The play set from hell

Okay, so it's not really from hell. And it probably would have been easier to put up with my dad around. But we were bound and determined to do it on our own. Well, a weekend and two afternoons and evenings later, it is almost finished. In fact, as I write, Matt and neighbor John are out there with flood lights trying to finish the darn thing.

It all started Saturday. Well, it really all started in July when my dad bought the play set for us from Menard's. It's pre-cut, pre-measured, pre everything, impossible to screw up. Not so. We did screw it up. Several times. But it is standing and it looks great in the flood lights.

I'll back up. We bought it in July. It sat in the garage for 6 weeks. Did I mention before that we are both teachers? How did we not have "time" to do it this summer? Well, if I am to be totally honest, it was me who did the dragging of the feet. I mean, Ben just turned two and has no fear. I really did not want him climbing on a structure four feet off the ground and flinging himself down a slide or rock wall and until he was at least two years and two months! Which he is now. Factor in also that we just recently got our back fence opened up to include our whole yard instead of just a portion of it. So the play set actually has a large area to sit.

Now, on to Saturday. Friday night I say, "Honey, let's get a plan so that we can start this thing in the morning and not sleep in (HA!) and then open the boxes, realize we need other things from Menard's and then finally start at 2:00."

"Umm, okay, but I have to set up my deer stand tomorrow and the Huskers play at 11:00."

Scratch the plan that was in my head, try to stick to reality. "Okay, I'll go to the Farmer's Market with the kids, let you watch the Huskers and we'll start at 2:00." No, we started at 5:30. And it morphed from "we" into Matt and neighbor John. I guess my role in getting this all done was limited to watching the kids.

A little side note here. I love my kids. I love doing things with my kids. I love talking to my kids. I also love my husband. I like my neighbor. But by the time Sunday night rolled around, I didn't like ANYONE!

Saturday progresses......sloooooowowwwwwlllllyyyyyyy. Sunday is rally Sunday at church. I take the three kids, by myself, to the last part of church, then to Sunday school and the nursery and finally home. I drive into the driveway. I see no progress. I get crabby again. Apparently, a team of carpenters can build a house in 72 hours on extreme home makeover, but Matt and neighbor John cannot build a platform with a frame in 36. The learning curve here is immense. I spend all day with the kids. Gabe has two timeouts. Ben has one timeout. I take Gabe and Lyndee to Target while Ben is sleeping. I feel as if I am slowly losing my mind and Gabe's continual conversation and questions starts to sound to me like the teacher's voice on Charlie Brown. Woh wah woh wah wonh wohn.

Sadly, not my most brilliant parenting moments occur on Sunday. At 8:00 I put all three kids down to bed. I sigh in relief. At 8:03, I start the marathon of getting the boys to be quiet and stop being silly in their now shared bedroom. I went in the first time and they were out of their beds wrestling. I threaten, cajole and bribe them back into bed. The wrestling was mildly entertaining. The next time I go in, everything that was on Gabe's bed and on the floor are now on Benjamin's toddler car bed. I can't find Benjamin, he is buried.....and laughing. I threaten, cajole and bribe them back into bed. I take Ben into our bed. I put Ben back into his bed. I take Gabe into our bed. Finally, at 9:00 pm on Sunday, I march outside and tell Matt that he has to be done, I cannot take it anymore and can he PLEASE come inside and help me get Gabe to bed?! I think he thought that he was going to have to check me in somewhere because he got very quiet and agreed to come in.

I recovered and Monday we began our week again. It was a fine day, considering that Gabe had lost all tv and bike riding privileges for his behavior the night before. Matt came home at 4:00. We did not see him again until 11:00 pm. Tuesday, Matt works over lunch, takes a continuing grad credit class, comes home at 7:00, goes to work on the play set. It is now 11:03. They are still working.

I know it will all be worth it in the end. The kids will love to play on it. I will enjoy sitting outside watching them play on it. Matt will feel proud that he built this for his kids. My dad will be happy that Matt did it by himself. Our friends and their kids will enjoy it, too. But for now, I miss my husband, my kids miss their dad, even the dogs miss him. We'll remember his hard work this weekend when we're playing on it and he's fishing for muskie up in Detroit Lakes. I guess he's earned it.

And the next project on my list? Putting together the bunk beds for the boys. Stay tuned!