Smuggs Park

I mentioned that there were 9 playgrounds. I believe that's what I had read. I also mentioned that we only found two of them. That's because we didn't have time to locate them all with our very busy schedule.

The first one we found was up near the aquatics center. It had lots of different climbing and riding toys that the kids loved and which they don't normally see at a park. It didn't take a minute for the kids to be off and running.... and for Peter to insist on being out of his sling! :)

At one point Bob tried to get Gabi to try out the "climbing wall". I thought she'd have fun and got ready to take pictures, but as soon as she started, she decided she couldn't do it. I'm not sure how much of that was just because there was so much else she wanted to be doing, or fear that she's not be able to do it yet because it was new, or that she really thought she couldn't. In any case, she choose to go off and enjoy the rest of the playground instead!

Each of the kids enjoyed being able to go round and round on the various different turning toys. My favorite part was when they gathered at the turning ring (like a merry-go-round without the bars to hang on to and a hole in the middle). They took turns pushing each other for a minute and then enlisted Daddy to push them. Well, this ring not only turns, but it's set so that as it spins it goes up a little and then back down . So, Peter thought he needed to be involved. He ran over to the low side, and while it was still spinning, grabbed it with both hands and pulled. He got up just enough to hang over it a little, hanging on with all his strength and legs hanging down the other side! He hung on for several spins around before he let go and then did it again! :)

They fought over who got to sit on this sea-saw like thing that was in an arch, like a big blue rainbow. In order to really make that work, Daddy had to grab onto the little handles around the inside and pull it back and forth. The kids thought it was great fun, but with only two seats, well, they had to learn to take turns all over again! :)

The other playground had slides and swings, but we never actually went over to play on it. I did take the boys over to the first one again while the girls were swimming and they didn't want to be. That was when I didn't take my camera and Peter decided to get on the actual sea-saw and loved to bounce on it. Jeremy figured out that, although it was a little high, he could pull himself up on the seat of that too!