Playgrounds

"Go playground" I say to Amanda (21 months) and she scoots off the coach, grabs her shoes, and sits on the stairs. I put her shoes on, load her into the stroller, and we are off.

The playground is in the mall across the street from our apartment. It's about 35F outside and Amanda's pants don't quite reach her socks. A little skin is exposed. A middle age woman has a look of horror as we pass and asks if Amanda is cold. In my best Chinese, I say she is a little bit cold, how about you? Amanda's pants are typically short and for these short walks I think it's fine but there's an ayi (auntie) army that thinks otherwise. This has been the case since I used to walk Lydia and Elisa to the playground many years ago. The ayi army has gotten new recruits and they are relentless.

I don't mind being at the playground with Amanda. Don't mind much. I get to listen to podcasts as she drags me from station to station. I figure I have maybe another year of being dragged around before she will be off playing with the other kids.

Amanda is well known at the playground, the staff greets her with "Dong Ai 😄" or "Xiao Ai 😄". I am biased but I think she lights up the place with her energy and her smile. The same could be said about..well not me.

And this is sexist and not universally applicable but boys and girls play differently. There is a large pebble sandbox like area of the playground. I often see 5-6 year old boys just going to town, throwing the pebbles up and down, destroying things, generally causing havoc. The 5-6 year old girls, meanwhile are building things and often working together.

20 years ago we used to take Lydia and Aidan (and later Elisa) to Fundazzle indoor playground alongside workers stadium. It was massive, on the site of a former indoor pool. I remember competition for the mini cars the kids would push around. I remember sliding Aidan down into the pool of plastic balls. I remember Lydia and Elisa getting lost (to me) in the climbing maze.

That was maybe a once a week event. With Amanda, it's almost every day, sometimes twice a day. I try to avoid weekends with the hoards of kids.

Amanda's favorite activity maybe is just running around. She likes movement. The duck boat pictured at the top goes round and round in circles and Amanda can stay on it for an hour.

Ritan park is in our neighborhood. It's 500 years old and the recently added swings. Sure, it used to be the park of the royals, now it's Amanda swing heaven. Even in 30F temperatures she can go back and forth for as long as I let her and cry when it's time to stop.

All while I pass the time listening to politics, sports, or true crime, Amanda plays. And I'm more and more aware that these moments are as precious as they are passing.