Splashing

Every time I see Ponytail, the little girl who used to live near me, she seems taller and more grown-up. She'll wear earrings, often, and the kind of clothes that teenagers might wear. But she still acts like a little girl, hugging me and sitting on my lap.

Yesterday, I picked Ponytail and Little Biker Boy up in the middle of the afternoon. Even though it's still cold here, the sun was shining.

"Can we go to Chuck E. Cheese?" Ponytail asked as soon as she got into the car. I haven't been to a place like that since my kids were little, but I remembered it being loud and dark, with lots of plastic and little natural light.

"I've got a better idea," I said. "Let's go to Pretty Colour Lakes."

The parking lot at the state park was nearly full. Folks were walking dogs, playing on the sandy beach, running, eating picnic lunches, and hiking the trails. A few patches of snow remained in the woods, and the green hasn't come out on the trees yest, but the sunshine felt like spring.

Ponytail and Little Biker Boy ditched their winter coats, their socks and sneakers, and began running through the water, despite how icy cold it was. "I haven't splashed in a LONG TIME," Ponytail yelled as she kicked up enough water to soak her skirt and shirt.

We played until a cold wind rose, and then we returned the car, which was warm from sitting in the sun, and drove to the pizza place for supper.