Home > Health > MOMania > Archives > 2008 > July > 06 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USOur play set’s best feature?
Leaps of imagination
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
After literally years of deliberation, we finally bought a big backyard play set for the kids.
My husband, of course, didn’t want one. He didn’t think we needed it. He didn’t want it junking up the backyard. He, in fact, called it a $2,000 lawn ornament. (For the record, it wasn’t $2,000.)
But he also wasn’t the one at home trying to keep kids busy all day without sitting them in front of a television or having to load them into a car just to ride a swing.
After much investigation and even asking for guidance here on the blog, I finally chose a beautiful, challenging wooden set for the kids, which was installed last week.
It’s got three types of swings plus a trapeze, monkey bars, tire swing, fort, fireman’s pole, sand box, slide and rope ladder. (That should keep them busy!)
My main goal in getting the set was to encourage the kids to play outside more and get more physically active. But what’s amazing is how their imaginations have gone wild on it. They’re seeing exactly the same play set and their minds’ are processing it in completely different ways.
The 5.5-foot-high fort fascinates both my 5-year-old son and my 7-year-old daughter. My son feels certain it’s the dark, mysterious Bat Cave. My daughter on the other hand envisions it as the tall tower of a princess. While looking over the wall, she observed, “I think this is probably how tall Rapunzel’s castle was.” Then she flipped her hair over her shoulder like she was imagining it cascading to the ground.
A few minutes later the fort had become a nest from which to spy. They want to know what our neighbor is growing in his garden over the fence. They need to work on their sneakiness, however. Ws the man worked not 15 feet away, the announced loudly, “We’re going to spy on him from here.”
A line of swings also quickly transformed in their minds. Walsh was on the horse, Rose on the middle regular swing and Lilina was in her baby swing. Rose yelled “Giddy up” to Walsh and challenged him to a horse race. She started describing a scene in the Old West. Before she could even finish her story, Walsh had moved them into the world of Mario Kart Wii. Walsh was King Boo, Rose was Rosalina and Lilina was Diddy Kong. (My husband questioned why she wasn’t Baby Peach.) They were racing for the finish line and as each rider swung forward they took the lead.
Walsh climbs up the rope ladder as a buccaneer and when he reaches the top jumps on the metal pole and slides down as a fireman. Their little imaginations are running as fast as their bodies.
I think Rose’s favorite thing on the set may be the trapeze. She hangs upside down with her legs hooked over the smooth wooden bar swinging back and forth. She has big plans to join the circus and now wants a second trapeze installed behind the first one so another child can catch her in mid-air upside down. (I’m thinking no to that plan.)
Our biggest problem at this point is that the baby wants to be right in the middle of all the action. Obviously at 15 months, she doesn’t understand trajectory and is going to get whacked in the face by her siblings as they swing. She also wants into that fort, which is way too tall for her. I need to quickly fill the sandbox so she has more to do.
The kids played on it more than four hours the first day we had it. (We did give the concrete holding the legs a little bit of time to dry but not quite the 24-hours the company recommended.) When Michael got home from work he was so impressed by how engaged they all were with it, he offered his highest compliment “Good purchase, Mom.”
Later that night Walsh said, “Mommy thank you 1,000 times for the swing set.” And Rose added, “Tomorrow morning while you make breakfast, I’m going to go out and play.” And she did.
Comments
By Jeff
July 7, 2008 8:47 AM | Link to this
Very cool, Theresa. Congratulations!
Oh, btw: I landed a job in Albany….
By motherjanegoose
July 7, 2008 9:13 AM | Link to this
Not on topic but wondering if this could be a column: should children write thank you notes or is this a thing of the past? I am so annoyed at teens who have received graduation gifts from me and then I never get a thank you. I am also so impressed with those who take the time to drop me a note. This indicates responsibility ( to me). The non thank yous will continue on this trend with wedding gifts and baby shower presents. When I do not receive a thank you, your future gifts are in jeapordy ( sp?) thoughts?
By JJ
July 7, 2008 9:33 AM | Link to this
Jeff CONGRATS!!!! I am sure it is a relief to be closer to home.
Mother I feel the same. No one writes Thank you notes anymore.
I myself, make a phone call and thank the person. When I go to a friend’s house for dinner, or whatever, and have a good time, I always call the next day and say thank you.
My daughter will be graduating next June, and I will insist she write a thank you note to EVERYONE who sends her something.
I send money to my friends kids on their birthdays inside a card. Traditionally I have done this unti the child turns 21. I usually send the amount of the age (I do this with my nieces too). Not once have I received a thank you, not even from a niece, let alone the parent.
Greed. It’s all about greed. Kids are given everything these days, so they believe they are entitled to everything.
By Theresa
July 7, 2008 9:38 AM | Link to this
Hey Jeff — Congratulations — hooray — hopefully a more supportive work environment but will you have to move? I can’t remember how close you were to Albany
hey Motherjanegoose —we have talked about thank yous previously but it was probably two years ago — they can either comment now or we can throw out again later — my mom was just complainign about this — but I have to say I have been guilty this year of not doing good job of writing the notes — a friend told with with the third thank you notes seem to fall to the wayside and they have somewhat — I tend to have the kids write teh school friends the thank yous and not my parents or brother — maybe it’s because I’m aking the kids write them and it’s sooo hard to get them to do at this age — I promise to do a better job thanking everyone next year!!!!
By Jesse's Girl
July 7, 2008 9:41 AM | Link to this
Relish it Theresa….soon you’ll be like me. Standing in the yard looking longingly at the play set thinking back to the days when they could get lost in it for hours. Its so very cool to see your kids use their never-ending imaginations! Mine would create new worlds on their new play set…The Boy still gets on it from time to time. But the girls have all but out-grown it. This makes me sad. So enjoy this time watching your three~ it goes by way too fast!
By motherjanegoose
July 7, 2008 9:53 AM | Link to this
I am thinking ( about written thank yous) more for gifts that are given to those who you are not especially close with on a regular basis. While I do appreciate thank yous from those who I have taken out or had over for dinner, it makes me crazy when I take the time to earn the $$$ for a gift, go out and select the gift, package the gift, deliver the gift and NOTHING.
JJ please encourage your daughter to send her own graduation announcements. I thought I was going to lose it when my own sister addressed her boy’s announcements from high school and my sister in law sent her son’s college announcements….hello? My son ( with terrible handwriting) sent his own…I figured that he would be receiving the gifts and not me. We had a surprise 16 birthday party for my daughter in May and she had her thank yous out in a week… Another question…it appears a certain friend of the girls is attending all of their parties and then laughing ” I owe you a gift…” This never happens. I am a bit irked as I provided food, nice favors, prizes for the games and such. A small gift seems appropriate….even a $5 gift card. Am I overreacting?
By JJ
July 7, 2008 10:05 AM | Link to this
Mother I don’t know if you are over-reacting a bit, but, remember, you don’t know that’s particular girl’s situation. She may not have any money, or her parents may not give her money. You never know.
But I do know the feeling…….
Back on topic, I never did one of those play things for my child. But I love that they make kids use their imagination. That is so much fun to watch and see what they can come up with. MUCH better than sitting in front of some video game. Kids need to be outdoors and doing something active. They sleep so much better!!!!
By Theresa
July 7, 2008 10:13 AM | Link to this
I wonder if there’s something financially going on in that family that noone knows about — maybe a dad lost his job or their house if being forclosed on or something terrible - i can’t beleive a mother would send her child to one or multiple parties without a gift in hand — maybe there’s something dire going on that even the girl does not know????
By paige
July 7, 2008 10:20 AM | Link to this
Is there not another posting board for off topic conversations? The first post of the day is about thank you notes after an article about swing sets?
By motherjanegoose
July 7, 2008 10:23 AM | Link to this
Nope…no family issues…parents are divorced and all are remarried with professional high paying jobs…who knows? They live in our neighborhood and another one that is a nicer.
By Theresa
July 7, 2008 10:24 AM | Link to this
We saw the Kitt Kittridge movie this weekend about the Great Depression so now I’m convinced everyone is secretly in financial ruin! —
By JJ
July 7, 2008 10:25 AM | Link to this
I have a similiar situation as Mother. My daughter runs with a group of kids who’s parents obviously have money. They live in huge homes in fancy subdivisions, drive fancy cars, etc. My problem is, when they all go out to eat, a few of them don’t have any money. In the past, I would show up to pick up my daughter (who always had money), and there would be two or three kids who don’t have any money to pay their bill with.
Who sends their kid to dinner with NO money? Guess who had to pay the bill for those kids? The SINGLE MOM!!! I did THAT one time and that was it. Do you think those kids said Thank you to me? NO.
I felt bad for the kids, but it is not MY responsibility to pay for their meals…….I always send money with my daughter.
By Jeff
July 7, 2008 10:29 AM | Link to this
JJ and Theresa:
Thanks. New job is 13 miles from my house, compared to 100 miles at current job.
New job is also about a mile from the hospital/OBGYN T uses AS WELL AS across the street from the biggest library in the area and a quarter mile from Albany’s River Park.
By motherjanegoose
July 7, 2008 10:39 AM | Link to this
WHOO HOO JEFF! I know you are thrilled!
JJ…I have come to realize that some parents have no idea what they are supposed to be teaching their kids at home. We teachers know this to be true.
For years, I have let my children take the restaurant bill up to be paid ( I could see them and gave them money) this teaches them how much things cost and how to make the correct change and tips. They always bring their own money when being asked out. I have explained that it is polite to leave the tip, if someone else offers to treat you!
Off to run a few errands before I head back to Texas to work!
Theresa….I will not be hogging your topic the rest of the week….LOL. I know you kids will love their play structure. We had one YEARS ago and mine spent hours on it! Have fun!
By Joyce
July 7, 2008 10:42 AM | Link to this
We’ve had a similar experience with the trampoline we got last summer. Our son and the neighbor kids are on it almost every day, making up their own games or their own variations on other games. Last year it was “air soccer” this summer, the game of choice seems to be “poison frog tag.”
As far as empty-handed guests, we had that happen one time. On my son’s 3rd birthday, the family showed up at the door without a b-day present. They were doing just fine on all fronts, as far as we could tell. Apparently they just forgot, and have yet to remember after almost 3 years. It’s kind of strange, but it’s not my job to teach grown-ups manners!
By DB
July 7, 2008 10:42 AM | Link to this
Theresa, enjoy the play set! I’m sure the kids are delighted! We took ours down two years ago, and probably two years past the time we should have, but I just couldn’t bear to toss all those lovely memories. But the playhouse is still there, tucked in the woods, with it’s little deck surrounding it. It’s there until the next tornado takes it!
Jeff, congratulations! You can practically walk to work! I know that will be a big stress-reliever in your home.
motherjg, the rule in my house re: thank you notes is that “you can’t use the present until you write the thank you note”. Very effective at Christmas when they were younger and were dying to try out a video game. And effective, too, as teenagers — no depositing the check or spending the money until the thank you note was written. And if they weren’t written within a week — woe be unto them.
By JJ
July 7, 2008 10:51 AM | Link to this
DB That is an excellent idea. I will use that next year.
Mother I will have my daugther address the graduation annoucements in her handwriting. That is a great idea too. Thanks.
Paige If you don’t have anything to contribute, then please don’t. You have posted here a few times, but you don’t have anything to add……
We welcome all who post, but please add some thoughts about the topic. And yes we do get off topic a bit, but that’s what we do. We are a little family here, and you are more than welcome to join us……
By Jesse's Girl
July 7, 2008 11:02 AM | Link to this
Jeff…have you gone and procreated?
By Theresa
July 7, 2008 11:03 AM | Link to this
mother - no problem being off topic especiallysince we had the playground advice blog a few months back — a lot of times the columns are better reads than they are blog topics — I think i have a sex topic for tomorrow though so that shoudl be exciting!
By Jeff
July 7, 2008 11:19 AM | Link to this
JG:
Not yet, but the new job sure does alleviate a LOT of the stress I had about those issues!
Of course, it also adds in some new stress… for example, anyone seen in shows like CSI where the CSIs go in sometimes literally two steps after the cops? I was told at the interview that such a thing may very well happen from time to time in the new job…. CCP/Taser C2, here I come! :P Also, new job has a computer forensics aspect to it, meaning that I will have to help bust the Albany-area wackos who get their jollies with kids and put files on the computer.
Interestlingly enough though, my direct boss lives somewhere near me, and T had his daughter in her class this past year!
By new mom
July 7, 2008 11:26 AM | Link to this
Hi everyone! Hope y’all had a nice fourth.
Congrats, Jeff! :)
Theresa, that play set sounds awesome. We were thinking of getting one for our baby girl in a couple of years, and now we are very sure about it! I have lots of memories of playing on my swingset growing up. (the biggest being my best friend and I swinging as high as possible, singing the dukes of hazzard theme song as loud as possible…I’m sure our neighbors were impressed!)
I am the same way about thank you notes. I know that not everyone is taught to write them, and that really irks me. Last summer I wrote over 125 thank you notes, over the course of our 6 baby showers! I tried to get my hubby to write a few when a gift came from a co-worker he knew (and I didn’t) and bless his heart, it took him sooooo long to write them! He would agonize over what to say, how to say it, he’d do a rough draft in word (he’s a software developer who rarely uses real paper anymore!) But it was good for him, I think it helps to develop a spirit of thankfulness. And I did go easy on him, he was never taught that as a child.
We plan to teach our baby girl to write thank you notes (and other personal notes, such as get well, etc.) as soon as she’s able. I like the idea of not using the gift till the note is written—I had a similar system last summer, the baby shower gifts stayed in our great room until the note was written, and only then could I get to put it in her closet!
Speaking of my husband’s family, we gave a cousin a check for graduation in mid-may. Not only has there been no thank you note, but they haven’t even cashed our check yet!!
By Jesse's Girl
July 7, 2008 11:27 AM | Link to this
Oooooo…..sex talk tomorrow! Yippeeee!!!!
By JJ
July 7, 2008 12:04 PM | Link to this
WOO HOO I can’t wait for tomorrow.
I’ll only get to play for a little, so let’s get rolling early. I am meeting my surgeon tomorrow afternoon. Then we will schedule the surgery…….but tomorrow sounds like fun……
By Jeff
July 7, 2008 12:10 PM | Link to this
Sex talk is always fun, and generally fairly interesting. Can’t wait to see what Theresa has lined up for us!
Surgery sounds icky though, JJ. Good luck!
By Theresa
July 7, 2008 12:12 PM | Link to this
JJ - I must have missed something — what is the surgery — please remind me — It will be up by 7
By JJ
July 7, 2008 12:57 PM | Link to this
I am having surgery to remove a bad parathyroid gland. There are 4 parathyroid glands around your thyroid. One of mine is bad and is putting way too much calcium into my blood. The normal calcium range is 10.3 to 10.5, and I’m at 11.9 - way too high. It’s called Hyper- Parathyroidism, and the only way to cure it is surgery. I had a throat scan two weeks ago, and thankfully, there is only one bad gland that needs to come out.
I will be in the hospital over night, but I don’t know the recovery time yet. I sure hope it isn’t very long, I don’t want to use all my vacation days….
Jeff aren’t you on vacation this week? If so, why are you blogging, and not enjoying your “Down time”???? and/or celebrating your new CLOSE TO HOME job?????
By Jeff
July 7, 2008 1:12 PM | Link to this
JJ:
Actually, I was gone Thursday-Sunday last week. Hence my silence over the weekend. My original plan had been to head out Weds, but the interview changed that, CLEARLY for the better.
And I did enjoy my down time. The fireworks display over the water at Fort Walton was AMAZING and we had a lot of fun playing golf, racing karts, lounging in the pool, and taking my neice (T’s half-sister’s daughter… makes her my neice, right??) to the beach for the first time in her life.
Nice thing about FWB was the fact that from where we sat to watch their fireworks shows, you could also see the various hotels on Okaloosa Islands doing their own in the hour prior to the FWB sequence.
By CP
July 7, 2008 1:20 PM | Link to this
Personnaly, I loooooove the playset we got for the kids: wooden w/ swings, trapeze, slide, fort… They spend hours outside playing on it & I can’t wait for #4 (only 4 months now) to be able to play on it too.
I have a lot of memories of playing outside when I was younger - on the swingset & in the woods. Being outside definitely gives kids exercise both physically and with their imaginations.
Theresa, it’s great that you secured the set in the ground. I remember an experience when I was younger with our set which wasn’t in the ground. My brother & I would swing high to jump out of the swings & after I’d just jumped out we pulled the whole set down & it landed on the back of my leg. No permanent damage done but the neighbors heard the scream from across the woods. Safety 1st!
As far as the side-issue of thank-you cards or notes: I don’t really make my kids send them right now. Their handwriting still isn’t great. I do make them call to say “thank you” for whatever they got - even if they don’t like it. My son, the oldest at 7, has been starting to write notes of thanks (mostly to Grandma) during this summer.
And if they go out with someone, I make sure I know if they need to bring any money. If so they either have it or don’t go.
By alch
July 7, 2008 1:44 PM | Link to this
There are sone adults who do not sent thank you notes either. I attended a wedding..no thank you note. They had a baby…sent a gift..no thank you note. My girls were taught to write thank you notes for anything. I had brain surgery this year and I sent thank you notes for flowers & cards…even when I was still seeing double. Sending thank you notes is a dying art.
By Mom2two
July 7, 2008 5:43 PM | Link to this
I just ordered my playset and I can’t wait for it to arrive so we can get it all set up. It should be a blast.
As for the side topic..Birthdays/Showers/Weddings..what else do you all think requires a written thank you note and not a verbal thank you?
By patiently waiting
July 7, 2008 6:00 PM | Link to this
JJ-
The recovery time isn’t long. A friend had it last year and stayed out from work maybe a week or so but returned to volunteer activites 3 days after the surgery.
By JJ
July 8, 2008 7:42 AM | Link to this
Patiently waiting Thanks, that info helps. I’m one of those people who likes to know things, so I can stay organized.
Thanks. Have a great day.
By Becky
July 8, 2008 2:26 PM | Link to this
Thersa, I’m sure that the new playset is going to be worth every penny that was paid for it..As for thank you notes, I bought some thank you notes that all the kids have to do is sign their name..They just turned 6 & we send then out for each gift..A coworker has 2 teenagers & they send out handwritten thank you notes for all gifts..
By Stephanie
July 8, 2008 7:59 PM | Link to this
Hi, I’m so curious to know where you got the playset? We are hoping to buy one for our son for Christmas this year (even though he won’t be even quite 2, he already uses the neighbors sets daily and we want to reciprocate!).