Picture of the Week: Sticks and Stones

It was a common question we got before we came. It was a joke...but perhaps showed the fear of the unknown.

"What will your kids play with there? I bet all they'll have are sticks and rocks."

I have to admit, I was a bit scared too. What will my girls do without 75 stuffed animals? Are two wooden puzzles enough for their fine motor skill development? The playgrounds have tetanus-infested metal slides with gaping holes. The swings are always broken (or about to be). The mosquitoes swarm. Where is my soft-surface, eco-friendly, shaded park with a paved running trail and plenty of parking? Can they manage without their play-kitchen, play-stroller, play-vacuum cleaner, sprinklers and bath toys?

Turns out we miss those things, yes. But sticks, a piece of palm bark and a stone pathway make for a great row boat in a raging river...especially with a friend.

Friends at the botanical gardens