Slides!!

We started building our tree house/swing set last June.  The intention was always to put two slides on it.  By the time fall arrived last year we were just happy to have everything but the slides completed, so we decided that the slides could wait a year.  All spring Vince and I have been begging Brad for a slide.  Joel wanted one too but he just doesn't know how to ask for it so I did the asking for him.

Joel playing in the tunnel.

The slide...securely held up with a ratchet strap.  Just a little redneck!

The plan was to order an extra piece of tile that they use for field tiles.  We are fixing field tiles in a few of our fields and we were getting a 30" tile to use for a slide and it was getting shipped with our order.  The problem was it took longer than the kids and I wanted for the guys to get their order together.  A couple weeks ago our 30" wide tile arrived!  The day I came home from work and saw it I was so excited!  We spent the next couple days playing in it and using it as a tunnel.  The kids loved it.  Actually the kids, Brad, the dogs and I all had fun playing in the tunnel.

The bottom before it was finished.  Now there are 3 cement blocks neatly stacked

The finished slide!

When we were gone at Lake Shelbyville Brad set up the longest slide.  He wasn't sure how fast the kids wanted the slide so he just had it temporarily set up (with a ratchet strap) so we could try it out.  When the kids and I got home Brad was still at work.  We couldn't wait to go down the slide.  I went first and it was so fast it scared me a little.  Vince went down and I caught him, barely!  He was a little scared.  Joel wanted to go down too so I put him on my lap.  He loved it.  After that Vince wouldn't go down the slide alone.  When Brad got home we adjusted the angle a little bit.  The slide is still really fast and a lot of fun, but just not as scary.  The kids still fly down it but they have learned how to slow themselves down enough that they won't fall down on their faces when they land.  It still happens once in awhile but they usually stick the landing.

Trying to see if a water slide would work

Redneck water slide.  Yes it is sitting on the horse fence.

Joel climbing up the water slide

Brad kept adjusting the angle to see what worked best.

Vince was sliding down while Joel was climbing up.  This is how it ended!

Last week Brad finished the second slide.  He had decided to make it into a water slide.  It is only about 4 feet off the ground and it goes into a baby pool.  Brad then bought a sump pump to put in the pool and has a hose that runs back to the top of the slide to make it a true water slide.  I have been calling him "Tim the tool man Taylor".  I have been watching the kids go down it for a week and they don't go very fast.  It hasn't really looked like that much fun, but they liked it and that is all that really mattered.  Then earlier this week I decided to try it out and I flew down the slide, crashed into the side of the baby pool and almost hit the fence and managed to knock Vince over in the process.  It turns out the slide is actually really fast, a ton of fun and the kids have just learned how to make themselves go slow.  I was having so much fun on the slide I ran inside and told Brad that I really liked the water slide and he should come try it out too!

The finished water slide!

Finished swing set...for now!  We are already getting requests for a zip line.

One night the kids, Brad and I were all outside playing on the tree house.  Brad was swinging with Cecilia and Joel.  Vince and I were racing up and down the slide.  I told Brad how much I loved our tree house and he said "Let's face it.  We had kids so we could build an adult sized swing set."  It's true!  I am pretty sure we love the tree house as much as they do.  I have fun playing on/in it and I love that it wears them out!  When we started planning our tree house/swing set I told Brad I didn't want to build anything they would outgrow quickly.  I think we succeeded!

Notice the generator in the corner that runs the sump pump for the water slide.

The swing set.  Tree house upstairs, 2 slides, 4 swings, a porch swing, and a sandbox.