Glorified Sprinkler

Last week some of the moms in our ward and their cute kids decided to go to a Splash Pad close to our house.  I had never heard of a Splash Pad until I moved to Arizona.  Think...Glorified Sprinkler.  It is awesome and we thought the kids would love it.  We don't get outside this time of year much...it was 105 degrees in Phoenix yesterday (new record high....does not bode well for Summer 2012)...so if you are going to be outside, water most definetely must be involved.Brisbane still fit in his swimsuit from last year.  The adoption agency happened to bring us some clothes that were donated and one of the swimsuits fit Reese (size 18 months...go figure...yes, he is 3...and yes it was a little big on him).  I thought Jessenia could just wear a pair of shorts and a shirt.  But the look on her face when she asked me where her swimsuit was after getting the boys dressed, was devastating.  So we ran into Target.  I got her one that we both thought was cute.  Went out to the car.  I looked at the size again.  The size on the hanger had been right.  The size of the suit was wrong.  Loaded all three back into the cart.  Went in to exchange it.  This adventure is already not going well.  (Remember the zoo?)
We got to the splash pad, all suited up, there were kids running around having a blast.  We staked our claim of some shade for the mom's and sent the kids into the water.  Nothing.  They stood there.

All five of them, except for Brisbane.  He was the youngest one.  So apparently too naive to know that water is the spawn of all evil and will melt him if he touches it.  Good grief!  What a bunch of 'fraidy cats (we know that my kids are but come on Graham and Wes, I expected more of you).

 One of the moms brought a bucket and shovel.  I told Reese he could only play with it if he was out with the water.  He thought about it.

 And then gave the bucket to Brisbane.

 Meanwhile, Jessenia took cover behind the wall.  Glad I bought ya that swimsuit, Girlie.

Then Brisbane got doused by a sprinkler that went off unexpectedly.  He was cold, wet, and cried!  I had to wrap him in a towel for most of the rest of the trip.

 After much bribery, (i.e. you don't touch water...you don't touch a snack) the kids did eventually stick their pointer finger in.  Reese and Jessenia both looked like Monk (aka Detective Adrian Monk) touching the water with one finger.

 I ran through the water holding the kids a few times (I got wetter than them) trying to convince them it was fun.  That gave them the courage to walk out into the middle (notice all of the sprinklers are off).

But as soon as the water went on.  They ran!  Look at Jessenia, you would have thought she was being chased by a Grizzly Bear.
And that was that.  I had fun chatting with the moms.  And my kids had fun watching other kids play at the Splash Pad.  I am going to take Mack next time.  I think we will be more succesful the second go round.  It will also be better to have someone to wrangle Brisbane and another to get the other kids wet.
I told the kids we wouldn't leave until they got their hair wet.  Which they did.  Barely.  Just one drop.