They never had toys like this when we were kids.

Nashville has this place called Pump it Up.   I think there’s a similar place here in Mesa near our house, but we haven’t been there.

Anyway, the deal at this place is that you pay $7 to come and let your kid go crazy on all these inflatable bouncers and slides.   The place is located in this industrial park next to shipping places and other boring stuff…who knew what fun was going on in such an unassuming locale?

G and Mac arrive on yet another rainy day in Nashville, dressed (now I realize) inappropriately in some very cute dresses.   G never wears dresses but wanted to cause her cousin was wearing one.   Thank god she had on clean underwear.

So we arrive.   And we pay. And we go inside a boring-looking door to reveal…

TWO HUGE ROOMS FULL OF SLIDES AND MAZES AND BOUNCERS AND CLIMBING WALLS AND OTHER FUN STUFF!!!

We take off our shoes and we are off.   We run to the first slide.   Mac crawls in the tiny entrance.   She’s done this before.   G looks nervous but follows.   She wants mom to follow.   I explain I am too big.   She goes without me.   She tries to clear the first obstacle…a 3-4 foot high wall.   She can’t make it.   She cries.   From outside the slide, I grab her butt and shove her over the wall.   She laughs and heads for the next obstacle…a 10 foot high wall with handholds and foot holds.   Mac is already most of the way up.   G tries, falls, tries again.   I start to wonder if she will manage.   After more encouragement, she figures it out and makes it to the top.   The reward….a HUGE sliding board!   She slides down, laughing and smiling.   She yells “AGAIN!”   Repeat.

Eventually, I see that other parents are helping their kids with the climbing, so on one of the more difficult maze-like toys, I decide to join G.   This IS fun.   We crawl, we climb, we slide, we run, we hide.   This is a better workout than I get at the gym.   G is tuckered out after just over an hour.   A record for G-exhaustion.   I need a membership to this place.

Kids are so lucky!   This has got to be reason #1 to have kids….a chance to relive childhood without people thinking you are crazy, lazy, or a pervert.

Whee!

I knew I should have worn pants!

Me too!

Falling!   I’m OK!