Deck Days

The setting sun glares down on our deck during the precise hours we prefer using it. Our hope is that the foliage will someday provide some reprieve. In the meantime, we splurged on this gazebo recently. The curtains can be partially drawn to block out the sun's glare, leaving us to enjoy our dinner al fresco.
 

The thought of sitting outdoors in the cool of the day (or the heat of it) prompted a further splurge on a set of outdoor furniture. Over the weekend we played with furniture arrangement and where the flower pots look best. This was one iteration. It's a little different already.

We've enjoyed chatting out here in the evening, just the two of us.
 

The furniture came in a VERY big cardboard box - just a wee bit too big to fit into our Tahoe. The staff at Sears were very accommodating and unpacked everything for us, then loaded it into the vehicle.

Tim probably wishes he had gone alone to pick it up because I took one look at that huge box and thought, "playhouse!" 

So the box was dismantled and folded to fit into the Tahoe.  Sweet man of mine.
  

Yesterday morning before the grands came over for their play date, I wrestled with the cardboard, trying to get the box back together. It took some effort - the thing is huge and unwieldy. 

Every fort/playhouse needs a few windows, so I quickly cut them in a variety of shapes. 
 

And oh, what fun! I introduced the box, deliberately not using words like playhouse or fort. The "doors" were open and I didn't show how to close them. But these little ones use their imaginations - first the box was an elevator and it didn't take long to figure out the doors. 

It was great for playing peek-a-boo - either Nana or the grands ran around the outside of the box, while the other stayed inside.

The box is too big to go into the house, so it will stay on the deck for as long as it lasts - covered now by a tarp in case of rain. 
  

Sometimes the simplest things bring much joy. A cardboard box. Or a condiment dispenser for squirting water. A big yellow ball. 
  

These are the kind of days I dreamed of, when I first became a Nana. Days of play and fun and imagination.