backyard dreams

After nearly a year of having a back yard, this week we finally checked a major item off our suburban wishlist: we got a play structure!

We've wanted one for ages, and I spent my nesting months last Winter pinning inspirational images until I had pinned myself right into a serious case of Pinterest Paralysis: the immense sense of possibility was entirely overwhelming to me, to the point that taking action and moving forward with a plan seemed well-nigh impossible.  Just ask Taro.  In my dream world of dream worlds I would have already built a reclaimed-wood-Swiss-Family-Robinson-influenced-pirate-ship-castle with my own bare hands, perfect fodder for a viral-DIY blog post.  Alas, such a scenario was not, shall we say, realistic -- what with me being great with child...then come Springtime having had that child...for a total of three little children.  Lord knows, I struggle to keep the towels even remotely folded.

On the flip side, there was the allure of Costco.  For possibly less money and definitely less time than building that dream version out of hypothetically gorgeous, second-hand timbers, we could instantly have a brand-new-in-the-box-smelling-freshly-of-factory-chemicals-playset.  They are ubiquitous in our neighborhood, so what's the big deal?

But I could not bring myself to to do it.  I yearned for at least the semblance of something that we could imbue with our own style and personality.  Something not fresh off an assembly line.  And yet (of course) affordable and quick-and-easy to construct.  Meanwhile, Taro and the kids urged me to make a decision, move forward with a plan.  Any plan.

Finally, we found our path:  Craigslist.  After searching for a couple of weeks through the dozens of listings for pre-owned play structures in our area, we found a set that spoke to us.  Upon visiting it in person in its original yard, our impressions were confirmed: this (small-factory-made) set had been well-cared-for over the course of eleven years, but also had the perfect patinated charm, so as to not look too cookie-cutter.  It had all the elements we were looking for; swings, trapeze, enclosed treehouse with real roof, covered sandbox, and a nice fast slide.  The seller was as lovely as she could be.  So we bought it!

The only remaining step was to relocate it (no small thing!) but luckily there are a myriad of companies dedicated solely to dismantling, moving, and reassembling used play structures.  The one we chose was great -- totally professional, fast, and careful to put everything together square and level.

So now the kids have a whole new lease on life!  They will be cramming as many fun-filled hours into our backyard as they possibly can before it gets too cold.  And I might even be up for performing a few gentle upgrades myself...a fun new coat of paint, or a pirate flag, perhaps?  I know I could make this.