The Swelliotts: The Swingset Erection

First off, get your minds out of the gutter--this blog is rated G. That said, the title is a reminder in the years to come of the chenanigans that went on between Eric, Wes and Mike during the raising of the swingset (more to come on that in a minute). It became clear that while these are 3 married men in their 30s with one or more children, at heart they are still little boys that will forever find humor in bodily functions.

Meanwhile -- The Swingset.

With Corbin's love of swinging, climbing and playing outside, we knew that the perfect "big gift" for his birthday was a swingset for our back yard. I found a coupon for one from Costco, and was all set to check it out and get Mike's seal of approval. Mike was all set to build it from scratch himself. The discussion went like this:
Me: We don't have the time to research, plan, build, and install a swingset. Besides, I'm sure there's some regulations that swingset manufacturers have to follow in order for it to be safe for kids. I don't want Corbin, or any other kids that come over to get hurt.
Mike: It's not that high tech. It's 2 A frames with a strong beam and some brackets.
Me: Yea, but what kind of brackets? I'm sure they don't sell them at Home Depot.
Mike: I bet Rainbow [a high end swingset place] will sell thier brackets and swings. The wood is just some 4x4s I can get at the hardware store. It'll probably cost 1/2 as much.
Me: Darn! I hate it when you get all logical. (I could also see the twinkle in his eye that said, "I really want to build a swingset for Corbin. What kind of DIY Dad would I be if I bought a wood swingset?")

Fast forward 2 weeks, and we have a swing set on its side in the backyard. It's sturdy -- very sturdy in fact. Sturdy enough for 3 adults before it's bolted into the ground.

Thanks to Grandpa for helping build it and doing all the math for the angles. Thanks to Uncle Wes and Eric for helping raise the swingset into place.