So there's this swing...

So there's this swing in our basement.  Our neighbor gave it to us 6 years ago.  And at first it hung outside on a tree branch; we swung Adelaide in it a few times that summer.  But as we were bringing it in for the winter, Graham noticed there were two perfectly spaced hooks on a steel beam in our basement to hang it and there is has stayed since.

There are many things about our little Shaker Heights home that I love.  "Classic and cozy brick colonial" is what the listing says, and its true.  It's been an absolutely perfect place to start our family.

But there are some things about this home that will forever be unique to our experience and that I will hold dearly in my heart.  This silly, hand-me-down of a swing is one of them.  Because it represents many many hours of fun and just general hanging out that the girls spent with whoever was willing to push them.

Here's an old video...classic example of trying to catch kids doing something on video and being 2 minutes too late...but it does show us just hanging out.  In our jammies, Addy giving Cora a little push, music playing.

We joke it serves as a confessional.  There's something about just sitting in one place, swinging back and forth, that makes both our girls just open up.  "Hey, Grandma, you know what happened at school today?"  "Hey, Mom, you know why I was crying earlier?"  Everything and anything comes out of their mouths.

Whenever Cora is cranky, there are two quick cures: send her outside because fresh air just makes her happy, or stick her in the swing.  Instant mood changer.

Both girls have long since grown past the recommended age (and probably height and weight restrictions) for this baby swing.  But that doesn't stop them from now using it like a piece of  equipment you would see in a circus.  Perhaps we've watched Madagascar 3 too many times?

Other great memories:
*  Adelaide forever asking Grandma Sherry "Grandma, is this safe, or danger?"  Always one to challenge Grandma's comfort zone with her acrobatics!
* "Mommy [or Daddy], can I have a roller coaster?" Which involves pushing the girls so high that their feet tap the ceiling and then letting them go as they swing backwards.
* "Music please" because from the moment she could talk, the minute her butt would hit the swing, Cora needed music to sing and dance along with as she would swing.