Our Back Yard

There are two amazing back yards in this McCrery family's history. One is behind the house of my parents in Utah (it is like unto a park). The other, behind the house of one Garry and Shirley Walker in Clarkston, WA (They grow their own concord grapes. And let us eat them! And turn them into jams and syrups - and let us steal jars of them! ...perhaps to go along with the banana and pumpkin breads that we also stole and survived on for a week). 

So it is no wonder that my Wyatt (who has a deep and abiding love for a good back yard) continues to pine after a yard of his own, musing listlessly about what it might be like if all the fences were taken down, and he were allowed to run across the grass with the pigeons and squirrels. 

And so, this week, I have been attempting to convince him that Fort Tryon Park is actually our super cool back yard. I mean - it's what we see when we look out the windows, just like one would a real and actual back yard. 

Please. Check out the views from my windows on this very (rainy) afternoon (and yes, this IS still Manhattan):

Bedroom left - ah, blessed AC unit. 

Bedroom right - Yes, I think that is the same tree. Yes, you are correct. There are no blinds/curtains. Who would shut all this green out? Someone dead inside. That's who. Okay, the place didn't come with curtains.

Family Room - that awesome rock wall is an actual rock wall - and on the top of this rock wall is more more more of Tryon park. All the places we have yet to discover.
We even have a pet that we keep in our "back yard". It's a marmot named Marv. He hangs out on the grassy knoll near the exit to our favorite store: Newspaper Chips. 

What is a grassy knoll?

We also have countless pigeon and squirrel friends - though Bill and I both much prefer the black ninja style squirrels. They still have something to prove. 

In our back yard, we do the usual back yard things. 

We swing on the baby swings even though only one of us is technically a baby.
But the big-kid swings are overrun by tweenagers,
and these are cooler anyway.

We fall asleep in the cool afternoon breeze. 

We swing summore.
And giggle hysterically when Mom attempts an 'underdog'. 


We fortify and protect the castle and it's fair princess
(who is getting a bit fresh, you'll notice) f
rom the evil bubble wizard.

We practice enthusiastically our walking ALL OVER the place with the coolest dad guy EVER.

We nap some more tucked safely away beneath mom's Trader Joe's bag. 
I think our yard is pretty cool. I do think it's dumb that other people's dogs often do their business on the pathways and people leave their lunch garbage - but there is a really cool ice-cream guy and balloon lady that come through. And everyone who comes to visit our back yard find themselves relaxing into a really enjoyable time.

Evil Bubble Wizard and all.

3 comments:

Tamsin North said...

What I really need from you is an illustrated explanation of how in the world your children manage to sleep under your stroller.

Oh, and for you to come home for Thanksgiving or Christmas so you can gaze adoringly and my baby, and I can gaze adoringly at you.

Anonymous said...

I would also like an explanation on that stroller-sleeping thing. And for you tell me when you'll be here - I will only have a baby-belly for you to gaze upon during those holidays, but I will happily allow that. You can even poke it if you want. He's feisty so he might poke you back :)!

~Ari

Nae said...

What a marvelous super-backyard! And that is some awesome basket under the stroller, not to mention the awesome little darling who sleeps in it. :)