Tipping The Slide!

We only have one grandkid. So…why not go all out for his 10th birthday! Let’s do a mini carnival here on the farm!......Yeah!

We had games of all sorts; a make shift tattoo parlor for the kids, laser tag, little carnival prizes, you name it we had it! We rented an 18ft slide and a Spiderman jumper! When the man delivered and set them up he left one specific instruction. “No more than 2 people on the slide at one time…one going up the step side and one coming down the slide.” He says this to my husband as he was driving out the driveway. My hubby nods, closes the gate and walks back in the yard quickly picking up his pace and says to all the early-bird party people; the son, grandson, his 2 brothers and a couple nephews…”KING OF THE HILL!!!!”, and heads for the top of the slide! Everyone piled on! As more people showed up, more people went to the top of the slide only to be thrown down the slide by who ever was able to keep their position at the top! 42 people at the party and all but a few didn’t play on the slide; like the Great-Grandparents. Most of the people spent most of their time playing on that slide!

We started the party at 11:00 am and it went till 7:00 pm. There was 10 boys/men still playing on the slide when my sister-in law came to pick up my 2 nephews just after 7pm. She was awe struck by the size of the slide and wanted pictures. Her and I were standing at the foot of the slide watching bodies struggling to get up the ladder side just to be tossed back down the slide! As soon as someone would slide down they were back to the top ASAP! The shouting and laughing was so loud it must have penetrated the woods and sent all the wild critters into the next county! There were 8 boys/men on the slide and 2 running for the climb up side as we were taking pictures from the front. My sister in law says to me “the slide looks crooked”. I stepped back a bit…took a look…sure enough, it was a bit tilted! Then in slow motion the top of the slide started heading east…there were screams (from the 2 younger boys at the top and my sister-in-law) and laughing (from the men at the top and me) and bodies flailing and falling as the slide ever so slowly fell all 18 feet to it’s side! Arms and heads started poking out, kids and men alike were dragging themselves out from the taco shaped heap on the ground. After everyone was accounted for and there was no blood or broken bones we all gathered together staring for a brief moment. And then the laughter began…we all rolled!! (Dewey would be really proud now!)

Uh oh, headlights coming up the easement road. I panic “ you guys, it’s the dude to pick up the slide!” Everyone started pulling on the slide…we got it stood back up and tied back down as the man pulled up to the gate. We all helped him take it down and load it up. He said thanks for listening and respecting the rules…only 2 people on the slide at a time…usually no one listens to me. We all waved good by as he drove away.

Wow…what a good time was had by all!! We are still laughing about it!! I highly recommend a big slide for all your parties!!