Lyla & Archer Get a Swing Set!

Adam has been busy building a swing set for Archer and Lyla!  Since we've been spending our days at home now, we decided the kids could use some more outdoor activities in our backyard.  Adam and I always planned to build them some sort of swing set, but weren't in any huge hurry.  However, the pandemic made us decide to build it sooner rather than later.  It's safe to say it was an excellent idea given the sheer number of hours Archer and Lyla have already clocked playing on it.  (Lyla sure knows how to sit back and let me do all the work pushing her.)

But let's back up and talk about how the swing set came to be.  We had lots of lumber to work with since we're in the process of reworking our back deck.  Our whole exterior has undergone some big changes that I'm excited to share with you soon!  One of our projects has been reworking our existing back deck.  It's always been a little wonky and Adam didn't like that it wasn't structurally sound.  So while the siding on our house was being replaced, we decided to have a portion of the covered deck taken down by the siding crew.  Adam marked the lumber that was salvageable and the workers set it aside for us.  That meant we had plenty of lumber to use to build the new swing set.  It was all Adam's idea to reuse what we had and it made me so happy!  Trying to create less waste has been a major goal of mine and this was the perfect way to reuse and re-purpose something we already had on hand. 

After looking for some inspiration on Pinterest, I found this image.  It led to a company based in the Netherlands, so it wasn't much help to us.  But we still used it as our guide.  I loved the simplicity of it and the small footprint.  We don't have a huge yard and there isn't a lot of space that is flat.  So this seemed like it would fit our yard and still look nice.  As much as I love my children, I don't want our yard to look like a public playground.  

Adam created some plans and pieced together the wood we had to create the posts that would go on either side of the slide and the beam that would go across the top.  He ended up planing and sanding all the wood, which brought it all back to life!  He also planned to use some of our discarded deck railing to make the ladder that leads to the slide.  And luck would have it that I spotted the slide on someone's curb by their trash on one of my daily walks with the kids and Jazzy.  I figured it must have been cracked or damaged to be put in someone's trash.  But I decided to scope it out just in case.  It looked like it was in good condition, so I told Adam about it when we got home.  Since he's working from home, he just hopped in his car and picked it up.  So not only was the wood free, but so was the slide!  And we saved it from the landfill and gave it a second life. 

While we already had the swings (Thanks, Grandma Sandy!), we did have to order some hanging hardware for them.  Adam also thought some handles would be a good idea to help the kids transition from the ladder to the slide.  The only other materials we needed were some Sonotubes and concrete to set the posts in.   

Once Adam had his plan in place, he started by digging the holes for the posts.  I'm glad that wasn't my job because it seemed like a lot of work!  

With the holes dug, Adam got to work setting the posts.  He put a Sonotube in each hole, got the posts all situated and finally mixed and poured the concrete.  He wanted to make sure this swing set was nice and stable for years to come.  I think it's safe to say that swing set isn't going anywhere anytime soon!   

Archer and Lyla enjoyed watching all the steps in the process.  They even helped add some dirt around the posts and "hammered" some boards.  We kept telling them that Daddy was building them a swing set, but I don't think they quite grasped the concept.  They were still happy to watch what Adam was up to while playing in their turtle rock box.  

After the posts were in place, assembling the rest of the pieces came next.  I don't have any pictures of the process because Adam seemed to get everything put together pretty quickly!  Once the swing hanging hardware was installed, the slide was attached and the handles were in place, it was ready to go!  I had grand plans of taking video of the kids as we unveiled it to them for the first time all complete, but they managed to sneak outside before Adam and I got there so we missed their initial reactions.  They saw it from our sliding glass door and couldn't get out there fast enough!  It's safe to say they love it and have already spent many hours playing on it.  

Lyla and Archer are super lucky to have such a hard-working, giving dad.  And I'm super lucky that I have a husband who can whip up a real-life version of whatever picture I show him.  I foresee us spending lots of time in our yard this summer as a family.