Our playground was installed today!!! We knew when we moved into this house, the absolute, non-negotiable first things we needed were for the backyard to be fenced in and a playground installed.
I wanted a big playground, with a tire swing (both kids' favorites) and lots of swings for friends to play on. Steve wanted to make sure the playground would last. So many friends have playgrounds that look great when installed, but over time in the Florida humidity tend to sag and fade and chip away. After doing some research, we found that premium pine wood is best. We found a place that makes custom playgrounds using premium pine and ordered from there...which includes installation.
Will watching the installation
Testing it out
Loves that tire swing!
And the slide is just right
Isn't it beautiful? We put it under a tree and near the bushes, so it will always be in the shade. The perfect spot!
We are so excited about all of the memories that will be created over the years on this playground.
Will told us that he wants to take off his training wheels. We knew this moment was coming and we are so happy that we live in a nice, safe cul de sac for him to learn on.
Steve had him put on a coat for extra padding and for him (Steve) to hold on to.
Sadly, Will's bike broke in the middle of his learning. We looked into fixing it and talked to Jon who told us we were better off buying him a new bike. I bought a Lightnng McQueen bike for $20 off Craigslist. It was actually a little bigger than his old bike. Being crafty, I was able to swap his Star Wars decals and switch his seat and front padding. Because both bikes were red/black, you cannot even tell. And it fits him better!!!
This time, he got right on his bike. Steve was not home, but I never imagined that he would take right to it. He did. He got right up on two wheels. He fell once and when I tried to make him come in, he cried that he wanted to try some more. Such determination!!! So proud of our big bike rider. He and Austin zip all over now.
Last year, Larry and Neva missed the Food and Wine Festival and have been looking forward to it ever since. We almost did not go....because for the first time in a year, Will had a fever episode. He got home from school and was burning up. He had a 102 fever. We debated, but ultimately gave him prednisolone. Within an hour, he was just fine, so off to Epcot we went.
And a good thing we did, because they had a lot of fun.
And Will's fever never returned. I cannot remember the best things we ate, but it was a beautiful night to be outside, enjoying some tasty delights. So glad that Larry and Neva were able to go this year. And it wasn't even too crowded.
Today was Will's 2nd field trip. I chaperoned this one as well as the first one. However, on the day of the first field trip, I forgot my phone at home so I have no photos of it.
Anyway, like the first one, today we walked to our destination: the Orlando Union Baptist Pumpkin Patch. I was assigned two kids: William and Brayden. Side note: Brayden gets on Will's nerves a little bit and Will has admitted to not always being nice to him which has resulted in lectures by mommy about treating people nicely. Ironic that they were grouped together.
They had several stations. First, they had a snack, then a craft, next time to pick out pumpkins and then a story. The kids naturally sorted themselves into boys/girls for the snack and crafts. These kids are too cute and they had a ball.
Today, Olivia had her first haircut. There was really no other place to get it done, but Magic Kingdom. We love her long hair, but it was getting rather triangle-ish in shape, so we decided a trim was needed. Will needed a haircut too.
She did such a good job! She did not fuss even once.
We didn't take a picture of Will getting a haircut, but he got one too and looks super sharp.
We got the kids a treat before the parade and Olivia picked a Mickey cake pop. It was a mess!
Her mouth, after.
We all fit on one teacup!
We parked at the Grand Floridian and Olivia was given a special rose (Will is holding it)
We ate dinner that night at Liberty Tree Tavern. We didn't take any photos because my phone died, but Will and Olivia both fell asleep at dinner. They were both laid out in the booth and we had to carry both of them out of the park. It was precious.
