Is this thing on?

Testing... testing... Does my blog still work?

I know it hasn't exactly been "exciting" lately... but I seem to have lost even my regular commenters. Come back, regulars! Have I lost you forever? Have I bored you into hiding??

My apologies if this is true. And, if anybody is still reading - thank you! I will repay you for your patronage by writing a post about Splash Pads today.

Okay - really. Have you ever been to a Splash Pad? Do you know what a Splash Pad is? If not, let me fill you in on the absolute and utter awesomeness that is: The Splash Pad.

Last weekend, Andrew and I met up with our best friends Kim and Charlie to go to a park with their 3 year-old and 3 month old sons. (This was mostly for the benefit of the 3 year-old. The 3 month old showed his excitement by sleeping through it all).

Anyway. So they took us to a place that they've frequented many, many times over the summer. Kim had mentioned the Splash Pad to me before. I assumed we'd go to the park and off to one side on the lawn would be a few sprinklers that kids could run through.

Wrong.

This thing was THE coolest free park attraction I had seen since in a looong time. I was instantly jealous that there was nothing this fascinating around when I was a kid.

There were fountains! And spray gun type things! And a big barrel of water that came splashing down on you if you stood underneath! There was different sections and areas! And a jaunty castle motif! I was entranced.

Of course, I left the running around and squealing up to Liam (the 3 year-old). I thought that if people saw a 30 year-old prancing gaily through the water, it might freak them out.

But man, was this thing cool.

And to think - when I was a kid, the most exciting water toy was a thin sheet of plastic that was hooked up to a hose.

Launching yourself down the front lawn had absolutely nothing on the Splash Pad.

It really wasn't as cool as this kid makes it out to be.