Puppets in the Park

In the summer, the city's little puppet wagon 

makes its daily rounds to different parks in the mornings 

to entertain children with its puppets. This year, 

in addition to the morning shows,

 the wagon also does evening shows twice a week. 

On Monday we went to the Central Park to watch the puppets, 

sitting on our old crumply picnic blanket and eating pretzels.

During the intermission, ribbons were handed out 

and the kids were encouraged to dance. 

Emily was in her element.

After the show, the kids adjourned to a picnic table 

to do a craft. This week's was friendship bracelets 

made by stringing beads on a stretchy cord. It was crowded 

at the picnic table so Emily did hers on the stroller tray.

And then came probably the most anticipated 

part of the evening - the playground. 

This playground has been called by many names 

over the months we've visited it. 

My parents call it the "Cold Playground" 

after a particular day that started out sunny and 

suddenly turned bitterly cold. Emily calls it 

the "Playground Next To My Ballet Class" 

because of its proximity to the community center 

where her ballet classes were held. And for a short while 

I called it the "Rocking Birds Playground" in honor of 

two bird-shaped rockers, to distinguish it from the 

many other playgrounds we'd explored that year.