... and it was a red-hot hit, folks. The kids loved it. They continued to love the sandpit well into Christmas afternoon until the time came to come back inside. It was then I caught the very first inkling that there might be a couple of drawbacks to owning a sandpit.
Five months on and I'll be honest. I'm struggling, folks.
The kids still love the sandpit. The only trouble is, sand never quite STAYS in the sandpit does it? Let's be honest, the only thing that kinda sucks about the beach is the sand and the sandpit is the same. We have no cover over ours, so there really is no way to keep the kids out of it, unless we drag the trampoline over it (which we have done more than once!) But it's all I can do to stay sane on a rainy day when I am dragging a brush through my hair, have dressed the two kids and now have 8 seconds to get them into the car to preschool... only to discover the back door open and two wet, sandy children happily digging holes in the sandpit...
There is sand on sand on sand at my place. Sand through the entire house. Through the washing. On the lounge. In my once beautifully interior-designed cubby house:
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| BEFORE SAND |
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| AFTER SAND |
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| BEFORE SAND |
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| AFTER SAND |
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| AFTER SAND |
The cubby is pretty much ruined... there's so much sand in there I wouldn't even begin to know where to start cleaning it up. The kids make 'cakes' with it in there, you see. Which is fine until they bring their 'cakes' into the house to show me... On more than one occasion have I stumbled into bed after an exhausting day to discover the sandpit got there first... or opened my piano lid to find sandy little paw-prints over the keys...
Then there's my once beautiful deck:
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| BEFORE SAND |
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| AFTER SAND |
You are starting the get the picture, aren't you? Don't get me wrong... sand is great. At a park, where you can brush bits of it off your darling children before they clamber back into your car and you head home to the peace and serenity of your own backyard. Sand is not intended for the suburban backyard. Or not mine anyways... and I can't help but think that THIS Christmas, the kids might wake up to find a really cool, you-beaut herb and veggie garden has sprung up in their old sandpit?!
Thoughts? Am I being overly neurotic about sand infiltrating every orifice of my house... will the kids ever get over the sad but imminent demise of their favourite weapon of mass destruction? Do YOU happily coexist with YOUR sandpit? Do share, wise friends! xx
Have you seen the rock pit on Young House Love? I'm definitely planning one for our new house!
ReplyDeleteOh. Hello! Preach it mama.
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly what happened to our sandpit. VEGGIE PATCH!
im a new follower to your blog but can definitely relate, ours disappeared into a vege patch too, its not missed much but we do live 10 mins to the beach
ReplyDeleteAaaaaargh! Was seriously considering a sandpit. Now I am not. Might revert to one of those sand/water table-thingeys I've seen somewhere - ELC maybe? Anyway, thanks for the cautionary tale! Had a good laugh at all those BEFORE and AFTER shots. Ah, kids.
ReplyDeleteTHANK GOD! I have read your blog...and now when I think about it, the sand from daycare in the shoes, which makes its way onto the couch or bed....is enough sand...now.....OMG THANK YOU!!! Vege garden sounds like a TOPS idea at Bubby makes three-ville! or perhaps you could even manage a small row boat, timber truck/car/fire engine/rocket ship/planet....god theres gotta be something cool you can turn that 'pit' into!! No not over reacting....I'm with you sister on so many levels xo
ReplyDeleteHANG ON...I HAVE IT!!! Chicken hutch!!!! They are the BEST pets for kids!! BUT then there's the poo! xo
Oh I love this post Nicole... and I love those pics even more! Such a classic that you did the before and after shots, hilarious.
ReplyDeleteBut so NOT hilarious, I get where you are coming from totally. It reminds me of the sand/water table we bought as a Christmas present for Angus when he was 2. It was FAB to start with, he loved it and I loved watching him love it. But then... the indiscriminate shovelling of sand all over the pavers, the gardens, himself and then in turn... the house. Aaaaarrrggghhh, it all got too much. Until after a few months, I just stopped refilling the sand side of the table. I know, terrible Mama. But I figured we're at the beach a lot and most of the parks have sand pits... and so does preschool/daycare. So I let the boys get their fix 'outside' of the home.
I think a herb/vegie garden is a wonderful alternative... start talking it up NOW! xo
We used to have one of those clam shell style pools filled with sand on our patio...drove me batty with all the sand that got traipsed indoors and all over the brick paving. Our new sand pit is in the far corner of the yard which means there is lots of lawn to run across BEFORE setting foot indoors so most falls off before then. That being said, Grace is not in it as often these days either. I feel your pain :)
ReplyDeleteThank you.
ReplyDeleteI am seriously opposed to having a sand pit - for all the reasons you mention here.
I've always felt like such a meanie - but you have reinforced my stance!!!
That sandpit must go!!!
:-) xx
We have a NO sand in the cubby rule. Cause this obsessive compulsive mum does not want sand in HER nicely decorated cubby! So far they have stuck to it. Also we have some kind of fancy sand (creek sand?) that doesn't seem to stick or clumb. One quick brush off and they're good to go. Never had trouble with sand in the house or else where!
ReplyDeleteI have no suggestions (helpful, right?), but have to tell you, you have a gorgeous place, especially the backyard!!
ReplyDeleteWe have a sandpit that gets played in every day but similar to fourpointfour I was quite strict on the rules initially and though sand does travel into the house a little Bebito has been "trained" to wipe his feet & brush himself off prior to coming back inside. He's also well versed in the "sand stays IN the sandpit" rule. I don't think you're being neurotic at all by the way & if it stresses you out it should go! x
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid I loved going to the beach and making sand castles.
ReplyDeletezane