Wirth Aquatic Center

Despite the playgroups that have been scheduled there, and the two previous full summers we've lived here, I have never gotten the kids to Wirth Aquatic Center. Finally, yesterday, we went!
It's a great place that has a morning rate just for the kiddie area which has a giant wadding pool, fountains, slide, a playground, and a large sandbox equipped with all sorts of toys, activity tables and faucets to make wet sand.

Avery kept saying "Owww, owww, owww!" as he let this waterfall pound him in the back, although he was clearly enjoying himself:
Carson hasn't been too sure about water lately, even baths are sometimes questionable. So here he is, "Don't let it get me, Dad!" Sometimes he would reach out to touch this little fountain, but then he'd need a lot of reassurance again:
More monkey bars for Avery:
We've never seen a peddling contraption like this on a playground before:
Carson may not have been sure about the water, but for the first time he decided he enjoyed slides well enough that he'd get himself up and sit down and slide all on his own:
I was on the other side of the pool with Carson when this next conversation happened, but here's how Travis relayed it:
"Dad, can I play in the sand?"
"No, Avery, we weren't going to go in the sand today" (I know sand is messy Travis, but that's what the shower at the sandbox entrance is for, and as long as Carson - who would hate being showered off - doesn't see than there's no reason Avery can't go in there!)
"But Dad! There's an EXCAVATOR in there!"
"Oh, all right" How's Travis supposed to argue with that logic? :)
So here's Avery filling a bucket quite expertly when I went back in with him later:
I was able to convince Carson to "go splash" and he would run to the edge, splash and run back to me in my chair. Here, he's obliging Travis with the same game:
By the end, Carson did get a little more brave. Instead of just going to the edge when we weren't holding his hand, he made it all the way up to his knees! Go Carson!
Although we had warned him it would be time to leave soon, when the announcement came over the speaker that it was time to close for the morning session Avery was nearly in tears. Such a fun place!