Gretchen posted on August 10, 2013
A few days ago, I arrived home after work to find the house empty. I soon found my two boys out back in the pool. Isaac was already wet head to toe. Adam was wearing his glasses.
VIDEO: Water Baby
Adam told me that he had put Isaac out on the patio and went back inside to retrieve the towels. Upon returning to the patio, he found our one-year-old holding a small bird by the wingtip while it flapped around in vain. Adam "screamed" (his word), Ike dropped the bird and it hopped to the side of the patio. Apparently it had flown into the sliding glass doors to the patio, which has happened before, and stunned itself, thus Isaac was able to pick it up. Adam cleaned up Isaac and continued on to the pool. By the time I got home the bird was still sitting there, and I was able to get a picture of it (I believe it's a social flycatcher, in case you're wondering). A few minutes later it flew away.
This afternoon we were lazing around the house and lamenting our loud air-conditioning unit that can't keep up with the recent heat and humidity, when I suggested heading to Plaza Kukulcan, a nearby mall (air-conditioned), that has a large children's play area I'd only recently seen. Off we went. Although the main attraction, a large maze/jungle gym was restricted to "solo niños," and Ike is too small to go in alone, there were plenty of other things designed to tire kids out like a mini-race car track, a long cave-like tunnel, two slides, a fireman pole, a little kid area with a foamy slide, and when they're all tuckered out, a movie area complete with real movie-theater style seats. The whole play area is completely hidden away on the second floor of the mall, unadvertised, and free! Isaac tried out the slide, which scared him at first and then he couldn't get enough. He would slide down and then try to crawl back up (with some success). Two nearby kids came over and helped him up the slide. I didn't get a video of the slide but did of some of the other activities. The area was also thoughtfully decorated with plants, flowers and fruits hanging off the ceiling, ants on the walls, and other assorted wall paintings.
VIDEO: Playtime