Adventures with the Bears | Park Day

Written by Keela Garrigues

“Oooooh weeeee… Olga and Silvia will be here soon, momma, I gotta get ready!” squealed Allie, while running around looking for her sunglasses. 

“Don’t you want to get dressed, too, Allie Bear?” asked a concerned Zoey, eyeing her sister up and down. 

“Nahhhh, I be ok, that’s what my fur is for. We bears… we don’t need clothes.” Allie replied just as the doorbell rang. 

“They’re HERE!” yelled out Zoey, barely letting them get inside before jumping into their arms. 

The park down the street is the perfect spot for the bears to spend some quality time with their cousins on the sunny, summery day.  

There’s plenty of room for Linus, their favorite pup, to run around, and lots of park equipment to keep the bears entertained for hours.  

Allie ran straight for the spiral jungle gym, while Bella and Zoey jumped on Linus’ back for a run around the park.  

“Owww, I got splinters in my bum!” shrieked Allie, as she tumbled to the ground. 

Laughter was heard from the nearby picnic table.  

“Maybe this is why it’s important to wear clothes while playing at the playground”, expressed a concerned Auntie, while still chuckling a bit.  

“Ehhh, I be ok. But where my spotters go?? I thought I had spotters at the bottom!” 

Olga and Silvia ran over, ready to comfort Allie, but she didn’t need it. She was ready to climb to the top to do it all over again… and again… splinters or not, she was having a blast. 

Zoey, after she gave up waiting for a turn on the spiral jungle gym, asked her cousins to push her on the swings.  

“Push me higher! I want to go all the way around!” yelled out Zoey between pushes, “I want to see the top of the world!” 

Linus didn’t know what to do with all this commotion. He wasn’t sure if he should be running around Zoey on the swing, trying to catch Allie from falling off the jungle gym, or chasing the squirrels by the creek.  

After watching her sisters from the picnic table, Bella wandered over to the rock-climbing wall.  

She had been eyeing the rock wall since we got to the park but was nervous to attempt it… until her cousins started chanting from afar, “You’re a strong little bear and can accomplish anything you put your mind to!” 

Looking mighty small next to the tall structure, Momma started walking over to help. 

“No… momma… I don’t need any help. I got this!” Bella declared between heavy breaths. 

She reached for the first “rock” and hoisted herself up… then grabbed the next one… and the next one… her foot slipped a little and she began to wobble, giving her a scare, but she was determined. And before she knew it, she had made it to the top! 

Olga and Silvia screamed out in celebration and excitement, “we knew you could do it, Bella!” 

Splinters in bums. Fears conquered. Joy and excitement had.  

Park day was a success.