slip n slide

It was hot and Plava was so excited as we waited in the line-up to get into the Cultus Lake waterslides. We inched forward and when our time came, we paid and went in, found ourselves a nice picnic bench, and started getting girls into swimsuits and lathering each other up with sunscreen. The place had a great little kids' area where there were a handful of child-friendly slides, some ending in the big pool, and some in small shallow pools of their own.

We reminisced back to the first time we took Plava to the waterslides when she was just about 2. She shocked us when she laughed her way down the slides and immediately upon entering the pool cried out, "AGAIN!!". Our shy little thing was quite taken by the slides. We expected more from Pito, her being naturally more brave and determined than Plava ever was, and were excited to see her reaction to the slides.

Well as it always goes, we were wrong in our guessing. She did find them amusing, but only mildly. When we took her down the big ones on our lap she sat, straight-faced, in our laps and only when I would ask her "is this fun??" would she answer with a calm, "yah". We'd splash into the water, and still very little smile or enjoyment. It was as if she could take it or leave it.

The childrens' area, however, she enjoyed, but seemed continually angry and irritated at the fact that I insisted on sliding down with her on my lap. She wanted to go down on her own, which was out of the question because there was no way she would be able to land even in the shallow pools without completely going under. So I persisted, and insisted that she go down on my lap. She seemed a little happier sitting between my legs, but still on the slide itself, but was still unsatisfied.

SO, in a moment of fitful independance, she took it into her own hands. I sat her down on the slide, and before I could get my rear end seated behind her, she pushed off and started down on her own. To add to the drama, she flipped herself onto her stomach, so she was heading down feet first on her belly. She would now definitely go under when she reached the bottom. So, being a mother like many other, I threw myself down the slide after her. I must have looked absolutely ridiculous as I clambered, slipped, and bashed my way down the thing. It wasn't graceful, nor was the ending when Pito finally slammed into Plava, who started bawling from the shock, completely went under, and then started bawling herself when I lugged her out of the water, and I sat there, calming two girls down, aching with the pain of my scraped up knees and elbows.

The wounds are still visible, but are nearly gone. I wish I could say she learned her lesson, but that Pito is one fearless kid when it comes to water. She continually throws herself into pools, knowing that someone will catch her, and oh, isn't it so funny??? Aaaah, crazy kid. Good thing she's so cute. :)