Dealing with the Dirt...

As many of you know...we were recently tasked with the huge project of getting our front yard ready for new sod. Those of you who have done this before, realize it's a daunting task. I now realize why people pay others to do this for them! It was absolutely brutal! And to top it off...we had to do it with a toddler on the prowl. This is our hideous yard from before:

He wants to be in the thick of things, you know. If you are raking, he thinks 'I want to rake.' If you are bagging dead grass, he thinks 'I want to bag dead grass.' If you are covered in dirt, he thinks ' I want to be covered in dirt.' Oh wait...he already is!

The bad thing about tilling up your front yard is...you and everything you own is now covered in dirt. Dirty dirt. The kind that you have to shower to get off. And even then....it is embedded in your nails and you still look dirty! It sticks to you like it's part of your skin! Well Jaxen didn't seem to mind this at all. Here's our dirt galaxy...after bagging over 20 bags of crud and leveling it out a million times:

Jaxen LOVES...L.O.V.E.S....double heart...thump thump thump...being outside. So if you are outside working in the yard...Jaxen is in heaven! Especially since you are trying to get something done and can't chase after his every move. Well when you have to work in the front yard...it's a harder task since the street and passing cars are now a factor. Jaxen thinks its real fun to run fast as he can toward the street as you barrel toward him yelling his name. This is a treat!

He also loves to frolic through the huge piles of dirt and grass you have gathered in multiple spots. Let's see how much we can cram in our mouth before mommy or daddy get wind of it!

Jaxen likes to stand right in front of or hand on top of the sprinkler head while it sprays away. Giggles in delight even.

He likes to pick up the newly laid lava rocks and throw them into the dirt abyss as he yells 'ROCK!' Trying to explain the difference of lava rocks from ordinary rocks is not as easy as it sounds when the person on the receiving end doesn't yet understand what 'those cost money' means yet.

Enclosed in a play pin on the driveway, with no dirt nearby and clean toys to play with.....even then, Jaxen can manage to get filthy. And wet??

Long story short...yes, we got the yard done. We see all of our neighbors with out kids get theirs done in a week or so...but yes, ours took a month or so. But in toddler time, that's a week. Now our yard is a work of art. Beautiful!

So....now the task at hand is trying to explain to your almost two year old why he can't run on this new grass yet! Good luck to all the parents who have yard work to do. I feel...err...felt your pain! Glad it's over!