Swings.

It has probably been 9 years since we rented the rusty old trailer and drove, like the Clampetts, out to my friend Kim's house to pick up her boy's swing set.  It had been well loved at her home but her kids were growing and so it was passed to us.

In our backyard, we added a baby swing for Juliana and the fun began.

We've gone to the moon on the rocket rider seat.  We've flown through the air while sitting on the garden seat.  Sometimes we've flown through the air on the garden seat while standing on those seats.  We've jumped far while swinging high.  We've done flips on the side bars.  We've done pull-ups on the top bar.  And we've shimmied across the top of the swing set like monkeys.

To be fair, when I say 'we', I mean the little people.

But those little people are getting bigger.  For most of this summer those swings sat still.  We should get rid of them - it would make it easier to mow the lawn, give us more room for the badminton net, maybe even allow Peter to make the rink longer - but it feels like the end of an era.

Seriously, I'm the one who tried to turn the Little Tykes log cabin into a dog house just so that we (I) wouldn't have to face saying goodbye to it.  (Picture me crouched inside that thing with dog treats in my hand for Maggie.  Now picture Maggie sitting outside the cabin just staring at me.  Probably good that dogs can't talk...)

But back to the swings.

Juliana and Leah have spent hours trading secrets on those swings.  Sheldon has made movies using the swings.  That swing set has had a good life.  It's been loved by two families.  And now (I feel like I'm saying this about so many things these days) it's time to move on.

Thanks Michael and Jake for sharing your swings.  If you want to drop by for one last ride, we'd love to have you.