House pics!

We've done a lot in the short time we've been in this house! It's amazing to be able to make it our own, and not worry about what some dumbass landlord has to say about it. We've done a lot already, and these pics don't show all of it, just some. There will be more pics later, as the gardens grow in, we build more of them, and stuff like that.

First on the list, of course, was painting the kids' rooms! They have lived in plain white walls long enough. Every kid deserves to be able to have brightly colored walls if they so choose! So here we are. Orren and the baby's room is a lovely spring green, and Erin's is a candy pink, which will be topped off by zebra print curtains and various animal print bedding:




Then this is our vegetable garden. The seeds aren't up yet. They will be before long I'm sure. The tomato and pepper plants are looking good, though.



Then this is the new play structure that we went to New Mexico to get yesterday. It actually had to come in two loads, one yesterday and the other today, but it's here now, fully assembled, and awesome. That's all that matters.




My only issue is that as Thak was putting it all up, all the neighborhood kids were watching, thinking they were all going to play on it when it was done. That's basically my worst nightmare. (In fact, as we speak, Pee Wee on Crack just showed up and barged into our yard onto the new play set. We need to get a lock on that gate NOW.) I do not want my yard filled with random kids. I can't tolerate that. Invited guests, yes. Hoards of random children, no. I think it's fair that we can get something for our kids, and not automatically be expected to become the free after school program. We had to reiterate this with Erin, because she had ten kids lined up ready to play on the thing until we sent them away and reminded her that she's not to bring kids in the backyard unless WE (meaning Thak and I) have invited them. It's bad. Erin opens the gate to go in or out, and they mob in.

We're really happy with all our improvements, and our kids love their new play set. I just really hope this doesn't make me constantly chase away the neighborhood hoard. I hate that. I do feel mean for having the coolest play structure on the block, and not letting anyone but my kids use it, but at the same time, how is it fair if my kids can't have nice things just because they'll get mobbed by random kids we don't even know? Plus, Thak says it's a liability issue, and I see that end of it, too. Here's hoping this goes well. My kids love it, and they are going to get to keep it. I just hope the hoard can respect that.