A Little Backyard Project

*Pictures to be added after I get them off the camera.

This is something every family should tackle as a backyard project- a wooden playset. Last month we bought the kids a "Sky Fort" to put in the backyard. We looked at all the different types available and finally settled on one that fit our family's needs. There is such a age gap between Calen and his brother and sister that it was difficult to find one that was a "one size fits all."

We went to Sam's, loaded all four large heavy boxes on the truck, and brought them home, slowly, to put them in the garage. That night and the next day, I spent three hours sorting the pieces and then putting them in alphabetical order to ensure a quick find of required pieces. We had a 50 page instruction manual. The cover informed us that with two moderately skilled adults it would take 20-24 to assemble the Sky Fort. Not too bad. That means with Danny and his father, who is an extremely skilled adult, it would only take them 40 hours or so (Danny is addition by subtraction in situations like this, you see...)

The one set back was that we had to use our large unattached garage for the job instead of the drive-under garage near the construction site. Oh, well, the excerise is good for you.

So, anyway, I sorted the pieces with the plan to have Danny's brother and dad and my brother and dad come help put it together. My mom and sister was also going to come help watch the kids so I could help the boys. Well, that weekend it rained. Calen drove us up the wall the next several days asking when we were putting it together.

The next Saturday arrived, beautiful, clear skies, and a warm 76 degrees. It was lovely. The weather I mean, not the project. We began by marking off the area and clearing the grass. The we put together the base of the fort. Then the boys began leveling the ground underneath before we could do anything.

Then my dad and brother arrived and began helping work on the fort. At this point, we has too many chiefs and not enough Indians. A few things got turned around and had to be redone. There was also questions about the directions. Sometimes, guys, it is best to follow the directions.

By the end of the day we had accomplished a bulk of the playset. That night my mom and sister spent the night so we could work the next day. Yes, it was Sunday, but Calen wasn't going to wait until next Saturday. While mom and Amanda and I got the kids ready for bed, Danny went to the garage to assemble the climbing wall. After the kids were in bed I went out to help him. We assembled the ladder and monkey bars and called it a night. We were nice and burnt from the sun's hot rays.

The next day, after church we headed back out. It was another gorgeous 78 degree day. We attached the ladder, climbing wall, slide, swing set arm and swings, and the mokey bars. Calen was able to play on it that evening. They only thing we lacked were the crow's nest, picnic table, and finishing the base. We had spent a total of 18 hours at this point- including the sorting and leveling.

We didn't get a chance to do anything else for several days. That gorgeous 70+ degree weather turned to snow. We were sunburnt and wearing sweaters. The next week Danny and I would take the kids out and work an hour here and an hour there, trying to finish it. We still lacked the crow's nest. So the following weekend we finished that.