pump it up

i remember seeing an article in a parenting magazine years ago all about how to teach a child to pump his legs on a swing. at the time, we were in the midst of trying to teach liam how to crawl, so i didn’t pay it much attention. turns out, i’m no worse off – someone very smart somewhere actually invented a swing that encourages the pumping motion. genius! while i had lots of things i wanted to buy for our new house – furniture, fabric, rugs, etc. – chris’s mission was singular: a playset. he wanted the kids to have someplace to go outside so they could enjoy their first real backyard. he worked for a long time in determining the perfect configuration and, with help from some friends (thanks, bill and darren!) and my dad, transported it and assembled it. best decision ever! the kids race back to that playset as soon as we park the car in the driveway. they love the treehouse, the ladder, the climbing wall, the slide ... but especially the swings. and this one funky looking swing – it’s kind of a long bench with handles – has been such a great way for liam to learn the pumping motion. he’s figuring it out with his arms: if he pulls towards himself, he goes up farther. pumping his legs on a normal swing will naturally follow.

the best part is, of course, that it's no longer necessary for me to stand there and push him higher and higher. which frees me up to sit in my lawn chair, eat my bon-bons, and enjoy the easy and relaxing high life of a stay-at-home mom.