One day this summer when Michael and I were both working, the grandparents were overseas and Luisa went out to Yellowstone, Tom Youderian came over to spend the day with Lake. That day has been forever immortalized in a phenomenon now known as Tom Park. The neighborhood park is now known as Tom Park by Lake. Recently the renown and territory of the Tom Park expanded to include Meridian Park and then to my surprise even Dash Point State Park. Basically, it seems, anywhere he is having maximal fun at a park, it is proclaimed “Tom Park!”

[The Dash Point State Park version shown here: “Daddy! Tom Park!”] The most commonly referenced park under the lexicon of Tom Park does remain Cowen Park.

Meanwhile, I had been secretly wondering what Tom and Lake had done together that had made such an indelible impression! When I had a chance to ask Tom about their park adventures it seems they did a lot of new swing tricks, namely: underdogs and spinning by getting the chains all wound up then letting go. Ah ha! Really?! Good thing for Lake that he had Tom to take him to “Tom Park!” because Mummy would never have thought of that!

Lake still requests daily: Tom Park! Mama, Tom Park! Daddy, Tom Park. Unner…Dogs! Unner…dogs! Why doesn’t he request “Tom” for Tom Park, Michael poignantly asks?

Tonight we all went for a run around Greenlake, which involves passing by Cowen Park, the original Tom Park. Lake inevitably began chanting his Tom Park campaign. Tom Park. Tom. Park. Tom Park. “Tom-orrow Park”, said a tired I. A perfect day, I’m glad I spent it with you