Summer days: Jam, picking pears, building a sandbox

I was given some fresh figs and an easy recipe for Strawberry-fig jam. It turned out so good and has been a major favorite at our house! I want to make even more next summer, if I'm so fortunate to receive more figs.  

 I was so surprised and impressed with myself for the success with the strawberry-fig jam that when we were invited to pick pears at a neighbors house I blissfully pictured more beautiful jars of pear preserves. Um.. this didn't turn out well. Turns out you can't substitute pectin for expired packets of gelatin. So I now have jars and jars of pear syrup in our fridge/freezer. Its decent syrup, but not what I was hoping for.

We finally made the big sandbox we've dreamed of for a while now. With kids signed up for my preschool, starting in August, its been a good incentive to help us get this built this summer. We measured our desired size that would fit best in our playground area and then had to change it slightly based on the sizes of boards available. I dug away the bark while Chris cut the boards then we screwed everything together.  We used treated lumber for the sides and non-wood, but wood-looking decking material for the top piece that the kids would touch and sit on the most.

Alec helped us lay down black material to help prevent weeds and I painted the lumber to match the top trim.

A few days later we got some nice play sand from Loews and the kids liked emptying them into the box. Chris constructed a pouring ledge and positioned fans just so to blow away the dangerous super fine dust that comes with the sand.

The kids have loved the little pool we got for Gwen's party and Chris decided to surprise them by jumping in (helped only slightly but a push from yours truly) after working outside all day to finish building the sandbox.