Backyard Shenanigans

For ten years I lived without a backyard.  And it wasn't all that bad.  On the West Side of Manhattan we had Riverside Park and on the East, John Jay Park.  Many city dwellers think of their neighborhood parks as extensions of their homes; their "backyards," so to speak. 

But now, in addition to Golden Gate Park, we actually have some space in the back of the house to call our own.  And that's posed a problem.  Our "adopted backyards" had always come fully equipped.  All we had to do was bring a picnic mat and we were set.  Our actual backyard, though clean and tidy, is rather barren.  I hadn't considered it before, but a barren backyard is no more useful than an empty room in the house.  Handy, but not that functional.  I needed some stuff.  But what?

Patio furniture would have to wait.  It's been ten years since I've had a backyard and I'm not ready for that kind of commitment.  Not yet.  I decided to start small with a few surprises for Mimi.  The first, and I had forgotten just how important having one of these around can be, was a new soccer ball.

We play a little game called "get the baby."  Mimi will run to one end of the patio and I'll kick the ball toward her.  If I hit her, I yell out, "Gotcha!"  She's taken to repeating after me.  "GAHSUTHA!"  She's getting pretty good at stopping the ball now.  Maybe she'll be a goalkeeper someday.

The other surprise was a little ride-on fire truck.  This took some figuring out for Mimi, but she was soon scooting along the pavement on her own. 

There's a slight slope to the patio leading from the garage down to the garden railing.  This is Mimi's race track.  I'll prop up the rear of the fire engine on the garage door ledge and then Mimi will shoot herself down the hill with a mighty kick.  The girl enjoys speed.  Hmm, maybe if she keeps this up I'll be able to bring her to her first track day in 12 years or so.  I guess that means I should get to work on a track day racer, right?

Of course, unlike adults, toddlers are amazingly adept at finding things to do even in the absence officially sanctioned leisure equipment.  Mimi will take the steps down from the patio to the garden, with Papa's help, at least 5 or 6 times a day.  First, she scopes out the situation.

Then, she contemplates that first step.  Is it worth it?

Sometimes it still feels a bit overwhelming.   

But, with Papa's help, she always makes her way down successfully.  Again on flat land, Mimi races around the track.  Often with Papa running behind her shouting "GAO!" like some kind of overweight and uncoordinated Japanese tiger.  "Well, at least he seems to be having fun..." she seems to smirk. 

Her races run, Mimi will take to organizing the garden.  This usually consists of picking up dead leaves from the cement path or moving the wood chips from the garden's center to the planter bucket which has no bottom.  Why this is done, I have no idea.  She seems to seek order in things outside the house.  Sad that her organizational impulse for the outdoors is consistently supplanted by a destructive impulse when she comes inside.

Before I know it Mimi will be taking to her first tricycle.  I can't wait to see her pedaling around that back patio.  It'll be cute.  And maybe, just maybe, she'll be distracted enough for me to get some reading in.  One of my personal favorite backyard activities.