Biggest day ever

Tomorrow is Ellie's birthday. She is getting a swing set which she already knows about, because we've been to the "swing set store" (hardware store) twice for materials, and because she has been my helper all day long. She hands me screws, a task which really is helpful.

I started it a few days ago, but today was a real work day. I began this morning, cutting the last of the boards to length, and I was finished with that part about lunch time. After lunch, Ellie and I went to the hardware store and bought brackets and bolts and accessories. She'll have board swings, rings, a slide, and a climbing rope. Things are interchangeable, so we can move them around or hang other accessories instead.

I started the assembly on my own, but was smart enough to accept some volunteer help. Amazingly enough, my help arrived just at the moment I got to the page that said, "Now, with the help of at least one assistant...." Luckily, we were having visitors, so I had two assistants, and later, when we moved it to its final resting place, there were four of us (we could have used even more--it was heavy).

I worked until dark, and my fingers and toes all hurt (in that satisfying way). It's not finished yet, but I should get a lot done tomorrow. I will definitely get the slide assembled. Slides are huge, by the way. If you saw it, you wouldn't believe that I got it in my Focus and still had room for Ellie.

Linda had a great day. We spent a lot of it outside, which she enjoys. We had visitors almost all day, so she had people to talk with while I was busy constructing.