Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah

On most of our days, there's a trip to a park. Yesterday's visit to our local to meet new friends turned pear-shaped as two tenacious three-year-olds got into fisticuffs over swings and scooters and sunglasses. And while Lola says she doesn't want to be friends with Maya anymore, I've told her to hang in there because I want to be friends with Maya's mum. No pressure, kid.

Today, we ventured further afield to Sydney Park and kept it in the family - just me and my three girls. In stark contrast to yesterday, Lola played beautifully, shared immaculately, chattered and nattered and made hilarious conversation about all manner of things, and said hello to just about everyone, even stopping a bemused man pushing his daughter in a pram so she could greet them with her enthusiastic, "Hi, guys!"

After playing on the slippery dips and swings, getting grotty in the sand pit, visiting the loos three times and enjoying a strawberry milkshake (Lola), a soy latte (me) and some mooshy fruit (Stella and Pearl) in the cafe, we set off down through the parklands to find the duck pond. And while I'd remembered to pack nappies and cardigans and snacks and water and sun hats and beanies and baby food and blankets and buckets and spades and the scooter, I somehow forgot stale bread for the ducks. So Lola generously shared her rice crackers with them. And in case the enormous pond mightn't be enough for them, she poured a little of our bottled water into her empty sand bucket so they could have a drink. 

We watched a huge eel slither through the water, chatted amiably with a pair of swans, leaned out over the footbridge to check out our reflections and sang 'Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah' to some ducks as the babies snoozed away in the pram. And after a final slide down the slippery dips, we made our way home.

{photos taken on the iPhone}