The Playdate

To me playdates are trendy thing. I only recently started hearing the term possible because I am only now paying attention. My K Mart sunglasses are about as trendy as I get. Seems like playdates are for the over achieving mother who loves to over schedule and push her child. Scary. 

With that being said, we do attend a playdate every Wednesday and I am starting to understand why parents are so into them. I will use the term playdate here because I can't think of a better word for what we do, which is meet other kids/parents at the park and let the children run, get dirty and act like the wild animals they are. While the kids get energy out and learn how to act I get a chance to attempt to socialize with other adults, which makes me feel normal.

After we all meet up though it never fails, the kids want to start snack time. Doesn't matter if we just ate before we left home, Nyah wants snack. I know, at least in Nyah's case, she just wants to see what other kids brought with the slightest hope that possibly they might have brought junk food. No matter the contents of the other child's snack container, to Nyah, others snacks are always better than her own. Following snack time the kids play on the playground equipment for a bit but it never takes long for them to migrate to the trees and run in the grass. I love this, reminds me of the goodness and innocence of children. 

Nyah spent a good forty- five minutes last week with another girl mixing berries and leaves with a sick in a hole they found on the top of a table. Oh the fun. I am sure she was singing the Bob Marley song in her head because when she hears this song in the car she literally "Stirs it Up" in the back seat with her big pretend bowl and wooden spoon. 

Elsa, always looking for something to put in her mouth.

The mothers who attend this playdate are from everywhere, Bulgaria, Russia, Dominica, Philippines, St. Croix, and of course Franklin, Indiana. It's a great mix, we have fun but more importantly the kids have a great time. 

We went to the park in Fredriksted last week while George was in class and ran into another organized group of parents and kids playing. It was so unexpected and turned out to be a great evening. Strangest thing though, I started seeing coolers and the mothers holding green glass bottles. Sure enough, those West End Mommies brought beer to the "playdate". Oh how I love this island...and playdates.