It's Spring!

(my new Magnolia tree...planted last summer. Should have taken a pic last week!)

The craziness on the family calendar proves it's Spring! Track meets, dance recitals, end-of-year banquets and programs - sooo much going on! Another way I can tell it's Spring - the sounds of laughter and joyful screams from kids in the neighborhood playing outside are heard through the window! Finally - OUTSIDE time!

We have a big backyard, but we really lacked something for the kids to do. They'd try to play outside but after running after a ball for 2 minutes, they were bored. There are no trees big enough to leave sticks - so they don't even have sticks to play with out there! So I've been keeping my eyes out for swingsets on Craigslist - but they are either worn out or too pricey. Then one day my friend found a listing for a FREE wooden play house. We agreed to take it sight-unseen! Boy were we surprised when we drove over to see it - AMAZING! Especially given the price tag! Vinyl siding, a front porch w/kid-sized benches built-in, shutters with heart cut-outs, window boxes for flowers, dry erase board interior walls, shingled roof.....absolutely adorable!

And so began the dilemma of how to get this thing to our house. It is HEAVY! I'm sure it weighs at least 700 lbs if not more. After discussions involving hiring teenage boys, renting a forklift (NOT), or calling every friend we knew...we decided to hire the job done. I'm sooo glad we did. So much faster!

After "Grandparent's Day" at Lauren's preschool, we surprised the kids with the new play house.

Truthfully, Grant saw it before Lauren was home..he kept pumping his fists and saying "YES! YES! I LOVE MY TINY HOUSE!

The kids had a FANTASTIC time today!

And since it was a no-school day, lots of neighborhood kids over to check it out. They ran around the house, in and out of the house, took each other's lunch/snack orders from the windows w/shutters...sooo cute! The kids ate lunch on the front porch

even Bailey requested her lunch out there. =-) When it was time to come in tonight, Grant had a rip-roarin' fit. Once inside (still screaming and crying), he kept pointing to our celings and screaming "I don't like a big house...I want to go to tiny house!" ha! Glad they love it.

I think Grandma loves it too...she crawled right in there and played w/the kids.

It really does bring out the kid in you...I had fun in there too!