We’re going on a playdate.

Do you remember playing the game, “I packed my Grandmother’s trunk?” For some reason it is stuck in my head and in honor of Annabel learning her alphabet, here’s our version just for fun.

I packed my daughter’s diaper bag, and in it I put:

A, apple - her favorite fruit (for today).
B, Band-Aids- now that she can run faster and climb higher we are prepared for bumps and scrapes.
C, clothes- a romper if it gets hot, a sweatshirt if it gets cold, backups for juice spills and puddle jumping.
D, diapers- although she is thinking about using the potty, we aren’t quite there yet.
E, extra sunblock- even if the sky seems gray, those ultraviolet rays are shining.
F, fish crackers- we should own stock.

OK, you get the idea, and of course I remembered the hydration, distraction toys, a book for the car ride and park toys for when we get there.

Since the playdate was at a neighborhood park, I got off easy. Next time we might meet at the beach. I’ll need to get a bigger bag and add sand toys, towels, a hat or even an umbrella. Who knew one little person could need so much stuff.

While it takes a decent bit of preparation, it is worth it! Annabel is coming into her own. She thinks she is queen of the park and wants to let everyone know she is there. Sometimes she does it with a friendly wave or a nice hello and occasionally just by following other children around and staring.

Ever curious, she likes to see what new tricks she can learn and what interesting things she can get into. She absolutely loves to slide. She is an adventurous one and prefers the biggest spiral slide. Since she is determined to get optimal slide time in, she has figured out the quickest, toddler-friendly route from the bottom of the slide back to the top. She runs up joyfully shouting, “big slide!” to encourage everyone to join the fun.

I can hardly believe how independent and confident Annabel is becoming. Part of me wishes she would show a little more reluctance before running off to check out the world around her, but as I do not see that happening in the near future, I will keep her bag packed and my running shoes on so we can explore the world together!