He didn’t get them out until almost lunch!
The Mixel he asked Santa for!
Category Archives: Playset
Busy back yard morning!
The playset was coming down as the waterslide was going up! I couldn’t watch too much of the playset teardown because I was really very sad about it. I worried how Owen would handle it…but he literally looked out the window and said “Awww, I’m going to miss the playset…BUT THE WATERSLIDE WILL BE SO FUN!” And we didn’t hear another word about it.
Tunnel fun
She’s getting better on the slide!
This is how she likes to swing.
How Owen helps Katie down the slide
Katie wanted to get off the playset so I kept telling her to go through the tube and down the slide. She wanted me to get her down. No, Katie, through the tube and down the slide. She eventually made it to the slide then just sat there like this, pouting. 
Then Owen “helped” her. Which is basically flinging her down the slide under the guise of holding her hand. And she doesn’t care one bit.
Giddy up!
I had taken the swinging bars off the playset to hang up the second swing…and Owen co-opted them immediately.
Siblings having a swinging good time
At an impasse…
Katie was swinging and Owen asked if he could, too. (Of course he doesn’t need to ask but he does.) This wasn’t quite what I expected:
Then he was all about pushing Katie. He’s never really wanted to before…so…YAY!
First, a hug.
Then a few pushes.
Then he decided to twist her—and OH the fun both of them had!!
More twisting!
Pushing…and getting kicked…and loving it!
Swinging together! He’d get her moving then hop on his own swing!
Finally, Owen twisting himself!
I’m glad they’re enjoying the swings…but why did Owen have to start liking them NOW? A year after we got the playset and a month before we have to sell it? See? The guilt.
Enjoying the playset while we can.
Then of course Owen wanted to battle:
King of his castle
Pure joy!
She likes to grab this while she swings.
Sibling Fun + Happy Birthday Grandma Marsha
Then Katie wanted up.
They don’t always get along.
But he can be so good with her.
Then Skyping with Grandma Marsha for her birthday!
And singing!
Multitasking
I’m going to miss our deck and yard.
We are surely not going to get a deck like we have now—that opens to a huge back yard with a cool playset…
Hopefully we’ll get something just as good, but different…
Not too bright to swing!
She LOVES the swing but it was a bit bright this morning!
Mommy’s sunglasses are a little big!
Rock Star Swinging
Our swinging girl
She loves loves LOVES to swing. Today she started in the baby swing but then asked to go on the other one!
Then she let go to try to touch the wood beam—and wobbled. She put her hand back to hang on in a hurry!
After dinner swinging
Owen had special daddy time after dinner (he got to play Lego Star Wars) so Katie and I went out to swing!
And then she was pretending to sleep!
And then she wanted to try the big kid swing!
And she was almost swinging herself! You can see her slightly moving her legs the right way!
And getting more comfortable on the bar!
After school outside fun times
I lowered the bar so Katie could reach it to swing.
Then it was off to dig in the new grass. I redirected her to the stone pile.
Then I looked away for a minute and she was over just laying in the grass, looking at grass or bugs or dirt or something.
Then Owen was telling me stories.
And being cute!
And this video has Owen telling a story, interrupted with me trying to get a good picture (I can take pics while I’m recording) so you can see a little of what it takes to get a good picture of both kids (in reality I think I took about 10).
This was the lucky picture:
More swinging!
Seat stealer!
Super cute boy.
Restaurant and Storytelling
Owen and Katie were playing restaurant.
Then he decided to tell me a story. Hopefully you can make out some of it—it’s mostly about Star Wars and light sabers (complete with accurate light saber sounds).
Slide down, Katie–I’ll catch you!
Sibling Slide Fun
Then he laid down so she had to.
Then she tried to help him get up.
Trying to find Katie:
And a super happy girl!
She finally likes her swing!
And especially when daddy is there tickling her:
Sitting Pretty
And laying cute!
And playing with brother!
Finally a warm(ish) day!
Guess what, Katie? CHICKEN BUTT!
He was REALLY into telling me a story about his Legos.
She begged to go outside
And by begging I mean as she was finishing her snack in her high chair (after we got home from school), she was saying “Outside! Pease! Outside! Pease! Pease! Pease! Pease!”
Fun with brother!
Got her!
And got this perfect lucky shot in two attempts! (Owen had to have his new Legos in the picture!)
The second round of presents…
We didn’t take as many pictures this time, as the kids spent more time playing with old and new toys among unwrapping gifts.
Katie liked the wood vegetables from Aunt Marie and Uncle Doug.
And her new singing bear from Grauntie Marge:
And Owen LOVED his Mecha-Pede from Grauntie Marge. It really is quite cool—it has pincers and a tail, it lights up, and the eyes glow! And it’s remote-controlled!
It’s sunny so we’re outside!
Working hard—her tongue is out.
Notice her muddy fingers. She likes to scoop up fallen pine needles and carry them around.
Here, have a leaf!
No I don’t get too terribly nervous about the four-foot drop.
Play date!
Owen and I went to the movies this morning (Frozen!) with friends of ours that are moving next week—Ruth (the one who helped me put up the lights and tree) and her daughter! We’re really going to miss them… Owen did pretty well at the movie—it was a sensory-friendly version which I don’t think he really needs anymore, but it’s at least $3pp less so we do go once in awhile. I think with the lights up and the sound down, he is actually more fidgety and doesn’t get as involved. I know I don’t get as involved because I hear the constant murmuring of all the other kids that aren’t paying attention and talking and running about…
But anyway, after the movie, they came over for sushi lunch (well, the kids had pizza bagels!) and then we went outside. Ruth just happened to have a pink baby swing in her car that she was getting rid of, so we hung it up! (I actually had one I hadn’t put up yet, so I just traded her for the pink one!) Katie liked it. Not loved it, but liked it. For a few minutes.
Owen getting tackled! He LOVED every second of it and was having a ball. He kept saying “Emily! I’m over here! Come get me!”
Emily tackling and then Katie attacking Owen once he was down!
Then he wanted to play Candyland so we got it set up and just let them play while we were in the other room talking. It apparently went well and soon we heard Owen saying “Congratulations!”
Outside and loving it!
The cold weather hasn’t been great to play outside since both kids have coughs (that get worse in the cold) but today warmed up a bit so out we went. Katie was happy!!
“Playing rocks” as Owen says.
Cold doesn’t stop them.
