Sprayground Season Subsides

Like most public pools, the local spray grounds are open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. That means this is the final week for us to enjoy free water fun. I suggested a playdate to Nevin Park, which continues to be my favorite sprayground. Unlike the last time we went, we were the only people there for the first fifteen minutes. The large canopy provided such generous shade that it was actually pretty cold.

Jackson was initially enthusiastic and headed straight for the fountains. He was immediately blasted with cold water. It took him over an hour to recover. He wrapped himself up in a towel, sat in the sun, ignored his friends, and ate graham crackers. Amelia and Maddie refused to touch a drop of water. In fact, she preferred to seclude herself behind the stroller. The trio played with one of Jack's playmates, who is a little mother's helper in training. Contrary to the girls, James frequently crawled full force directly into the water. I don't know when children begin to understand cause and effect, but James certainly has not. Each time he'd go into the water, he appeared genuinely shocked that he became soaked. I took better pictures of Jackson's friends, who were actually playing in the water, than I did of my own kids.

The spray grounds are completely separate from the playgrounds. Today was the first time we checked out the playground. It was a huge hit. The entire playground was car themed. There was a track, car equipment, a wall of carved out tools, etc. Jackson had a smile on his face the entire time!

Since I hadn't planned on going to the playground, I didn't bring shoes for the trio to wear. They still pulled up, crawled, and climbed. The toddler playground is completely covered in rubber surfacing, which makes it so much easier for the babies to get around. Today was probably the first time James, Amelia, and Maddie actually played independently on playground equipment. One area had shallow, winding stairs that the trio loved. There weren't any drop offs so they could never have fallen more than one step. (For the record, I knew they were fine because each of them can go up and down the single stair of our landing at home). I just had to stand guard at the slide to make sure they didn't tumble down. It was a lot of fun!

This park is definitely on my list of places to take the trio after I drop Jackson off at preschool. This is the first playground I've found that can safely accommodate multiple toddlers without requiring multiple adults.

Latta Park

Today we ventured out to meet a friend for a picnic at Latta Park. We got there an hour earlier to take advantage of the spray grounds that close in a few weeks. I loved how close the spray ground and playground were to one another. The park had great visibility and felt very open, even though it was nicely secluded from the nearby neighborhood and busy roads. 

This was the first time I allowed the trio to play in a spray ground. I dressed them in a swim diaper and swim shirt. Several people commented on my "three boys". The girls were curious from afar. Amelia was very cautious and skeptical about the water shooting up from the ground.

I put all three of them inside the gate to feel the water. Amelia immediately cried and crawled away. Maddie was happy to splash in a large puddle and clap.  James was more daring and continued to crawl straight into a fountain, then back to dry land.

It took Jackson a bit of time to really get wet. He had a lot of fun weaving in and out of the larger fountains.

James repeatedly crawled in and out. He seemed genuinely surprised each time he became drenched by the water.

I eventually collected the babies and put them on a blanket in the shade. I dried and dressed the babies while Jackson began climbing on the playground. We ate once my friend arrived. The four kids snacked on a banana, can of mandarin oranges, yogurt, protein bar, and veggie straws. 

I let the babies explore the playground, which inevitably resulted in Maddie and James putting mulch in their mouths. 

The water and sun wore the kids out. We went for a long walk in the wagon on one of the park trails. 

Poor James couldn't resist sleep any longer. He didn't even fuss. 

James' three siblings joined him in napping in the van. I have such an appreciation for a quiet ride home.

Mommy-Jack Date at Birkdale

We had a scheduled playdate at the Birkdale Splashpad with some CharlotteMommies friends this morning. Jackson has been so attached to Jesse this summer that I was honestly a bit worried he would refuse to go. We could have gone as a whole family but there wasn't a lot for the triplets to do and it was at 10 a.m. which is nap time. I was relieved that Jack was excited to play in the water and eager to leave. 

Jackson takes at least 5 minutes to even leave my side when we go to different playdates.  Even then, he rarely plays with kids unless he knows them well. I know he interacts with his preschool friends, so I'm not too worried. It would just be nice if he was a bit more social. Oh well. He still had loads of fun without technically playing with his peers.

After an hour we walked back to the car and discussed lunch plans. Jackson wanted a hotdog. I didn't know of any restaurants nearby that sold hotdogs but we parked beside a Qdoba. Thankfully, Jack was equally excited when I suggested tacos for lunch.

We took silly pictures after we ate. Jack said, "Let's make a pretend grumpy face."

I was a nanny for a family that lived in Birkdale one summer. I ended up taking Jackson everywhere I used to take those kids. We spent some time at Barnes & Noble. As soon as Jack saw this display, he exclaimed, "Let's read 'Let it Go!"

After reading a few Frozen books, Jackson played with the awesome train table. (Elizabeth, did you spend as much time here as I did?)

After reading more books and building skyscrapers at a Lego table, we walked to the playground. I was proud of myself for remembering where it was. We were the only two people on the playground which made it even more fun.

Nothing beats going on four different adventures with Jack without having to drive to different places. I love this neighborhood. I wish we had entertainment within walking distance from our house. We had a really fun day together free from any tantrums or meltdowns, which is becoming rare these days. It's so nice to spend time with my happy Jack!

Sprayground

We had an exceptionally fun morning at a nearby sprayground. I met up with some other mommy friends for a playdate at the park. Having never been to a sprayground, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I was very happy with the amount of shade produced by the canopy, as well as the shaded seating around the circumference. 

We have a couple of nearby water parks and pools that I would love to take Jackson to, but I cannot manage four children in the water by myself. The sprayground was a perfect alternative. Jack still got to wear his bathing suit and get soaked without me having to dive in after anyone.

There was a school group there at the same time. The crowds did not interfere with our positive experience.

Next time we go I will be sure to bring small buckets and other water toys. The only thing I had was soft frisbees that I let the babys gnaw on. Jackson happily made do.

I brought the blanket and baby toys for the trio to play with. They each started out like this:

It didn't take long at all for curious James to crawl towards the fountains. I should have dressed the babies in bathing suits, too.

Thankfully my mom friends helped watch the babies while I gave each kid individual attention. I let each baby take a turn splashing in the water and grabbing the streams of water. James and Amelia enjoyed it. Maddie was unpleasantly startled. 

Jackson wore himself out after over an hour of play. We never made it to the actual playground side of the park. He requested lunch, which I would have brought with us had I known how much fun we would have. Jack wrapped himself up in a towel and watched others play while I loaded the babies into the stroller and made last minute small talk.

We will definitely be returning soon!