The weeds

We've been busy this past week! We discovered the area that we planned for a vegetable garden was really a bed of weeds. Not just any weeds either. It is more like a grass that looks a lot like onions - with bulbs 2-3" down in the soil. They can't be killed with weed killer, we actually have to tear out the entire top layer of weeds, bulbs, and soil. We estimate that there are hundreds of thousands of these lovely things. That pile there is only a portion of what has come out of our garden. We still have 1/3 or so left to go, and we just keep saying that these vegetables better taste REALLY good! We hope to be finished this week and plan to start planting Monday. My tiny little bed on the other side of the house is already sprouting! I should have fresh spring mix lettuce pretty soon.

Slide - part 5

We've got swings! Savvy just sits in hers and says "weeeeeee," but she's smiling the whole time. Ky can really get going, but if she gets too high she starts to get a little nervous. All that we have left now is to put the sand in the sandbox. I am so excited it's almost done. Our next project is the garden, and that should bring a whole new set of challenges.

Slide - part 4

We spent all day yesterday working on the fort. Just don't call it a fort to Ky, or a clubhouse for that matter. She informed me it was a stage, she was "Tanna!" (aka Hannah Montana), and she spent a good chunk of the afternoon singing, dancing, and bowing to her audience. It didn't interfere with being Daddy's big helper. She retrieved dropped boards and screws.

Savvy was more into helping me weed, and resod some bare spots in the lawn. She has little pink gardening gloves and a shovel. She is definately going to be my little garden helper. She also has supersonic hearing because her eyes got really wide as soon as she heard the ice cream truck driving down the street. I grabbed both of the girls and ran off to catch it. They both picked a treat and of course got super messy eating it.

By the end of the day, we still weren't quite done with the fort. We are still missing the sand, the swings, the pirate wheel, and the binoculars. However, the girls are very happy with the fort as is. The slide was a huge hit! They couldn't get enough of the up and down. I had to drag Savvy in for dinner literally kicking and screaming. She kept saying "my slide! no! my slide!" It's raining today, but I see us spending most of our summer outside in our garden and on the fort!

Slide - part 3

I have seriously begun to wonder how many "parts" this project is going to take! Last night, Misha donated his Easter to work on the project, so we have made some good progress. (Thanks lil' bro! We owe you BIG time!) We now have the base of the two-part fort, ladder, the sandbox (minus the sand), and the picnic table done. The upstairs parts even have floors. Ty is outside working, and as I type we should be getting a roof. We hope to have the slide, swings, rockwall, and some sand in the sandbox by tonight. We also need to re-lay the sod around the base. I can't wait until it is all done!

rainy days and colored eggs

It has rained the last couple days, so our fort is at a standstill. We decided to spend our inside time coloring easter eggs. I am not quite sure WHY we color eggs, at our house the bunny is exclusively a plastic egg hider. I guess it's just a tradition. Last year, it took weeks to get the dye out of everything - so thinking I was smart I got the little "pop-top cotton swab" paints to avoid the splashing of dye. All of us were less than impressed. They were really messy and hard to use. I think some of our furniture will always remember Easter 2009. The girls still had fun and the eggs that survived are very pretty!

Slide - part 2

After a hard morning's work we now have...

a very level hole.

Ty did watch the installation DVD that came with the with the set last night. He said that just watching it made him tired. Looks like this may take awhile...

Slide - part 1

We decided that with part of this year's tax return we were going to invest in a playland for the backyard. After much comparison shopping and lots of visits to stores and showrooms, we finally took the plunge. When Ty brought it home, the girls freaked out. Ky alternated between hugging us and jumping up and down saying "thank you Daddy! thank you!" Savvy kept hugging the slide like it was her best friend. Now, they get to anxiously wait while Daddy assembles it. All 7 HUGE boxes. Yeah, I'm glad it's not me. I'll make sure and get some pictures as it progresses.