splish, splash, slide

Ahh, Summer! 

You'd think that here in Hawaii, there would be plenty of options to occupy the kids with outdoor activities...but short of going to the beach (if you live nearby one) or the pool (if you or someone you know owns one), your options really are quite limited.

Not to mention that many of the public parks here on the island are pretty run down and quite unremarkable.  

BUT, not so on the military bases. 

There happens to be one military base on island that civilians (like me!) can get on without a military ID and without a sponsor.  It's a tad out of the way, but this park is SO worth it!

Every time we visit the mainland, I'm so jealous of the splash parks they have there!!

The only splash park on Oahu is on the military base...so when I don't feel like hitting the pool or beach, I like to drive out to this splash park and let the kids roam.  And splash.  

While I can stay dry.

And not stress out and worry about drowning. 

The kids love it here!

Even Kela, my soon-to-be-8 year-old.

Kaden isn't too fond of getting sprayed in the face, so he spends most of the time running around the perimeter of the splash pad.  Go figure.

And the BEST part about this park is that right next to the splash pad is a HUGE and awesome playground!

Yes, it tends to get a bit hot...but the ground is covered in soft turf chips (??  whatever those rubber floors playgrounds are built over?  Chopped up pieces of that stuff). 

Here's Jojo, conquering the rock mountain.

*Not a real alligator.

Monkey bars that the girls seem to enjoy hanging on.  

Have NO idea what the appeal is with this...except that there's impossible to clean RED dirt underneath it!

See?!

For Hawaii standards, this playground is supreme!

Taking a snack break in between splashing and playing...

No shade...but beggars can't be choosers, huh?

Here Kaden is actually IN the spray!

With his cousin, Knox.  

Who LOVED the water!

The cousins...minus Anna who was probably pouting.

(Did you notice her lying down on the bench in the previous picture??)

Kaden and Knox.

Found a small stream of water in the middle of the splash pad...

...Which Kaden loved, up until the wind changed course and started blowing the spray right at him.

NOT a happy camper here.

So, despite our LOVING the playground/splash park on base, we DO make do with the regular old cookie-cutter playgrounds they have everywhere else, too.

This was one of those days.

Kaden loves the slide.

Whether going up it, or down it.  It doesn't matter.

He loves sliding.

And YIKES! So does everyone else, it seems!

I am SO thankful we have so many cousins to play with here!!

Whether at the park or even just staying at home, it's truly a blessing to have built-in playmates for my kids that I don't have to feed and clothe on a daily basis.  :)