Veres Playground - Fairfield

I discovered Veres playground through the Fairfield Welcome Club playgroup director. It's an amazing playground in a wonderful neighborhood, full of friendly families with young children. The play structures at Veres Park are designed more for the 2-5 age group, so it's a very safe if you have multiple children under your watch.

The playground area is wide open so everyone can be in constant view, but on the flip side, there isn't a lot of shade. There are roads nearby, but they aren't busy and everyone seems to be cautious driving and aware of the children. There is a baseball field across from the playground that hosts little league and soccer practices. You will often find moms meeting up and having picnics or coffee breaks in the mornings. Everyone I have come across has been incredibly friendly and happy to chat while the kids play.

There are slides, big- and little-kid swings and a generous sandbox. The families in the neighborhood leave toys in the sandbox and on the grass for the children to play with so there is always something new to discover.

Veres Playground is one of those places you want to tell everyone about because you love it so much but at the same time you don't want to let the secret out.

PROS: Playground designed for younger children. Good visibility and lots of toys on site.

CONS: Can get very sunny and hot at times. Near roads, although not busy through streets.

Owen Fish Park - Fairfield

I had hesitated to bring the girls to Owen Fish Park as mothers had warned me about a nearby pond. However, after finally going this week I realized it's not much of a threat since a tennis court separates the playground from the pond

Owen Fish Park was renovated by SPARK (1998) and is a wonderful, shady playground for toddlers and elementary school age children. There are baby and big kid swings, slides and climbing structures, as well as a four-person see saw. The park is located off Stratfield Rd. in Fairfield, but tucked away off the main road. There are picnic tables and a little stream with ducks that the kids enjoyed.

PROS: Lots of shade, a nice community of young families and various play structures for energetic toddlers make this a great place to play. No fee for non-residents.

CONS: The main play structure does have a few "drop offs" so you have to keep a careful eye on kids while they play. The small stream could also entice children to its slippery rocks, so just remain cautious.

Green Moon

We're trying to line-up activities for the Fall. Green Moon in Rowayton looks like a fun place for the girls, but I don't know anyone who has been there yet. I think we will try a class to see what it's like before committing. They have an art class or a longer combo class that includes a music and Spanish portion. I can't really imagine two-year olds doing complex art or Spanish, but I am interested to see! We are finally loving the crayons over here, with more ending up on the paper than in their mouths. Whoa, milestone.

Donut Inn

I am a loyal D&D customer for my regular coffee (and munchkins for the girls). Many times I hit the drive-through in my PJs with the girls to kick-start the day and resolve some serious crankiness in the back seat. Recently my husband and I discovered Donut Inn in Fairfield. It's also a drive-through and offers many of the same items (munchies vs. munchkins, etc.), but their iced coffee is amazing. It's so much better for some reason. I love my D&D coffee too but my family and I wonder about the ice they use. Have you ever noticed that it takes forever to melt? Can't be natural ...

Our Very First Aid

I am sure there is more to come, but my poor little girl had to have stitches last week. She was walking along the water's edge at low tide and fell forward. A jagged shell sliced open her knee.

I swooped her up while blood ran down her knee at mock speed and raced up to the First Aid station at Compo Beach in Westport.

A young, pretty girl in a bikini and short shorts rinsed off her leg with some water. She seemed a little out of her element, but sweet none-the-less. After looking at the cut again, I knew stitches were unavoidable. We got in the car. Luckily my babysitter was with me that day, otherwise I may have started to cry as well.

We got into the car and drove off to the emergency walk-in. The hospital was too far -- I was out of gas -- and the people who usually do stitches and such were out of the office on holiday. We called ahead and they let us right into a room. I was thankful not to have to be in the waiting room with a screaming, tired and super scared toddler. My amazing new sitter took Zoe and got everyone some lunch at the diner across the street, and then went to Walgreens for some diapers. The one time I forget to restock the diapers in the diaper bag and of course needed them desperately. Go mom...

After a few minutes of trying to keep Isabelle calm and distracted, I wondered where the nurses and doctor had gone off to. I realize there were other people waiting to be seen, but I had always thought blood and a screaming toddler somehow bumped you to the front of the line. I popped my head out the door to see what was happening. The nurse then informed me it would be about an hour and a half wait.

Isabelle then started to go into hysterics when I closed the door again. I started to brainstorm as to how I was going to keep her happy until they came to sew back up her knee, which would also be an unhappy time. It was nearly Noon -- both lunch and nap time -- which meant the hysterics would just worsen over time. After about an hour, the nurses took pity on me and convinced the doctor to detour.

The women in the waiting room offered to let us go ahead, but the doctor was determined to make a point. There was a serious reason this guy wasn't a pediatrician. Anyway, I can't say anything bad because I am thankful he sewed up my daughter's knee and that I didn't have to wait in a hospital. That would be much scarier.

They numbed the knee and cleaned out the sand and small rocks. Ouch. Isabelle was still hysterical. She actually fell asleep during the stitches, about eight in all (very jagged cut), out of exhaustion. We went home so everyone could nap.

The silence was needed all around. When Izzy woke up, she said "banana!" That was followed by a grilled cheese. She seemed to be in good spirits, all be it quite drained.

We all had ice cream for dinner.