“We’re not playing here for long. We’re going to the last one to have a party.”

It’s best to forewarn our little girl before we get to the splashpad that she won’t get a chance to play on the play structures. We’ve already had a busy day hitting nine splashpads and everyone is feeling a little tired.

But, we’re only two splash pads away from completing our summer goal, so we’re making a final push in the evening to visit the last two splash pads on our list.

(We told our little three year old that we could go to her favourite restauraunt once we finished visiting all of the splash pads. She’s been hard at work pressing start buttons, soaking her baby doll, climbing play structures, and patiently waiting for Daddy to take photos.)

As it turns out, when we arrive at the splash pad at Cummings Park, we don’t even bother taking our daughter out of the car. There’s no parking on the side street that we’re on, so Daddy hops out to snap a few photos while Mommy and monkey wait in the car listening to Laurie Berkner CDs.

Cummings Park is a basic splash pad with four ground sprinklers. It’s a perfect toddler splash pad because of the low predictable water pressure. And, just like that, we’re on the road to Whiterock Park.

Happy One Hundredth Splash Pad

Tonight, we visited our hundredth splash pad.

I’m not sure how many families in Ottawa can say that, but we did it. We’ve visited all of the splash pads in Ottawa. We started last year on a whim in the middle of July and we crossed off Whiterock a few hours ago.

Whiterock is an older splash pad with a simple metal post. And, even though it’s a one-star splash pad, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Sure, it might have been nice to end at a modern splash pad with all of the bells and whistles (or perhaps dumping buckets and dragons,) but sometimes it’s nice just to share a quiet moment with family.

We ate chocolate cupcakes, drank Orangina out of fancy plastic glasses, and drew circles in the air with sparklers.

Goodnight Splashpads

“I can’t believe we did eleven splash pads today,” said Mommy as we drove back home.

It’s been a busy day.

Splash padding across the city has been a great family adventure. Oh, we’ll still continue to splash pad with our friends, but today marks a nostalgic milestone.

The Laurie Berkner Band Party Day CD has been on repeat and it’s strangely apropros. Our favourite little girl loves the last track, Goodnight.

“I’m a little kid and my Daddy loves me, I’m a little kid and my Mommy loves me, and when they tuck me in to say goodnight, they say, Goodnight honey.”

We told our little girl that when we go down to see Laurie Berkner in concert in Ithica, New York, we should make a giant sign that says, “We love you Laurie!”

Our little monkey comments from the back seat, “Everywhere we went, we took Laurie with us. So, we should take pictures and put it on the poster so she could see where we went.”

I’m not sure if a hundred photos would fit on the sign, but we’ll see.

Goodnight splashpads. See you tomorrow.