There is a Sunnyside. — Blissful Ruckus

So the most romantic of the seasons is upon us, but if you're like me I'm finding it's hard to concentrate on all the love, abundance, and joy with all the junk going on in this world. Sometimes, it's hard to go to sleep at night. Worries range from war to school enrolment, from the hate that covers the news and social media to trying to teach kindness and sharing, and from gun violence to what Youtube Kids videos are ok to watch. It's a lot of negative noise and in this house we work hard to filter unnecessary noise but man...

I feel like this world needs a massive shot of pumpkin spice right now.

Whenever I start feeling a bit overwhelmed by all that is happening in the world, the stuff that I can't control... the stuff that I never want my children to even know exists in this world... the truly ugly, I know I have to unplug again and really focus on what matters. My kids, my husband, our home, this community, this small bubble. It's ours and I want to do whatever I can to make it feel safe, full of love, and reassurance. It is in this space that I can fully devote myself. This is where I find the blissful ruckus that gives me joy, peace, and leaves me with all kinds of the good noise that I want to fill-up my life (even when that "good noise" is at 11 pm, 1:30 am, and again at 4:30 - one day they'll sleep through right?).

So many activities for little climbers can be found at Sunnyside!

Today we wandered to a nearby place we know and love. Sunnyside Park. Sunnyside is the worst kept secret among South Surrey parents (essentially 154th Street and 26th Avenue). On most mornings Sunnyside is teaming with gleeful 1-5 year olds. It's a fabulous park that offers an old-school (probably should have been decommissioned) play structure with a fabulous tire swing, a new playground with a sandbox and climbing structures for each age range, swings, and a teeter totter (sshh I think it's the last one in existence). It also offers a ballpark and an outdoor pool during peak summer season. There is ample shade, bathrooms, and even a little forested area where you can often find a small patch of quiet contemplative space (as shown in the header photo of this blog post). This park is loved by so many, I almost didn't write about it. But today's post isn't really about the park amenities that I so often write about. It's about the community we always find at Sunnyside.

Scavenger hunts at the local parks are fabulous in any season. I just googled Fall Scavenger Hunt and a bunch of free printables popped up. Obviously you can create your own, there are also great pictograph options for pre-readers.

The kids were so excited to find this perfect spider web glistening in the sun. Alexa doesn't look excited but that's because I had to take six photos just to get the web and the kids in the frame... lol, one day I'll get better at this.

Sometimes we meet friends, sometimes we make new ones, but there are always great families to share and connect with at Sunnyside. Meeting people who are connecting with their children, having fun, that share similar familial values, and who are interested in creating community is really why we moved here in the first place. On days when I feel that negative noise creeping in, a place like this is perfect for recalibrating and refocusing on what truly matters.

Look, I get that going to a park with my kids doesn't stop or lessen the hurt that is occurring elsewhere in this world. However, re-setting in this way allows me to figure out the best way to proceed, to determine if and how we can help in some way. It helps me determine what to communicate to my kids and how that should be done; it helps give me the positive energy I need to know that I shouldn't worry so much. In the end good things will happen. In the end, we will all start working toward the common good again.