I Don’t Know Why I Even Try Sometimes

My girls love to play in sand boxes.  Yes we live in the desert, no you can’t really play in the dirt on our backyard.  I’ve been toying with the idea of getting them a sand box for several months.  The Husband is hesitant about the cost of the sand, the idea of moving it someday and the fact that we have lots of dirt on our side yard they can play in (he thinks so at least!)

But I, the FixItMommy, know that a sand box is worth it.  I see the Little One make a beeline for the sand box when we go to pick up the Big One at preschool.  I know the battles almost everyday to get one or both girls out of the sand box at preschool.  I know that often when we go to the park the girls are more interested in playing in the sand than they are the swings or slides.

Basically I know best! (imagine that!)

So yesterday when I randomly decided to look on Craigslist to see what was posted I was pleasantly surprised to find a sand box in great condition at a reasonable price.  I rarely go to CL, I find it generally creepy and the recent news coverage hasn’t helped my opinion.  {granted I go to the “Baby and Kids” section, not the “ Personal Services” but still the creeps are out there}

So as I weighed the choice of buying it or not, I tried to consider the Husband’s feelings.  He is going to be deploying soon for four months and I figure anything to help me entertain the girls is well worth it.  So I decided to go get it.   {It’s Reserves weekend so he’s not home and was therefore not a part of the decision-making process!}

My niece is visiting for a couple weeks.  So I told her I wanted to go get it and asked if she minded staying with the girls so I could surprise them.  She said sure.

So I told the Big One I was going to go get a surprise for them, but would be back soon.

She’s four, so she went on a guessing expedition to figure out what I was going to get them….

“Are you getting…. Donuts?”

“…A teeter-totter?”

“…A spinner?”

“What is it?”

“…A slide?”

“ …Ice cream?”

“… Pizza?”

“… A water slide?”

“… A swimming pool?”

And so it went. Of course, many of the things she listed we already have, but not once did the turkey ask for a sand box. I was so excited to find the thing and not once did she even think to ask if that’s what it was.  She knows I have been thinking about getting once for months and she had been seemingly excited about it.  But not once did she ask for a sand box.

Oh well, at least she was excited when I got home with it.  Now to find “safe” sand to fill the thing.

{This is the one I got… I paid $30 for it.  It’s in great condition!!}