Ida Lee Park Recreation Center

Ida Lee saved my life this winter. I have a very active two-year-old (is there any other kind?), and the walls were starting to close in on us. During the summer we were at the big new AV Symington pool nearly every weekend, where Cooper would fearlessly go down slides that kids twice his age were often afraid of. He'd run around, go underwater, and basically have the best time a toddler can have.

If we weren't at the pool, then we were at the park, or just outdoors somewhere where he could ride his Power Wheels or run around. When the weather got cold, I'm pretty sure we both started to go a little crazy.

It took me a while to figure it out for some reason, but sometime a few months ago, I realized that Ida Lee would be the perfect place to go and get us out of the house. Not only do they have a giant pool with a kids' area, but I could kill two birds with one stone and work out while I was there.

I quickly hatched a plan that would be a win/win for both of us: We'd head to Ida Lee in the late morning and I'd sign Cooper into their childcare program. Cooper would get to play with some new kids for about an hour while I went and worked out. Then, I'd pick him up and we'd head to the pool.

He loved the idea. He had different toys to play with and different kids to entertain him. I got my run in, and then we both got to play in the pool. Granted, the indoor pool isn't quite as fun as the water-park atmosphere of the outdoor pool, but it's certainly better than staring at the same four walls in our house.

Plus, as an added bonus, Cooper invented two new locker room games for himself: "Stand underneath the hand dryer and giggle as it blows his hair around," and "Crawl into the locker, close the door, and then pop out and say, 'I see you!'"

For the cost of about one movie ticket, we were both entertained for hours. I've even signed him up for swim classes that meet on the weekend, so we can expand on the skills he already has in a place in which he's already comfortable.