To say that this was a wet Christmas would be the understatement of the year; parts of St. Louis were literally several feet underwater for days following the deluge of rain that started Christmas night and lasted three days straight — rain that capped off an already record-breaking wet year (pushing 60 inches!) that fell onto already saturated ground. Andrew and I spent every couple of hours managing our (luckily unfinished) basement with a shop vac and towels, but we were among the lucky ones. We did not lose our home or car or personal property. The worst of it was mud and inconvenience. We were lucky.
We got the boys one collective present this year, and it was a big one: a trampoline! After realizing how much use it would get all year round, we decided to get a really good one that will hopefully hold up well and keep the kids relatively safe. The spring-free option got great reviews and is less expensive than a one-week stay in a mental institution for one mother of three rambunctious boys who may have lost her shit after being trapped indoors all winter with her lovelies… but I digress.
Andrew and I spent all of Christmas morning putting the thing together, using more physical muscle than mental muscle, and as a result, had to re-do part of the assembly, but all in all, it wasn’t too bad. We finished in time for the boys to have an entire afternoon of jumping before the rain started. And once it did, it didn’t stop for three days. These pictures were taken on day three, once it let up a bit. It was cold and wet, but they powered through anyway, soaked and pink-cheeked, in-between quick trips inside to warm up by the radiator, change into new dry socks, pants, and shirts (and underwear) and head back out again. 
There were plenty of warm baths and forts and hot chocolate in-between, but you wouldn’t have known it was nasty out from the smiles and laughter. It was, in Oliver’s words, “The BEST Christmas present EVER!” 
It is so much fun watching them out the back window. Milo is landing his front flips 99% of the time, and Oliver is working on his front handsprings. Emil loves to practice flips, but still lands on his back or bottom every time. I think all the practice will help them with circus! 
Either way, it’s such great exercise. It’s going to be a very bouncy winter!
If this is truly a family present, where are the pictures of the parents jumping?
Oh don’t worry, those are coming soon!
I was thinking of you guys with all the reports of flooding. Glad it wasn’t too bad for you, and it looks like a really good holiday. How lucky are those boys?! A trampoline is awesome. I was always too much of a wuss to flip 😉