Our personal playground

The other day the boys and I took some balls to the school yard across the street and spent an hour running after them. The balls were all at least as big as my fist, and some were bigger. Nevertheless, Kai thought one had slipped through the grates, and he spent an unreasonable amount of time peering down into the darkness, trying to find it.



We've been playing in the school yard since Jett could walk, and I've written about it a few times (here, here, and here, for example). I don't think I've mentioned the various safety hazards we have to watch out for, like an enticing but probably bug-and-litter ridden sand pit and raised rectangles of grass surrounded by brick walls that would be perfect to fall from. There is also a big wooden deck, serving no obvious purpose, that is full of jagged holes and rotting boards. The deck would be perfect to play on if it was safe, because it is right next to the giant grates that the boys like to throw rocks through, but we've always had to keep them off of it until now....



...because now it is all gone! Excellent! Getting rid of that wooden platform gives me one less thing to say "No" too. Thank you, CPS.

On a side note, the other day Charlie, the boys, and I were reading a book about animals that live in your backyard. I mentioned that we don't have a backyard, and Jett piped up, "No, but we have a school!" Right on, kiddo. Right on.