It was quite the undertaking, let me tell you. First of all, we went last Tuesday and found the one we wanted. It was so awesome, it had two slides, one of which was a big, winding tube slide, the other one was a shorter slide, perfect for littler ones. And it had lots of other cool accessories too, so we pulled the card out of the little slot... the inventory card... with the price. We figured since there was a card in that slot, that must mean they have the item in stock. Is that too much to expect? Evidently it is. Which was really great, when my dad drove thirty minutes with his truck to pick the thing up for us, only to be told they didn't have any of those and not only that.. they had no idea when they would be getting that particular one in.
I was TICKED!!!
So, back to the drawing board we went. We started really studying the different sets available and we realized that there was another set exactly like the one we wanted. The only difference was that it didn't have the smaller slide and the winding slide was not a tube slide, it was just a regular slide. But other than that, they had all the same accessories. And get THIS... this one was $800 CHEAPER than the one I had originally wanted! Can you believe that?!? I couldn't. So, we bought the cheaper set, which they did have in stock and just got Noah a smaller, individual slide that was only $35.
*JACKPOT*
Well, this was Wednesday when we picked it up, we figured no problem.. we'd definitely have it done by the time for the party Friday night. Tony's Mr. Handyman and my dad was here to help, so surely, it would be knocked out in no time.
Yeah. RIGHT.
Wednesday was super windy out, so when they got the playset home and unloaded, they decided they would just wait until the following day to start putting it together.
So, now we're at Thursday... One day and some odd hours until our big birthday luau. I was feeling the pressure.
I was telling Tony he better get that thing done, or he'd be sleeping in Emma's playhouse. ;)
So, here's the beginning...
After I took those two shots, documenting the beginning of the project, I took the kids and went to town birthday shopping. We were gone for several hours. Several hours.
When we got home, this is what I saw. I was worried.
But before the day was over, they did manage to get together the rock climbing wall and the staircase...
I think Emma was starting to feel some of her Mommy's anxiety. She decided to step in as foreman of the project.
My dad and Tony worked until well past sundown that night and the next day, the day of the party, this is what Tony was working on when I left to go to town for the finishing touches and food and party wares.
And honestly, it didn't look a whole lot different at party time. I think he did have the roof on the clubhouse part, but other than that... no different, so I just had to get over it and come to terms with the fact that things weren't going to be perfect for the party, but it was okay! The kids had a blast and all the parents completely understood, as their kids have the same or similar sets, so my anxiety subsided and I got over it. :)
My dad and Tony worked until well past sundown that night and the next day, the day of the party, this is what Tony was working on when I left to go to town for the finishing touches and food and party wares. And honestly, it didn't look a whole lot different at party time. I think he did have the roof on the clubhouse part, but other than that... no different, so I just had to get over it and come to terms with the fact that things weren't going to be perfect for the party, but it was okay! The kids had a blast and all the parents completely understood, as their kids have the same or similar sets, so my anxiety subsided and I got over it. :)
Then, Saturday was the Dogwood Festival and we ended up at Urgent Care with Emma and the nasty spider bite ( which I still need to blog about), so it was an off day for the Arnold family project.
Sunday, however, the fun resumed..
Here's Emma sitting on the seat of what would become her new favorite thing in the world.. the glider.
And Noah loves his new swing. Can you tell?
And he loves his daddy....
Here's Emma on the completed glider...
Look at that bonding going on...
Can you feel the love?
Sweetest big sister in the world!
Tony getting the long-awaited slide put together..
Installing the slide...
Hard workin daddy!
Emma's first slide!!!!
Noah's first slide. He was a little sketchy at first...
And Monday, while I was gone, Tony did the finishing touches... installed the window frames, the shutters, and put together the picnic table... so cute!!!!
Now you get to see it from all angles...
Oh, the bottom rectangle part under the clubhouse is a big sandbox, we just haven't gotten the sand yet...
Isn't that the cutest little picnic table you've ever seen in your whole life???
Now I really can't wait for our next party! It's going to be so much fun for the kids... Oh, and we're going to have a big bounce house here for Noah's birthday!!!
FUN, FUN, FUN!!!!
