each new piece of equipment. And, working together to keep him safe, encouraged, and successful now, is a great way to practice for future learning and adventures. We love our growing boy.