Maxed Out On Plastic

And no, I don't mean credit cards.  I haven't used those in years.  I mean the yard.  I said it was worthy of its own post. 

To the casual observer driving by, it would appear that one super spoiled kid lives here.  Our yard has become a plastic play world which surely catches the eye.  It all started innocently enough, but morphed into a huge display of brightly colored resins.  As I attempt to paint a picture, think original Crayola crayon colors...

The first piece to arrive on the scene was a turtle, the greenest of greens as you would expect.  It can serve as either a little pool or sandbox, complete with a shell-shaped lid.  Given Punky's age and fascination with water, it was only natural go with the pool route this summer.  Maybe next year we can attempt sand when she's old enough to not eat it or throw handfuls in her eyes.  Anyway, it was given to us by Punky's aunt who babysits when our shifts overlap.  She had it in her yard for years but her grandchildren have all outgrown it.  She thought Punky would enjoy it and she definitely has.  Playing in the pool has been one of the highlights of her summer.

In the following weeks, that same aunt was responsible for a few more additions she picked up at yard sales.  A big, red car was the next thing bought for Punky's amusement.  Black wheels, a tan roof, and huge flower stickers in neon colors.  It's in decent shape and Punky enjoys climbing in and out of it over and over again.  

An orange and blue slide showed up next.  She paid one dollar for it and Punky has definitely gotten her money's worth.  It took her no time at all to learn how to climb the three steps and get into position to slide down all by herself.  She loves it and uses it repeatedly every time we play outside.

Next came a merry-go-round.  Bright baby blue.  I had no idea they even made something like that for kids.  It took Punky a bit to warm up to it, but now she loves spinning around and around...I can't say the same for my lower back as I stand hunched over pushing it.

Then it was Grammy's turn to hit the yard sales.  After a trip home one weekend, I drove back with a kitchen in my trunk.  Hot pink and purple.  It has a stove, oven, microwave, fridge, dishwasher, sink...maybe three feet wide by four feet high.  Punky's a bit short and too young to really "play" with it yet, but she loves filling the compartments with sticks and rocks from the yard.

Not to be outdone, Punky's dad had the yard sale bug himself and went with my mom and Punky's uncle to a community yard sale while we were home visiting in July.  He found a picnic table, bright yellow and orange, perfect for her tiny hiney to sit and have a snack outside.

He also bought her a chalkboard, blue legs and bright yellow cross bar.  In all fairness it really could be an inside toy, but until Punky learns not to write all over everything, chalk is safer outside.  

The final piece arrived this weekend when Puny's uncle came to visit.  During that last yard sale trip, someone gave them a house.  Yep, I said a house.  And yep, I said gave them.  F-r-e-e.

Light pink with creme windows and doors and a bright blue roof.  The entire side of it swings open to create the effect of an outdoor patio.  It has two seats with a table in between.  A flap in the table opens up to reveal a highchair for a baby doll to sit and eat with Punky.  Along the opposite wall, it has a stove and sink with cabinets underneath to store stuff.  Needless to say, that wasn't fitting in my Milan.

To add it up, this rainbow playland cost less than twenty dollars in all.  Anyone who has ever priced this kind of stuff has got to understand what an incredible bargain that is.  So while it appears to the passerby that we've spent tons of money and spoiled her rotten, the opposite is true and she'd never have all these things if we had to buy them new.  We couldn't afford it.

I'm grateful that everyone thinks of her, and I can't thank them enough for providing so many fun things to play with all summer, but if one more huge chunk of plastic appears in this yard...

We're maxed out.  We have no place to store most of it come winter.  A few things can be brought in the house, like the kitchen and chalkboard, but we don't have much space inside either.  Tiny house.  No garage.  No basement.  

It looks like most of it will end up behind the house covered with tarps and buried with snow.  Hopefully it weathers the storm to once again turn our side yard into a colorful plastic wonderland come spring.  I can't imagine looking out the window and only seeing grass.  And I'm sure I won't for many more years to come.