Day 18, New Park Day

Our first night with the boys was all thumbs up, nobody was up during the night and they slept in to boot. We decided to make a short drive to a couple of the other nearby, but too far for Campbell to ride to, parks. The variety of kids playgrounds here in Calgary is nothing short of amazing. They all share the basic components, swings, slides, and various climbing equipment but they are all just a little different. The first one we went to is one I have passed on bike rides a number of times and the large fire truck always caught my eye.  It is themed around a small town with a bank, a Tom's Donuts, a bank, a grocery store and the feature piece, the fire truck. Built into the theme are the requisite swings, slides and climbing gear.

After the kids had explored every activity we moved on to what was supposed to be a fountain park but it was under construction and not ready. A series of U-turns and we were headed to another park I had noticed as we drove to the first. The boys loved the U-turns and of course Sal told them I liked going in circles.

In New Brighton the Brown park was one of the larger ones we have visited and also had more kids than we normally find. Cullen was certain he had been to this one before. Sal kept the fact that she had packed a picnic lunch a secret. If the boys know we are packing sandwiches they want to eat the second we arrive. They had watched her make lunch and didn't even want to leave the house because they were 'starving' despite the fact that they had just finished breakfast 30 minutes before. We forced them into the car and when they saw the new (to them) park with the fire truck they forgot about eating. They played for nearly 2 hours before they sat at a picnic table in the second park and wolfed down everything. They were the last to leave the park save one little girl who had arrived late. 

Cullen noticed a strange looking creature in the house next to the park. He went over and got a closer look. It was a cat but the strangest looking cat we've ever seen. I should have gotten a closer picture. Some googling later confirmed what the oddball's face lead me to believe, it was a persian. But the thing had tufts of fur from the elbow of each leg down, one at the end of it's tail and more around it's head. More searching revealed that this is actually intentional. The grooming is called a 'lion cut'. Yikes. Cullen did a great impression of the face for AJ and Jess at supper.

We returned to the house where Campbell napped and Cullen watched some tv. AJ and Jess came for pizza and the kids all played around the back yard. The evening was warm but the shade and a breeze in the back yard made it perfect. Earlier in the day it was a nice 20 with sort of hazy sunshine allowing the extra long stay in the park.