SANDBOX!!!

At long last, the kids finally have a sandbox.  They are avid diggers, and we were tired of them digging in the mulch of the flower beds.  It was not nearly as cheap as we thought it would be (the sand alone cost about $130!), but it's made so solid that it should last until they have their own kids.  Corey did a great job designing and building it, while I did background support like feeding and bathing his "helpers".

It was nice to see Corey doing woodworking again, even if it was just a simple box.

It took about a day to get it all sealed and stained, but then we were ready to staple some landscaping cloth to the bottom and fill it with sand!

24 bags of sand later . . .

. . . and the kids were ready to rock.  Peter wanted to keep putting sand on his sunglasses.  I have no idea what goes through that little goofball's brain.  He also picked out his own outfit today, in case you were wondering.

Gotta put 800 toys in there at once, of course.  (The grass is due to be cut tomorrow, and it's really long and soggy because of all the rain we had last week.  That's why it looks all icky around the sandbox.)

Corey put seat on the corners in the vain hope that the kids might actually sit there instead of in the sand.  Silly Daddy.  Sitting in the sand is way more fun.

Modeling the seat, upon my request.  Notice Connie coming up from behind to take up her post close to wherever the kids are currently playing.

And this is the view from my kitchen window.  I love how Connie hangs out nearby to keep an eye on her puppies.

The kids played for over four hours straight (with only a brief break for lunch on the deck at their little picnic table) before I made them come inside to chill out for a while.  Now, Charlotte is bossing Peter around enlisting Peter's help in throwing a party for a group of stuffed animals, complete with decorative signs drawn on Post-It Notes and stuck up all over the house.  So much for resting.