Originally, I thought of calling this post "Soggy in Seattle", but that didn't accurately convey how wet it has been around here lately. We have gotten hammered with rain storms over the past few days.... and the passes have gotten enough snow to make the skiers and snowboarders cheer with joy. (Snoqualmie Pass got 30 inches of new snow this weekend... crazy!!)
During a break in the weather, my mom and I decided to take the kids to Bitterlake Park to burn off some of their "we've been stuck inside for too many days and are about ready to start climbing the walls" energy. (Back story: Eric went to VA for 5 days to visit his brother, who at the end of last year, moved from Eastern WA to VA thanks to a promotion at work. Eric was supposed to fly out last Thursday, but a storm on the East Coast caused Dulles Airport to close... hence, cancelling Eric's flight. So, he rescheduled his travel and departed on Saturday instead. To keep me company and
lend a hand get a grandchildren fix, my mom came up for a few days.
And now, getting back to our regularly scheduled program...
We took the kids to Bitterlake to burn off said "we've had a lot of rain" energey. They had a great time playing on the various pieces of climbing equipment, but the massive rain left many pieces of the play structures quite slippery... and the slides were boasting rather impressive puddles at their bases. I decided that pants could dry, so what was the harm in a little water getting on the kids, really? (Little did I know what was in our near future...)
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| Annika flying high |
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| Conor having fun |
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| "Look at me, Mama!" |
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| Nana (aka Nanook of the North) |
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| Annika in "jail" |
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| Conor, the fellow jailbird |
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| Annika running laps... sort of |
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"Help!! Unstuck me!!"
(Yes, I did help him, but not after snapping a few quick photos to capture the moment.
What're you missing here is the flapping of his hands and free foot. Now don't go calling CPS
quite yet... he was all of 2 inches off of the ground and in no danger at any point.) |
After the second or third fall on the slippery equipment, that "protect your young, you dope" instinct kicked in and I was struck with the idea of having the kids run around on the massive lawns and ball fields instead of risking life, limb, and concussion in the playground. I challenged the kids to run hither and thither and they happily (and repeatedly) complied... especially when running through a group of birds was possible. (I'm sure the Canada geese were ready to call their union due to our children.... but decided to fly away after chasing Annika in return did little to change her idea of entertainment.)
At one point during the "hey kids -- run over there" game, Annika and Conor discovered the world's largest puddle. (It was so big, they called it a pool until I corrected them... even then, they weren't sure it wasn't a pool...)
They had a marvelous time splashing, wading, and making general merriment in the pool puddle. Even after Conor took a header smack dab into the water, they continued to show off their love of water and splashing. After a few more splashes and subsequently realizing they were, indeed, getting cold, we ushered them to my van so we could get home ricky-tick to get them in a warm bath.
My plan of burning off their excess energy worked! Both kids wound up napping that day. Bonus!!!
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| Annika and Conor in the puddle |
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| Run, kiddos, run! |
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| Impact in 3 - 2- 1 |
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| Impact |
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| And, spit |
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| Big sister lending a helping hand |
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"Conor, we're leaving now!! Out of the puddle!"
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