Happy Father's Day Dan!

Yesterday was a wonderful day. Though it was pretty hot, we made the best of a day outside. Last week, Alex had asked me if we could have another picnic soon. When I gave Alex the choice of a picnic for Father's Day, he was excited. Between the beach and Florence Park, Dan chose the park because he wanted to play kickety-kick ball with Alex.

We packed up Alex's ladybug kick ball, a beach blanket, paper plates and utensils. Then we bought a deli lunch at Food City. Off to Florence Park we went. Alex wasn't much for eating his picnic lunch, so he missed out on the yummy desert I'd brought (Swedish fish and a delicious cannoli type of pastry). But he was really into his kickball game with Daddy. Unfortunately for Daddy, Alex chose an area of the park with no shade in the hot blazing sun.
After a while, we heard the music of an ice cream truck. Daddy and I agreed that the ice cream truck is an exception to the "no treats" rule. One should always nab ice cream if you see an ice cream truck.

Since we had to wait for the truck to come around the block, we played in the playground for a while. Then we heard the ice cream truck's music: Music Box Dancer (Frank Mills' composition from c. 1980). We hurried Alex along to the ice cream truck and helped him make his very first selection. Then Dan held him up and he paid the ice cream man.

It was just a year ago that Alex was afraid of the ice cream truck. He'd run from the sound and hid behind a bush, frantically trying to push me into hiding too, else the ice cream truck would spot me. He eventually confessed to me that "I scared. I scared of ice cream truck."

I can safely report that fear has ended. Alex even likes to talk about how he conquered his fear.

On this day, the three of us were able to sit down on our blanket in the part of the park Alex and I call "Bunnytown" (for the bunnies we used to see there so often). Then Alex and Daddy played on the jungle gym some more. Mommy remembered she had to walk to CVS, so just about 6:00, we left the park.

Between that and the talking picture frame Daddy got as a gift (along with his new short pants that he wore to the picnic), I think this may have been Dan's best Father's Day yet.

Alex and I will have to work really hard to come up with ideas for next year.

Monday, June 21