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Willow plays hide and seek


Willow watches the other kids at the playground
play hide and seek. The boy on the right befriended
Willow, for a time.
Willow starts to climb up after the kids. She wasn't
fast enough, but she made a good showing
considering it was her first time up steps.

























Willow and I are going to the park in the morning now.
This is a big change from before, when we were doing our household work in the morning, such as writing this blog, then going to the park in the afternoon.
Afternoon park trips were fine during the colder months when temperatures were warmer in the afternoon (and when Willow was napping pretty heartily in the morning).
But the seasons have changed, and so has Willow. The afternoons have gotten too hot (and parents aren't taking their kids to the park), and Willow isn't napping as much in the morning as she used to.
So this morning, as soon as Cherish headed to work and I got some of my lesser chores finished, Willow and I went to the park.
When we arrived, the park again was vacant. Just Willow and me, so we did the normal stuff. I pushed her in the swing then prepared to guide her down the slides for a little bit.
Then kids started showing up.
First three little brothers arrived with their mother, and they jumped on the tire swing, all three of them. Willow watched.
Then two older girls showed up. And they took control of the playground, organizing a hide-and-seek chase with the three boys.
I put Willow right in the middle of the action. Oddly, she ignored the play for a while, instead preferring to play with her stuffed Ducky. Then as more kids jumped into the game, Willow started to pay attention.
Before long, she was showing off her newfound walking to the older kids (only the youngest of the brothers paid attention to her stumbles from here to there).
Then as the group of kids zipped up the steps to pursue the girl who was hiding, Willow gave chase.
Well, in her mind, I'm sure it was a chase, but the kids were POOF gone, and Willow was at the first step trying with all her might to pull higher.
Eventually, she got better at the climbing and clamored up the steps, reaching the top in just a few minutes.
By that time, the game had returned, and Willow was in the middle again.
Then POOF the kids were gone again, except for that youngest of the three brothers.
He tucked himself into a corner, and Willow followed him.
And as all good kids will do when they've found the best spot to hide, he scowled at Willow and said, "Go away, this is my hiding spot."

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