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conuly
I thought I could take the D up, but I didn't realize that the D runs express after about 72 street. Whoops. So I ended up at 125th and went across the platform for the downtown B instead.
Now, I thought the program was at the playground at 100th West - but no. There *is* a playground there... but they're doing construction. So, 13 blocks later (three down, ten up) we get to the playground at 110th street and get there just in time for the *end* of Storytime. Well, they're running that program all summer, no great loss.
This is a nice playground. Full of modern playground equipment (the sort I don't really understand, but Ana caught on after seeing other kids playing on it) and with the blacktop molded and sculpted into hills and such, which is *really cool*.
And a sandbox.
I was so proud of Ana in the sandbox.
First, when another five year old (I asked) was trying to start (or, I suspect, continue) an argument, she simply didn't rise to the bait. When he said he'd smash her sandcake it was "I don't care" (a phrase which is so often the bane of my existence, but which was *totally appropriate* in this context), and when he said he'd take this sand toy it was "Fine, I'm done with it" and when it was finally "Well, you don't know me, that's why you're being mean" she just turned her back on him and didn't answer.
I have no idea what prompted any of this exchange (Ana didn't answer me once he'd left and I asked - I didn't interfere as it went on because I like to let them deal with things more or less themselves, you know?), but Ana handled it just the right way, very sensible and mature.
Later, as we were about to leave in ten minutes (theoretically), I came up to tell Ana that and found her defending a smaller child, maybe just-turned-two. The little one had a toy, and another five or four year old wanted it, and Ana just stood there repeating "No, it's hers. You can't have it, she had it first" at her, eventually taking (gently) the older girl's hand and repeating that she could not have the toy. When the younger child's mother came up going "Share, share" it was Ana who stepped in and explained that no, the little one was behaving just fine, it was the older girl who was trying to snatch the toy away! Baby's mother was a little startled at this revelation (two year olds being the way they are), but it worked.
I love this. I am so proud just to know Ana-banana.
Evangeline, to her credit, was well-behaved despite not having napped.
Now, I thought the program was at the playground at 100th West - but no. There *is* a playground there... but they're doing construction. So, 13 blocks later (three down, ten up) we get to the playground at 110th street and get there just in time for the *end* of Storytime. Well, they're running that program all summer, no great loss.
This is a nice playground. Full of modern playground equipment (the sort I don't really understand, but Ana caught on after seeing other kids playing on it) and with the blacktop molded and sculpted into hills and such, which is *really cool*.
And a sandbox.
I was so proud of Ana in the sandbox.
First, when another five year old (I asked) was trying to start (or, I suspect, continue) an argument, she simply didn't rise to the bait. When he said he'd smash her sandcake it was "I don't care" (a phrase which is so often the bane of my existence, but which was *totally appropriate* in this context), and when he said he'd take this sand toy it was "Fine, I'm done with it" and when it was finally "Well, you don't know me, that's why you're being mean" she just turned her back on him and didn't answer.
I have no idea what prompted any of this exchange (Ana didn't answer me once he'd left and I asked - I didn't interfere as it went on because I like to let them deal with things more or less themselves, you know?), but Ana handled it just the right way, very sensible and mature.
Later, as we were about to leave in ten minutes (theoretically), I came up to tell Ana that and found her defending a smaller child, maybe just-turned-two. The little one had a toy, and another five or four year old wanted it, and Ana just stood there repeating "No, it's hers. You can't have it, she had it first" at her, eventually taking (gently) the older girl's hand and repeating that she could not have the toy. When the younger child's mother came up going "Share, share" it was Ana who stepped in and explained that no, the little one was behaving just fine, it was the older girl who was trying to snatch the toy away! Baby's mother was a little startled at this revelation (two year olds being the way they are), but it worked.
I love this. I am so proud just to know Ana-banana.
Evangeline, to her credit, was well-behaved despite not having napped.
