Sandbox: Episode 1

So after being less than thrilled about the options for (plastic) sandboxes at Toys R Us and being reminded that his less-than-handy father built one back in the day, Dan promised to build Finley his very own sandbox. I was thrilled, if not convinced it would actually happen. We watched some how-to videos and read up on the subject online a couple weeks ago, but yesterday Dan called around to some lumber yards and then he and Finley set out to buy the raw materials we needed. Hooray for supporting local businesses as they found what they needed at Arlington Coal and Lumber just down the street!

Today, the boys swept out the garage since that was going to be the best place to build a sandbox on a rainy day.

Then, after Finley scarfed his lunch and went down for a nap, Dan and I got to work. Dan was both the super and the subcontractor for this job, while I was the apprentice. We put together the frame and then it was time to add the bench seats at two ends.

Using some weed preventing landscape fabric that we bought on the Cape the summer before Finley was born, we finished off the sandbox. Seriously, we bought it two years ago and it's just been sitting in the garage waiting for the big time.

When it was done and we flipped it over, it looked great! It was quite heavy, so I requested some back up to get it into the yard. Luckily, Mikey Z. was on his way home from Wilson Farms so he came over to help. As Finley munched on some mango on the back deck, we watched the sandbox arrive and be set down in its place.

I love it already and it doesn't even have any sand in it yet!

Finley was mildly impressed with his father's labor of love, but something tells me when the sand gets delivered he'll be over the moon!

Stay tuned for Episode 2: the sand and the first dig!