A New Playground Coming To Town

It's official - we're getting KaBOOM!--ized!

Much to my delight, and "delight" doesn't begin to describe just how excited I am, our little neighborhood park is beng made over by KaBOOM! KaBOOM! is a national non-profit who makes it their mission to create and better playgrounds across the U.S. They're installing our new playground on May 4th, all in one day, and I've volunteered to help out in what little way I can. Keeping the babies away from power tools will be the first priority :) Actually, I'll be helping a little with getting donations for food for all of the volunteers that day. There will be nearly 300 people working on the playground for us!!

This is just so exciting for us! I mean, how often do things like this actully happen when you need them and will use them? This park is about a 5 minute walk from our house, just at the edge of our little neighborhood. I won't have to load the girls into the van to get there, and I won't have to go to San Francisco for the kids to play in a decent park. Don't get me wrong - I love exploring all of the different parks in San Francisco, but it will be so nice to not worry about anyone falling asleep in the car during the 20 minute drive home in traffic. A great playground in our neighborhood will be so....normal! Almost suburban. (I said almost!)

The current park has not been updated since the 80's, and has the solitary slide boarded up right now. It's so bad that I have been known to call it the "ghetto park." We walk right by it to go to our "inside park," and I have secretly wanted to spearhead a movement to rebuild it since Megan was born. Someone at KaBOOM! read my mind.

KaBOOM! is also very concerned about what's going on in some other little minds, specifically the future swingers and sliders in our neighborhood. We had an informational meeting a few nights ago, and they had every kid there draw their ideal playground, and then present it to the room. Meanwhile, the KaBOOM! project manager diligently took notes on every little thing each kid wanted at the park, from massage chairs for the parents (!) to ducks and chickens :) Our playground will be designed with the kids' suggestions taken into account. So cool.

Megan's requests were simple: four seesaws, one big slide, one curly slide, and some swings. Not too much to ask, right? Here she is making her presentation (I wish my camera skills were better while juggling two babies on my lap, and that I had brought my actual camera and not had to rely on my phone, oh well!):


And, here she is with her new sticker proclaiming that she's now a playground designer:

I need to take some "before" pictures of our "ghetto park" before it's demolished. I can't wait for the "after" pictures of the girls playing in their new playground!!

Oh, and does anyone want to donate food for this fabulous event?? ;)