Peachy Makes a Trade: A Toddler’s First Picnic

Last week Mommy and I went out to the playground for my first picnic. It was a beautiful sunny day, and I was excited to go out and play. As we neared the playground, we began to hear the sound of children playing, and once we arrived, we saw that it was quite busy. Nevertheless, I was confused and disappointed as we passed right by the playground and continued on.

Our favorite playground is situated within a larger park area with grass, trees, and several fields for various sports. We looped around the playground and took one of the paths heading back towards home. I was sad at the thought of giving up on our outdoor adventures when suddenly, my stroller veered off the path, and we went right through the grass!

Soon we found ourselves in a nice grassy spot with a hill on one side and a fenced-in paved area on the other. It was a nice and sunny day but a little windy. Between the hill and the evergreen trees that surrounded the place, the wind wasn’t very strong, and the sun soon warmed us up quite nicely.

Mommy pulled out a picnic blanket and placed it on the ground, and I was promptly released from my stroller and placed on the blanket beside Mommy. The plan was to unwind by lounging in the sun and then having a small picnic. To me that sounded like a terrible idea. I wanted to explore!

I hoisted myself to my feet, and I was off. Once I got about halfway up the hill, Mommy was in pursuit, and I found myself being scooped up and carried back to the blanket. I was plopped back down in the same place with Mommy on one side. I could already tell this would take some persistence.

The Fuzzy Discovery

I was on my feet again within moments and heading for adventure. This time I was almost up the hill when I turned back to see Mommy getting to her feet and heading in my direction. I picked up the pace, but it was no use. Mommy had her hands under my arms, and I was being lifted up into the air again only to be deposited back on the blanket. I sighed loudly. This was going to be one of those days.

Up again I went off as fast as I could go when suddenly, I spotted something underneath one of the evergreen trees. I stopped in my tracks and turned to take a closer look. This was definitely something that did not belong here. I walked over to it and got good and close for a thorough investigation.

It was round and brightly colored, so I gave it a little poke with my poking finger. It rolled a little, and I followed it until it settled down again. I poked it once more, and it rolled again as expected. I picked it up, but it was unexpectedly fuzzy, causing me to quickly drop it. As it hit the ground, it proceeded to roll away.

I did not anticipate that it would feel that way, but I wasn’t about to let its fuzziness deter me. I went after it and picked it up once more. This time I was ready for its strange texture, and I held it tightly in both hands. I examined it closely, turning it over again and again. Clearly, I had found treasure.

My First Picnic

I brought it over to the blanket where Mommy was still sitting and I proudly showed off my discovery. Mommy said it was a tennis ball and that it came from the fenced-in paved area behind us where people play tennis. Sadly, there was nobody playing tennis at the time, so I was not able to observe how this treasure came to be underneath the evergreen tree.

Mommy invited me to join her on the blanket so that we could investigate the tennis ball together. I got comfy by Mommy, and the two of us took turns analyzing my treasure. It behaved much like all the other balls that I have, except that it was bouncier and much more fuzzy. Mommy said that since nobody was there to claim the tennis ball, I could take it home with us.

Mommy pulled my snack out from the basket under the stroller, and I ate happily while petting the strange fuzz on my tennis ball. I had banana pancakes with fruit and some water to wash it down with. I was too busy with my tennis ball to really know if I liked my snack, but I was rather thirsty and found the water quite refreshing.

After I ate and quenched my thirst, Mommy let me walk around a bit as long as I didn’t go over the hill. At that point I was more accustomed to the place and the sense of freedom it gave me. I was happy to explore between the blades of grass and underneath the trees in sight of Mommy. Besides, I left my tennis ball in her care, and I wasn’t about to lose sight of my treasure.

You Win Some, You Lose Some

When it was time to go, Mommy realized I was missing one of my hair clips. Mommy searched in the grass for it as I wandered around trying to figure out what we were looking for. The hair clip was never found. It was too small, and the grass was too thick. The missing hair clip did buy me several extra minutes of outdoor time, and I ended up with a tennis ball, so I think the trade was in my favor.

On the way home from my first picnic I clutched onto my tennis ball tightly, feeling a sense of victory. Mommy chuckled at my determination to hold onto my prized possession, and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment. It may have been a small victory, but it was enough to make me smile for the rest of the day.