Sandbox

We have spent months of winter reading, planning, learning, and dreaming of what our farm is going to look like.  I have written lists of plants and calendars of chores to do.  When the sun finally hit and the snow started to melt, we could not wait to get outside and start tackling all of our ambitious "To Dos."  The first on our list, the most important task of all that would make it possible to accomplish all the other work, building the sand box.  One thing we've learned in our few years of parenting, entertain the kids and work can actually be done.

First step was the planning, which included me spending time on Pinterest looking up ideas - such as old boats, covered boxes, boxes with slides, etc.  We settled on a box.  With benches.  Just like our friends have.  Next, trip to Home Depot by Daddy and Squeakers to acquire the building supplies.  Third, all hands on deck as the actual construction began.

Thankfully, Joe had very close supervision of his work....

...very close supervision.

Willow stood guard and provided the security detail.

We even had safety precautions on site.  

Working...

...guarding...

....working....

...taking a break from all that tough guarding.

And in comes the sand!

Then the toys!

Last all the kids!

Now we can start moving on to some real farm chores!

Visiting the Doc's...Smoosh Style

We've made a few more than normal visits to doctors' offices as of late.  In addition to the normal annual checkups, we've had a few other afflictions that have brought us to pediatrics.  For some reason, the kids seem to have the abnormal stuff hit after 3 pm on a Friday when our regular pediatric office is closed.  Its actually a good chance for me to spend some one-on-one time with the kids.  One visit with Smoosh was in particular fun as he did some artwork that left one doctor and several nurses in stitches laughing.  He immediately saw the chalkboard in one office and guess what he started drawing?  That's right - squids.



The doctor walked in and commented on the artwork.  "Are those balloons?"
"No, they are squids."
"OOohhh...I see, is that a boy squid and a girl squid?  I can see the dress and bow on the girl squid."
Laughing a bit haughtily at the silly doctor, feeling sorry for the poor man and his obvious squid ignorance..."Nooo, that's a Humboldt squid and a vampire squid...and a sperm whale being attacked by a squid."
"Oh, I should have known it was a vampire squid, I can see the cape on it now."
Smoosh gave me a look of "really?  is this guy serious?"  Then, ever so patiently, in his best...silly adult, you have no idea what you are talking about voice, he explained,  "Um, that's not a cape, the tissue is fused between his tentacles.  His a deep sea type of squid"
At this point, the doctor looks over at me with a confused look.
"Yeah, that's a real squid species.  He's a bit of a squidophile and knows these things."

To prevent any further confusion from the medical staff, Smoosh had me label the drawing so it would be obviously clear to everyone what the artwork was.  He also let the nurses know the drawing was now labeled so they could learn about squids if they wanted.

I think that cleared up the drawings quite a bit.

We had to hang out at the doc office for a bit longer than normal, so one of the nurses let Smoosh pick a toy from her "secret box of toys" in a back closet.  He went straight for the chess and checkers set.  He was further amazed when she said he could keep the set and bring it home.  He thanked her up and down and every nurse or doctor that entered the room then on out he told them about the chess set.  We set it up on the patient table and I began teaching him how to play.

We spent the evening learning the pieces and moves.  Ever since teaching my good friend how to play chess years ago and then promptly having my butt whooped by her, I will only teach the game and then refuse to further engage anyone.  But feel no sorrow for the Smoosh man, once he brought it home, a whole wave a chess hit the house with all of the kids picking up the game and spending evenings and good chunks of the day playing.

 It certainly was a great payoff from a long visit to the doc on a Friday night.