family sandwich: Mighty Mud Mania 2011

The kids have been so excited. Can't believe it is time again. This event is so much fun. The city of Scottsdale hosts Mighty Mud Mania every year in June at Chaparral Park. We go buy some grubby clothes that can get ruined, sunscreen up and head out the door. They have mud obstacle courses set up that the kids go through according to age level. The kids do everything from rope swing into a mud pit to crawl under tarps through mud and other obstacles. It is a completely free event with donation of a couple canned goods. It is also nice because they have what they call "hydration stations" all around the park where they give out free water bottles, Gatorades, Fuze, Sobe and other drinks. Totally free, all you can drink. They also have fun contests going on all day like Muddiest mom or Who can hula hoop the longest. At the end the Scottsdale fire department is there to spray everyone down with the hoses and get some of it off. Last year was our first year so it was all new to him but this year Hunter knew exactly what to do and raced through the course. It is fun to be in the stands on the side watching and cheering him on. Cracking up at his determined face and laughing as he gets muddier and muddier splashing through.

Getting ready to slide down into a giant pit of mud! Awesome. Wish they had a course for grownups :( Here he is after the slide getting help out of the pit and heading for the FINISH line.

Then it was off to the obstacle course for ages 6 and under. Avery had fun but honestly she could've rolled with the big kids on this one. This was way too little for her but she had enjoyed it anyway... even recovering still almost three weeks later with her hurt foot.

By this time Mom couldn't watch any longer without getting in the mud herself. I was ready to dig, pile and smear mud on Hunter and Avery. We headed over to the mud play pit. Not only do they have courses but they have three different areas set up that are just giant mud pits you sit in and pile mud on each other and just play in it and get all messy. F-U-N.

Last year Miss E was only weeks old so we had left her with a sitter but this year we brought her along. True to her all girl nature at first she was definitely less than enthused about the whole thing. I of course coaxed her into it and started just splattering mud on her to get her used to it. Within a few minutes she was laughing and smiling about it. Reaching her hands down to splash in the mud and watching Avery and Hunter blast each other with mud clumps.

My favorite part was sitting with all three kids dumping and piling the mud on each other. Just playing together.

Avery surprised me by coming up behind me and putting a rather large amount down the back of my shirt which was actually quite chilly. Laughing hysterically saying, "I got you Mom!" "Hunter, did you see me get mom with that giant one?" So I had no problem waiting until she was playing to find a nice handful myself to dump on her head. What a nice mom I am :)

In all actuality I was bummed that we didn't get anywhere near as muddy as we did last year though. The muddier the better I say. By the end of the mud pit here we were 2011...