Riverside Picnic

Yes, the change of scenery/options has inspired a lot of changes in P, but at his core, he's still the same kid (of course;)  So, when we had loose plans to meet up with friends (originally from Brooklyn, but whom we haven't really seen since P was a toddler) yesterday, he had the same commitment-phobe anxieties that new friends typically engender.  Fortunately, fellow respectful-parenting unschoolers totally get this and procrastinating a day was a non-issue :)

So at breakfast, E suggested as substitute a sand bar exploration.  He remembered seeing some sand bars, somewhere, last fall... a virtual beach trip with just a tiny drive?  P was so excited he threw down his food, popped off his stool and raced to the door... in his pajamas :)  Ok. So anxieties of social newness aren't new, but this readiness to pop out and explore is!

Outings in NYC (are you tired of the comparisons yet?  I'm just fascinated at how different living here - in the same freakin country, yet world's apart - is from living in Brooklyn!) were an exercise in streamlining, planning and patience.  Having to carry everything, typically up and down lots of stairs and for the entire afternoon/day, meant that bag packing was an art.  Especially with a child like P.  Here, we have a car.  The kid giddily tossed in sand shovels, diggers, blankets, a change of clothes, a couple of sweatshirts (for good measure - since we don't seem to get the heatwaves hammering the rest of the US...) and the largest picnic you've ever seen.  Back home, it would have been an apple and a sandwich.  Here, the homemade hummus, bread, two types of olives, two types of cheese, strawberries, pluots, the 'ol apple standby, oil infused water, and gingersnaps all graced our gorgeous picnic basket.  He would have kept piling, had space allowed ;)  Lastly, we had to dig the picnic blanket out of a box... and we were finally ready to go :)

Unfortunately, we never found these infamous sandbars...  but we did learn our way around a few neighborhoods, pointing and gawking.  And we did find a lovely spot under a bridge (which was near silent, a shock after lunching under bridges in Dumbo;) surrounded by green and the occasional sailboat.  The child really, truly loves spending so much time outside and I love that it is so much easier to do now.

And today we met up with the friends, and the kid had a blast.  Baby steps for the social stuff, but he's doing great.  In fact, he's been so enamored with his next door neighbor pals (saying to me almost every day, "Mama, you don't get to see me so much anymore, do you?  Cuz I'm not home a lot now, I'm at my friends'."  Granted, he only sees them once or twice a week, but he never went to a neighbor's house in Brooklyn, so this feels huge ;) that he seems to already feel satiated, socially.  Which is sweet :)