In which I admit defeat and, yet, still win.

When we were at the conference we purchased an indoor swing. Monkey loooooves to swing so we’d been considering one for a while. One look at the “special conference pricing” and we were sold. Over a month and many, many frustrating phone calls later ((and finally a fraud report to our bank)) and we were the proud owners of this:

Not terribly exciting on it’s own but when you add the strap swing, the trapeze bar AND the net swing. Oh, baby! Unfortunately, Monkey didn’t see anything terribly exciting about any of it, it seemed. I really and truly thought he’d love that net swing. I sure do! It gives great all around pressure on your body while you swing, it was perfect!

We put it up and, except for the times I used it, it hung forlorn and neglected in our doorway. This was what I was fearing would happen, to be honest. It never fails that when we find something we think Monkey will loooooove and convince ourselves it’s a good way to spend our hard earned pennies; he hates it…or at least is entirely indifferent to it. It’s frustrating.

So, I left that net swing up for a long time. I used it and was able to get Monkey to use it for a few seconds at a time while sitting in my lap but he wouldn’t use it on his own. The final straw came yesterday when he played with it briefly without actually getting in it and knocked himself down. He was fine but he was shaken up and I knew he wasn’t going to even look at it for a while. FINE. I put the net swing in the bag and, on a whim, hung the strap swing in it’s place. Monkey was not a fan at first. He  was used to seeing the net swing hanging there by this time and wanted me to fix it. I told him no, the strap swing is staying put for a while.

Not 5 minutes later, he was in that swing…swinging. And just like that this overpriced piece of metal, that I was beginning to resent, has become a source of total joy. If I ever manage to get him to use it while wearing something other than a pair of Buzz Lightyear underwear I’ll even let you see.

8 thoughts on “In which I admit defeat and, yet, still win.

  • September 19, 2010 at 10:36 am
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    actually, i think i just found one! not sure if my landlords would allow that if it damaged the doorway at all. Hmm. Looks cool, though.

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  • September 19, 2010 at 10:39 am
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    We bought ours from the Playaway Toy Company, it’s the 4 piece combo set. Ours is not screwed into the door in anyway. The support bar is in place just based on pressure alone and it will hold my husband’s weight easily. He’s 6’3″. So, he’s not a small man.

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  • September 19, 2010 at 7:06 pm
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    I saw that at the conference and was really tempted to get one. I guess after your story though I’m a little glad I didn’t — the last thing I need is a bank problem! I would like one though, I’m sure my boys would love it, if their sister ever gave them a chance to get in it.

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  • September 19, 2010 at 10:37 pm
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    We were charged for 3! We had used our debit card to pay so it put a serious crimp in our cash flow for a while. Eventually we gave up on getting a refund and filed a fraud complaint with our bank. We had voice mails admitting the error was theirs and promising a resolution so the bank refunded our money and is going after them for the overcharges now. It was seriously annoying. BUT yay for the swing now!

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  • September 21, 2010 at 10:10 pm
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    So glad he’s found what he enjoys from it!

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  • September 23, 2010 at 5:33 am
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    I so wish my husband would let me get a swing like that, it seems so easy to install. We got one from ikea that was cheap, but you have to put a hole in the ceiling to hang it, so it has been sitting on my porch for almost 2 months, not installed. My huband doesn;t “trust” the pressure ones and thinks it will fall while Holly is in it (she is only 30 lbs) it sure would make life easy though!

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  • September 23, 2010 at 8:36 am
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    I didn’t do the installation but it isn’t hard. It went up really quickly. Before we bought it we tested it. They had one in a demo doorway at the show. Kids and grownups were using it. My husband, who weighs over 200 lbs, has used it. He and the salesman both hung from the bar at the same time and tried to dislodge it. It doesn’t move.

    That said, my husband checks it every day just to be safe.

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