Backyard Grass Progress--Memorial Day

I know that Andy is going to eventually write a bigger post detailing his experience with putting in our SynLawn, but for now I'm going to give you a very small sneak peek at what he's gotten done so far. Lots and lots of prep happened last week before Memorial Day weekend began, and then starting on Saturday he was stringing and digging, digging and dumping. This is what the string 'n dig looked like:

More stringing and digging (look closely for the pink string, for extra festiveness):

Then it was time to lay down the anti-weed fabric in order to keep nasty weeds out and mud from creeping up through the drain holes into our grass.

By the end of day two, the rock was in:

Day three (Monday) has been threatening some afternoon rain, so Andy has been working quickly with the rented vibraplate to tamp down the fine rock and add another layer.
Alton and I have been just trying to stay out of the way. Andy is happy to have us watch, but Alton can only stay patient on the patio for a short time before he wants to join Daddy in his workspace, and the rock is hard enough for Andy to level without being subjected to Alton's official Toddler CrazyRun™. So I have been keeping Alton busy elsewhere before lunchtime to give Andy lots of privacy to get all his work done. Saturday morning was supposed to be some of our only real sun during the weekend, so I loaded Alton onto my bike and rode to the gym, where we swam for awhile before showering and finishing up, having a snack, and riding home. Alton loves to swim!
Our Sunday morning was a little more spontaneous. We drove down to Newberg to hang with our buddies the Lee Family, and found that Chris had some yard projects and hardware store trips of his own for the long weekend. Elizabeth and I decided that sitting indoors with grey rainclouds threatening all the time was not a fun way to enjoy our morning together, so on the spur of the moment we decided to take part in Memorial Weekend in the Wine Country! Over the long weekends of Memorial Day and Thanksgiving, the Willamette Valley Wineries Association hosts events at their wineries with some special tastings and even a few food pairings. Many of the wineries are not generally open to the public, and I had heard about this event and was longing for a trip to Sineann (shi-nayne). My dad purchased a bottle of their Pinot Noir for us as part of a "Bon Voyage to Oregon" wine variety collection two years ago, and we loved it so much we decided to hunt it down another time and found that not only is it difficult to shop for in local stores, the tasting room is open by appointment only! Sineann's inaccessibility served to make it even more attractive. But they were open yesterday, so getting back to my morning with Elizabeth, we packed up all three of our kids and headed over to the Sineann tasting room. Little *F rode around with Elizabeth in the Ergo while Alton and *B giggled together on the covered outdoor deck and ate water crackers that we pilfered from the cheese table. We swirled and sipped and each bought a bottle to take home (okay, I bought two), and were pleased to receive several compliments on how adorable and well-behaved our children were! Woohoo!
Today is Monday and although so far we are rain-less, Andy is working busily and preparing for a possible storm incoming tomorrow. Alton and I went to music class this morning and are getting our house ready for a visit from Grammy and Grandpa!