The Lodge Des Peres Outdoor Aquatic Center...

...On Sunday, AR, my sis, and I visited our second pool with our Splash Pass: The Lodge Des Peres Outdoor Aquatic Center. When we arrived, it was sprinkling but that played in our favor because it really wasn't too crowded. Locker room suggestion: get more trash cans and place one by the diaper changing table. Kind of gross to walk in and see a swim diaper on the floor. At first I thought to myself, "Seriously? Can't people throw that away???" Then I went to change AR and when I looked around, I couldn't find a trash can either.

The pool part was awesome though especially for AR's age. They had this whole spray pad area including the tipping buckets so beware if your kid is standing close and not expecting it. Kids also like to climb on this stuff so the lifeguards were yelling at them to get down a lot.

This area was also great. Small pool for toddlers that was only 2.5 feet deep, a lazy river with rafts you could use (AR sat on my lap for three laps-woohoo!) and then that random area in the middle was only three inches of water. A lot of women were sunbathing there, my child was blowing bubbles and pushing chairs in it. She really liked this area. I'm not sure if AR was supposed to sit on my lap or not but the guards never told us not to. There was one little girl, maybe 10 years old, that was in a life jacket and a tube and totally freaking out. The lifeguards didn't say anything or help her but my sis helped get her to the stairs so she could get out. I'm not sure what protocol is but then again, I wouldn't put my child that's afraid of water or not a good swimmer in a lazy river on their own either.

Now this kiddie slide was were we spent majority of our time. We worked on not running to get in line so that was fun. The slide wasn't that fast but AR still loved it. However, there's a small, very very small drop when you walk off the mat. AR went the first couple times fine and then like third time, she fell and went underwater. I was at the very end of the concrete thing and started to go help her. It was really scary and not like, fall under water and pop back up. I mean my kid is comfortable in water, I'm not a helicopter mom so to say I was frightened should say it right there. I get to her and help her up. Luckily, she wasn't scared, coughing a little but wanted to go back down the slide right away. I look at both the guards whose zone she was in and neither of them even acknowledged the situation or were looking in our direction. I did notice that the guard on top of the slide was always the one yelling at the climbing spray pad kids. Oh and there's AR in this pic...at the bottom of the slide in pink and a red visor.

Behind the slide is also an open area like 3.5 feet deep and by the lazy river is a tall waterslide for older kids. I really liked that there was lots of variety for my two-year-old because there's only so many times this momma can catch her jumping into the pool. We left because the storm rolled in but we were about done swimming by then anyway. It was a good time and we'd definitely go back and visit sometime again.

Cost for one non-resident adult: $8, two and under free.

Four out of five stars from the A Squared Ladies!