Fort Stacy

We have been looking and looking and swing sets for the boys.  You name the store, we’ve been there eyeing what they had in the way of monkey bars, slides, swings, and forts.  We came across the one at Sam’s and it just looked like a little boys’ dream.  A 4 level fort complete with picnic table, rock wall, slide, and swings.  A little out of our budget (we have to pay with cash, of course!) but we decided that it was now or never with this stage of the boys’ lives.  It is a little too difficult to take them on a family vacation this summer with Huddy being so young so this is our ‘Staycation.” We read all the reviews that said it would take a good 24-36 man hours to put together. (and by man hours I mean just that…hours put in by the man of the house, thank you Jason!)  With my dad all in to help with the dirty work and my mom willing to be the instruction reader/equipment gatherer we decided to make the purchase this past Monday.  We went in to Sam’s and found that they had dropped the price by $70 just in the few short days since we had been there last.  This, to me, is a sign from the swingset gods that we were meant to have this one.  (I am, of course, the discount diva )  We only became slightly nervous when, from the wizard of oz-like door at the dock of Sam’s, the blue collar man told us he was going to get the “swing set forklift” to get our boxes.  My dad asked if we had a “swing set forklift” at home to put this ‘damn thing’ together (paraphrased, of course).  After about 5 hours inventorying all the Cedar wood (best smell ever) and the millions of nuts and bolts, the guys were ready to begin! 

Strange obsession…

I have been oddly obsessed with the Casey Anthony trial.  It’s not that odd to me, though, because I was completely obsessed with the story when it was happening in 2008.  I just can not fathom any situation in which a mother could contemplate taking the life of her child…the very life that she just helped to create a few years prior.  Don’t get me wrong, there are days where I  think that I would do just about anything to have 5 minutes, even 5 seconds of peace where no one is tugging at my shirt tails and the “gimmes” are silenced.  I look at my children in awe, however, and that 5 short years ago their existence was a mere ‘twinkle in the sky’.  I love every cell in their body.  Every quirky thing about them.  Even the most difficult things I am able to be thankful for (in those quiet moments right before bed when I review the day.)  I dislike the arguments and the squabbles between them but I am thankful that they are intelligent, communicative individuals that have their differences.  I appreciate each child individually for the person that they are and the personality that they possess.  As I often proclaim, I used to think that children were shaped solely by their parents.  This is one thing that I have become more wise about in the last 5 years.  They come into this world with the personality that has been bestowed upon them and it is our job as parents to help “polish" them (as my mother says).  Jackson is so strong willed, witty, and compassionate.  I am constantly having to outwit him, even in my disciplining.  Braden is my peacemaker.  He is passionate about what he wants but won’t let that passion infringe on anyone else’s presence.  Hudson lights up the room with his smile.  (and it doesn’t take much to get that smile out of him, either!)  He is a true 3rd child…easy going, easy to please, and so quiet that you forget he’s there (yes, it’s already happened.)  I am most thankful for their health and secondly, that they each have a heart of gold.  A heart which their mama owns a piece of…and always will.