The Swing Set

Last weekend I spent one whole afternoon staining the swing set. It was in rough shape. I kept one baby swing and got rid of the other two baby swings and then got a used bucket swing instead. Then we found a perfectly good sand box in somebody's garbage pile last week and John went and brought it home after dark. I moved the boards that used to be the picnic table (which the kids never used) to make a platform floor and was able to fit the new sandbox under the swing set. Then I sewed a new canopy cover from green canvas fabric to replace the green vinyl one that was cracked and peeling. When it was all done I was pretty impressed (and covered in paint from head to toe) with how good the whole thing looked. It looks brand new again!

Today John brought home some sand for the new sandbox. The kids were so thrilled! They were busy for hours. I am not even kidding when I say that now the entire sandbox is empty again. The sand was moved and dumped and moved and dumped in and out of the sandbox so many times that it is gone. John is going to get them some more sand tomorrow and we will see how long it lasts. But honestly even if it is gone again tomorrow night, I am almost willing to do it again and again if it keeps the kids occupied for hours on end. Plus, I think the novelty of removing the sand will wear off eventually right?

It reminds me of when Maggie was a puppy and she would scarf down her food at lightening speed as soon as we would fill up her bowl. It was so irritating. Finally one day John had enough. So, he stood next to her and every time she finished her food he would fill it up again. Finally after about three full bowls of food she walked away and left some food in the bowl without needing to eat it.

She pooped a ton the next day! But, she never gorged herself again. And she only ate when she was hungry after that! Now there is food in her bowl all of the time.

I am not sure it will work with the sandbox though. My kids seem to learn things the hard way. Maybe if they were eating the sand.....