In the heat of summer, I often find myself assuring my three boys that watermelon seeds won’t lead to watermelon babies. While I lounge in a hammock dreaming of cooler climates, my boys are busy diving for oversized coins in our delightfully makeshift above-ground pool, clad only in their underwear because, once again, they’ve misplaced their swimsuits. Who knows where they are—perhaps buried in the yard by our dog, or maybe just hiding under a towel in the guest bathroom. I’m swatting mosquitoes and dousing myself in bug spray while yelling for the umpteenth time not to splash me or their youngest sibling. Then, out they come, shouting for towels, running around the yard in their underwear.
And let’s be honest: it’s not summer if our yard isn’t a complete disaster.
Even though we endure scorching temperatures in July, our kids practically live outside. We want to keep them off screens, and with a trampoline, pool, and swingset/climbing wall/monkey bar contraption, they have plenty of options. Yet, they usually prefer creating their own fun—often at the expense of our yard.
We Gave Up on Grass for Good
When the time comes to sell our house, we’ll likely have to invest a small fortune in new sod. With three kids and three dogs, our backyard has transformed into a dirt patch with nary a blade of grass. The trees lining the perimeter serve as materials for forts, secret hideouts, and homes for toads. We’ve abandoned all attempts to maintain potted plants because my husband’s mix of Shepherd and terrier delights in uprooting them. So, we’re left with a lot of dirt—really sandy dirt that is a breeze to dig up.
Our Shepherd, who weighs more than I do, digs holes with an unmatched passion. My kids can easily sit in his excavations, and during the summer, our yard resembles a moonscape pockmarked with craters. This doesn’t even account for the holes my children dig themselves, claiming they are “making a lake” by excavating the yard and turning on the hose full blast. Spoiler alert: it drains quickly, so the hose must stay on. They wade through the mud, often fully clothed, while the Shepherd looks on, refusing to get wet but eager to dig more.
Our Yard Is a Treasure Trove of Stuff
Creating a lake requires tools—many tools. You’ll need multiple shovels to prevent fights over the one they can find. You also need a hose, which will inevitably get left uncoiled across the yard. My seven-year-old insists on having dinosaurs nearby to “guard” the lake, which means they stay scattered around the yard until someone decides to pick them up. And let’s not forget the pool, which comes with its own clutter. I watch them swim and get out, but someone always forgets a towel. As I dash inside to retrieve one, someone has already stripped off their swimsuit to run indoors naked, or dropped their towel in the mud, leaving a trail of wet garments in their wake.
Sure, our yard is a mess, but it signifies summer. That empty bourbon bottle by my hammock? Just a reminder of a late-night Zoom call with friends. The pile of floats next to the pool indicates that my partner and I occasionally join the kids for some floating fun, sometimes even after dark when we take advantage of our privacy fence.
Our yard, despite its chaotic state, is a lively space. The kids are outside, engaged and happy. If you’d like to come over and help fill in the holes in this heat, be my guest. But for now, our family thrives in this quarter-acre of dirt and play equipment. It kept us sane during 2020, and honestly, we love our yard just the way it is. Grass? Overrated.
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