Slide the City STL...

...Well, I did it. At thirty-two years of age, I survived a slip-n-slide the length of three football fields. Friday afternoon, I went to packet pick-up, along with the majority of other sliders and waited 1.5 hours to get my stuff. I have to admit that I didn't have high hopes for the actual event after waiting in line that long already but hey, I got this sweet hat!

We had Unlimited passes so we got dufflebags, shirts, hats, tubes, and mouthguards.

AR was bummed she didn't get to go but she really enjoyed the stuff that came with it!

We met up early and arrived about 45 minutes before it started. We ended up being the first in line and there was TONS of close and free parking! #winning

But being first in line really wasn't as awesome as it sounded. They only turned on the water a few minutes before sliding started and our lane wasn't getting any water flow!!! No one was around so we took matters into our own hands and managed to get some water doing down our slide.

Then it was time to takeoff... meaning I scooted, stand, run, jump, scoot some more, kick water across the slide, repeat the entire way down. You've definitely got to get your weight at the front of your tube and your feet up.

The second time down was much better, especially if you had a "helper" push you. We used baby oil on the bottom of our tubes but I'd recommend tear-free baby shampoo, does the same thing and eliminates the tears. It was definitely an arm workout that's for sure! We were given round tubes but I'd recommend a rectangle one so you don't have to figure out how to evenly balance all your body weight.

We managed to ride down four times in about two hours but around 11AM, when the event was originally scheduled to start, the line started getting longer so we peaced out. Not sure if I'd do it again, but hey, it's something different and fun and now I can mark it off my list! 

Fourth of July 2015...

...Although it's been rainy and cold, that hasn't stopped the summer from flying by! Much too quickly, it seems like Fourth of July sprung up on us which means the rest of the dog days of summer are going to fly by. We spent the holiday at my dad's where we crafted, ate good, and shot off LOTS of fireworks!!! Here's the AR and me waiting for the show to begin...

Yah for glo sticks!!! AR was all about this instead of sparklers...#winning!!!

We came back early Sunday because we couldn't miss AR's bestie's third birthday party. Happy birthday, Emma!!!

This splash pad was perfect for the actual warm temperatures on this day!

Roadtrip to KY, OH, IN...

...Geez, it feels like forever ago but really it was just a couple weeks that my sis and I loaded up our daughters and headed to Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, and maybe a few other states for tons of fun! It was just a fun weekend, roadtrip that included a LOT of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun on Amazon Prime.

First stop, Louisville Slugger Factory!!! AR was less than impressed with the tour but she loved swinging the bat around that she got. We found all our favorite Cardinals' players signatures, too!

We were planning on going to Churchill Downs for a tour then on a whim decided to go to the actual horse races instead. My sister made a few bets and when I saw the line-up, I said I'd bet on My Gray Lady so we did... and we won!!!! A whopping $9!!!

We had dinner at the most amazing place called Mark's Feed Store. I'll tell you, I wasn't a fan of their bbq sauces but their onion straws and fried pickles were delish! What really made it great though was our server, Tyler. The guy was on top of it and super laid back yet quick... I mean, it's really hard to find good service any more and this guy was AWESOME!!!

Oh, did I mention that Louisville has #horsehunting??? So we found a few of those...

And this year, the #ASG is in Cincinnati, Ohio so we made a day trip there to go #mustachehunting

This is the Cincy Museum, we stopped to go to the bathroom and gave our opinion on the new towel dispensers. I tweeted them and they thanked me for washing my hands!

We ate lunch across from the stadium and snapped these awesome pics. It was super windy!

We drove back to Louisville that afternoon and headed to the Science Center, it's only $5 after 5PM. AR and H both really enjoyed it!

On the way home, we stopped in Santa Claus, Indiana and AR got to visit with 'ole Kris Kringle who she kept saying, "That's funny, Santa Claus!"

We returned home to tornadoes!!! Overall, great trip!

Foto Friday!!!

...Here are a few random photos AKA photo dump!

We went to my dad's a couple weekends ago. H wanted to drive my car into the garage and ugh, she really looks like she could be old enough to drive!

While we were in Cape, we went to our second cousins' dance recital. Here's a pic of H, AR, and their cousins.

We also had the last of AR's third birthday celebration. She requested popsicles for her birthday treat... ask and you shall receive!

Last week some of Matt's friends had their daughter. They have always been good friends to us thoughout all the hardships we've had over the years and were one of two of our friends that visited us in the hospital when AR was born. We loaded up with some hand-me-downs of AR's and some new outfits that AR helped me pick out and went to visit. On the way there, AR was so sweet and said, "Mommy, maybe when Baby King is bigger, her mommy will let me hold her." When we arrived, Julie asked her right away if AR wanted to hold her and she was so excited, just check out that smile on her face! Welcome to the world Baby Lillian! When we were driving home, AR said to me, "Mommy, maybe next time we see Baby King, I can hold her by myself and you won't sit by me." Umm... we'll see about that...

Last weekend I bought a huge watermelon and we cut it up outside on Saturday afternoon. I swear this child was eating it as fast as I was cutting it. We pureed a few pieces and put them in our new popsicle molds and she drank the juice that was left over. This girl LOVES her watermelon!

St. Lou Is Jumping!!!

 

Jump to it this summer when The Magic House joins forces with the St. Louis Rams, the Midwest Dairy Council and Jamba Juice to sweep the region with jumping jacks. In celebration of Missouri naming the jumping jack the official state exercise, The Magic House and its community partners jumped at the opportunity to create St. Lou Is Jumping. A free, summer-long, citywide initiative, St. Lou Is Jumping encourages kids to engage in 60 minutes of active play each day, including fun activities like doing jumping jacks.

Throughout the summer, participating families will receive weekly health and wellness tips, as well as fitness challenges, to encourage them to stay active all summer long. (If you haven't already, sign up at www.magichouse.org/jump.) The summer culminates as we attempt to break a Guinness World Record for "Most People Performing Jumping Jacks Simultaneously" at a St. Louis Rams pre-season game and everyone who is signed up has a chance to be a part of this record setting event!

 

We joined #STLisJumping, have you? We challenge you to a weekly jumping challenge! http://bit.ly/1I9IRfy @usfg @TheMagicHouse

The Magic House and the China Exhibit...

...My family always loves to go to the Magic House. There's so many activities for the littlest of littles to the biggest of bigs. Our group consisted of kids ages 3-15 and none of them wanted to leave! One of our all time favorite exhibits is the Bubble Room but this time, we spent most of our time in the China exhibit. The older kids enjoyed the crafts and the toddler loved taking care of the pandas! Can't wait until we go back again!

As you can see, all ages having fun in the giant sandbox!

A little Picasa!

Paper flower in the China exhibit

Wowser-that's a big hockey puck!

The giant bubble!!!

Helping her panda down the slide!

Slide the City!!!

Don't you love the old days of summer? A simple slip-n-slide in the backyard to cool off. What if you could do a slip-n-slide that's the size of three football fields and enjoy a block party!!! Well then check out Slide the City! #Slidethecity

On Saturday, July 11th - Market Street will be transformed as participants ride inflatables down this giant slide spanning three city blocks. With music, local vendors, and giveaways, this family friendly event promises to be a highlight of the summer. My readers SAVE with promo code USFAMstl -- Get your tickets here! https://secure.slidethecity.com/affiliate/usfamilyguide/st-louis

A portion of the event proceeds will be donated to Saint Louis Area FoodBanks. The St. Louis Area FoodBank feeds the hungry by distributing food through a network of more than 500 partner agencies and engages the community in the fight against hunger. Participants can purchase a one, three or unlimited slide pass. Tickets are now available, starting at $13.


Is there an age or height limit?
All who are over 46 inches tall and over 5 years old are invited to slide, but remember if you're under 18 you'll need to get a sign off from your legal guardians.


Are there group rates available?
If you have a group with 20 or more participants send us an email.

What do you do to address water conservation?
Water conservation is also a priority at our events. We strive to have zero environmental impact on the community. The Slide was designed to have zero water loss, and it treats and recycles the water safely and efficiently throughout the day. When permitted, we donate the water back to the community. Methods of disposal include local reclamation centers, parks, golf courses and other places dependent upon local regulations.

Don't forget, my readers will SAVE with promo code USFAMstl

Birthday Celebrations at the Farm!!!

...AR and her grandpa (Matt's dad) have birthdays only three days apart. We decided to spend the weekend out at the farm and celebrate both their birthdays together. First, we had to drive there. Check it out, she even was using the gear shifter!

Her and grandpa picked strawberries and had them as dessert for lunch.

Matt and I went on a four-wheeler driver.

AR ready to go fishing. She didn't catch anything but Matt found a snake that bit him!

The furbabies went too. Emma, she's getting older, but I insist that she's going to live forever.

And Shadow, such a handsome boy!

Her baby wanted a ride on the four-wheeler too.

And she read to her baby, too.

My child is a fan of celery... glad one of us is!

Her Aunt EB got her her very own birthday cake!

Of course, what's a weekend at the farm without s'mores!

She climbed trees and deer stands all weekend cause she's a monkey.

On Sunday, our favorite veteran and Matt's bestie, Dusty came to the farm with his dog and we had a good time hanging out with him. I found a tick on AR's back but luckily, Dusty came to the rescue to take it off.

One thing about camping is that by the end of the weekend, we all have some crazy hair... especially this little girl!

So happy birthday AR and Grandpa!!!