A jenerek family

Go outside and play!

I have always dreamed of having a backyard so I could send the kids out to play. I've had a backyard before, but not one that was fenced in and attached to my door so I could keep an eye on them without being outside with them. I don't really have a legitimate backyard here either because they don't actually exist in Orange County. Nevertheless, we do have a porch. I used to send Ryan out, but if he saw a single person out in the park behind our home (be it a 4 year old boy or a 55 year old gardener) he would hop the fence and be on the other side of the park before I could blink an eye. Realizing this to be a huge abduction risk, I had to get a lock for our sliding door and keep him confined to the inside. As a result we rarely spent time on the porch. We have a few large trees shading it, which is a positive thing, unless you are in charge of sweeping the area as there is constantly a layer of the tiniest leaves in all creation, sprinkled on every square inch of patio. This added to our reasons to avoid the area. I didn't love them tracking leaves into the kitchen and Katie would also eat piles of leaves and sidewalk chalk.

This said, I finally decided that I would improve the area. I swept off the leaves, cleaned up the scattered toys, and bought some sand for our turtle sandbox. Ta da! Now it's almost like a real backyard. I actually DO send the kids out to play and they are occupied and get along well, and they're getting some fresh air. Yesssss!

Now, Ryan follows sand etiquette when we go to the playground on "Park Day," but here at home I will find a mound of sand in Katie's hair almost every time they go out. Good grief Ryan, don't you know that it's impossible to get sand out of people's hair? Plus, it's going to get in her eyes. If it's not one thing, it's surely another.

Here they are loading up the sandbox with their toys.

These trucks are WAY too big for the sandbox.

I'm just glad they're having a good time - and staying out of my hair when I make dinner.