We live in a place where you can literally walk to a park if you leave the front door and go any single direction. West, to the school playground, less than a hundred yards away. South, to the little yellow park, a hundred fifty yards away. East, to one of our favorite parks in the big grassy hollow, just two blocks away. And north, a little bike ride since it's just so much further... you know, three whole blocks. Sometimes we have to pull out the four-wheelers to make it there. Grueling.
So, I'm stickin' to my guns about not buying a swing set for our own back yard. But where things get a little less black and white in my yard planning, is the beloved sand box.
To sand box or not to sand box? That is the question.
No really, I need your perspective here.
On one hand, these littles of ours will shovel, build, dig & water, for HOURS in Grandma's sand box. They play so well together. They actually leave my parents garden alone since there is an alternative to digging out flowers and tomato plants. They smile with pride at the many things they construct. It is literally THE babysitting mechanism, and hence, the Richfield house has been dubbed, "The Sandbox House" by my little men.
On the other hand, I don't enjoy sweeping up sand. I don't love cats and have been warned that cats adore sandboxes. I could do without the constant sugary coating on every single naked little body part of three little sweaty boys... But, you know.
Maybe it's worth it?
And if you say something totally sassy, like, "DUH -Look at their faces!" Then I'll consider it totally deserved. Dang. You know I have a tendency to pull out all the stops if you claim that I'm depriving them of a childhood right of passage. So "BOMBS AWAY"... guilt trip me into it.
I'm ready.
I think.
:)
2 comments:
My little man loves a sand box. We started out in our current home with a sand box for him when he was about 2. It was the first thing we did since our home was a new build. Actually the whole yard was a "sand box" so putting in an official sand box just helped him stay in one location. Last summer we took out the sandbox to put in a bigger garden. He cried and cried. I gave in and let the boys dad & son) put in a new sandbox. the key was 1. as far away from the house as possible 2. a water spigot next to the sand box to use to spray off (which sometimes even gets used.) 3. a cover to keep out cats. It doesn't solve all the problems. sand still gets in the house. But, at age 7, I can say that his sandbox days are almost a thing of the past. Those days don't last forever. I've even volunteered to go out and dig in the sandbox with him lately just to watch him pretend with those yellow Tonka's. It's too darn adorable.
Sorry, I fought it in the beginning, took it away once, and brought it back. Vote 1 for the guilt trip.
I take my vote back. I came downstairs early this morning and found piles of sand. everywhere. On the floor, on the chair, on the counter.
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