Laboring the Day away

Now that the youngest of the Webster clan is married, my mom decided it was time to stop devoting the backyard to wedding parties and time to start dedicating it to the grandkids. She found a great metal swingset and trampoline in the newspaper and promptly bought them. This is what the yard looked like to start with at 8 am.


First, the sod had to be cut up. Who knew that they made machines for just that purpose? I didn't. It basically cuts down into the grass in strips and across every couple of feet so that the sod can be rolled up and carted away. . . as you can see Jeremy and Ben doing in the following picture:

Once the sod had been pulled up, the debate was had as to what to do with it. Natalie called a lady in her neighborhood who was still needing to put a yard in, and it just so happened that she had people there working in the yard at that very moment. So, instead of throwing out all of that good grass, it filled this great woman's front yard. I think that part made everyone's day. . .



Once the sod was up, as you can see in the above shot, the sprinklers had to be dug up and moved.

The next step (and the last one for the day) was to start on the hole for the trampoline. In order to save the grandkids from broken limbs, it will sit in a big hole in the ground. Easier said than done. #1, it was really bloody hot on Monday. #2, it was about 3:30 pm before said hole was ready to be started and everyone was already exhausted. & #3, the soil in the yard was made mostly of heavy clay and gravel. Not a lot of fun to dig a shovel into. I would say the hole was about 1/3 dug when everyone finally gave up the ghost. The dirt from the hole was relocated to another neighbor's yard and everyone called it a day.

In my advanced state of pregnancy I wasn't allowed to help with any of this process, mind you. I was in charge of the wee ones instead. This was what I watched (along with Carter, and occasionally Aubrey) for a good part of the day while everyone else dug:


Truthfully, by the end of the day, I was as exhausted as everyone else, just in a different way. I was seriously reconsidering my choice to become a mother. Especially to boys. Not that i have a choice any more, and not that it was a rational thing to worry about at this point. . . but it was a very long day.

Much cuter pictures to come in the next post.