The Sandbox

I said two years ago that the money we spent on the used sandbox on craigslist was so worth it.

Well,  I'll say it again, it was SO worth it.

This is the third summer Peanut will be using it and the first for the Little Brother.  Even though the Peanut is entirely too tall for it, she still LOVES playing in it.  In fact, this little girl has an obsession with pretending to be The Pioneer Woman while "cooking" in her sandbox.  How you ask?

Well, let me tell you.  

I often have the TV on when I cook dinner.  Mostly, I like it for noise, and cooking shows are something I've always loved to watch (since I was like 10--I kid you not).  Anyhow, cooking shows are about the ONLY thing that are appropriate for children when little ears and eyes are around.  The Pioneer Woman comes on right about the time I usually am cooking dinner.  Peanut has liked watching her shows from the nearly the beginning.  To the point of referring to her little brother as Ladd (Marlboro Man) and telling me about her {Peanut's} four {imaginary} kids.  Just like PW.

Imagine that. 

Then to further solidify her obsession (my mom got her the Charlie books nearly a year ago), when I read PW was going to be in our metropolitan area this past December, we trekked out to the book signing.

For Peanut.  Really.  I honestly didn't get my cookbook signed--I didn't even bring it actually.  Peanut brought her two Charlie books and I was just trying to be considerate of PW and all the other attendees.  I was not about to have THREE books signed.  So Peanut's two books it was.  Little did I know, that others there would have like 20 books each! 

Anyhow, back to meeting PW.  My girl?  A little star struck.  This is the girl who can strike up a conversation with ANY cashier at ANY store and tell them half our life story before we walk away from the register.  To put it nicely.....there really isn't a shy bone in her body.  So when she walked up and met PW, she didn't know quite what to say at first.  At first.  Then by the time we left, according to Peanut, they were old friends.

She has, in fact, asked me during several occasions, just when exactly she will get to meet PW's kids.  'Cause you know her and PW are tight.  I've tried to explain that probably never she lives very far away, so most likely that won't ever happen.  Besides, can you say stalker?   

Her innocence makes me laugh.  Seriously.

So yes, Peanut can be out playing cooking in her sandbox for hours at a time.  And the Little Brother?  It's his favorite past time as well.  (Well, that and going to Papa's and Grama's MawMaw's--my mom isn't quite ready to let go that he can now say Grama instead of his coined phrase, MawMaw)

Upon waking up from his naps:  "San?  {Sand?}  Pway? {Play?}  Quocs? {Crocs?} aka {let's get my shoes on so I can go play in the sand. Pronto.}"  He LOVES that sand box too.

He also likes to drink the dirty sand water.  Which Hub's insists that he won't do for long--it can't taste good, therefore he'll figure it out soon enough.  But after 6 or 7 times?  I'm thinking it's more like wine and it's an acquired taste.

But that's a story for another day. 

Until then, I am loving this view out our backdoor: