Slip and Slide Fun

It has been hot here.

Okay, that is an understatement.
It has been cook-an-egg on the sidewalk, don't-leave-the-ac, to-hot-to-breathe  here for the past couple of weeks.  Our outdoor temperature soared up into the 104 region for at least one day and has been hanging out in the 90s the rest of the time.

To beat the heat, we've all been spending time in our little kiddy wading pools in the backyard or go to the local water playgrounds.

Then last weekend I struck a major score at a local yard sale with a brand-new-in-box Slip 'N' Slide.  I paid a whole $1.50 for the device, thinking that if the boys hated it I wouldn't be out too much money.  When I was small, we had a generic slip-n-slide...which meant we had a sheet of plastic with the hose sending water down it.  I loved it, even if it meant quite a bit of grass burn from sliding off the end of the thing.

I got the box home and hyped it up to Tam while Judo was napping.  Tam was excited and couldn't wait to put on a suit and try it out (like the kids on the box).

I inflated the thing and rigged it up.  There is the slide bit, a mini-tunnel that looks like a car wash, and then the splash wading pool.  All of it has water spraying over it all the time from the hose hook up.

At first, Tam just crawled down the thing and through the tunnel.  He was a bit fascinated with the spraying water and splashing in the pool...and didn't really get that he was supposed to "slide."
So, being the awesome mom that I am, I got on the ol' bathing suit and showed him how its done.

Who-Who!  That thing was awesome! I forgot how much fun sliding on your belly through water could be. (I completely ignored the warning that said not to be used by those under 3 or over 12 years of age).

Tam got the hang of it and was soon walking down half of the slide before hurling himself through the tunnel.  If he didn't have enough momentum to carry him through...I helped him out with a little push.


Oh the giggling that ensued!  Tam was having a blast and I was laughing like a fool.

What about Jude?

Jude did NOT like seeing his brother and his momma (as he perceived) falling down on their faces in water. He would be laughing one minute, but as soon as we slid, he would start his worried cry.

I had to reassure him that we were ok and that he should check out the contraption too.

Jude investigated the hose connection...



He investigated the tunnel from the outside, but never went through it on his own.  He liked it when Tam was inside and would pop up out at him.  Jude also had fun stomping in the splash pool at  the end of the slide...



And then he investigated the spraying water.  He liked these quite a bit as he waved his hands through them.  He would play with them and then throw himself across them in a belly flop and squeal with laughter.


Silly little man.

No, I didn't slip Jude down the slide on his own :-)

And Brian?
When he came home, Tam convinced him to get on his suit and try it out too.
Hey, a family that plays together is silly, right?

Tam thinks the contraption is awesome...He does call it a Slippy Slide (like a native Pittsburgher).  We even had our friends over with their kids to play with us and beat the heat.

 Totally worth $1.50.