Treehouse Building Documentary...

I thought I'd take a moment and record the progress on one of the more challenging projects I've tackled for the kids...

Robin and I wrestle with the 2-man auger. I think her back muscles are still recovering.

Two 3+ foot "bugs bunny" holes made by the auger.

First of MANY trips to the hardware store. This precarious load included two 16 foot tall 4x4 posts.

Brian spent the whole day with me getting the support posts and beams square, cemented, and bolted to one another.

 

End of first real day of construction. Structure square and ready for decking.

Installing decking.

Trap door complete

Robin helping me with the small suspended deck.

ANOTHER trip to the hardware store. During one of these the cashier actually welcomed me by name. That can't be a good sign.

Tres helping me frame out the walls on the ground.

Once we lifted all walls onto the platform we discovered they fit together perfectly. He and I were both pretty surprised.

Tres helping with wall boards as robin grinds the tips off of screw points which protruded through the trap door.

Robin continuing to help with wall boards the next day.

End of construction day four. Still not complete, but getting close! Considering a tin roof...

Shutters & walls complete (still need a roof)

Story from the home-front this AM.

Message from Robin to me. "Trying to get Max to eat the Yummy Vegetable Barley soup I made. His response: "I full. I full. It's hot. Cookie??!" Sorry, bud, your cover is blown."

2 year old conversation

This is the over-breakfast table talk I walked in on this morning:

L:  I'm broke.  Really broke.  Amelia is too.  Don't have a penny.

C:  What?

L:  Broke means you have no money.

C:  Not me.  I've got .85 cents and 17 or 18 dollars.

L:  That's because [interrupted]

Max:  Broke too.

Max:  I broke my hip. 

Max:  (pulling his hair up into two tufts)  I'm a goat. 

Max:  Billy goat go tap, tap, tap…

Add to this that the entire morning as I was shaving, getting dressed, brushing teeth, Max was walking around my room saying "I wanna watch butt wagons" Eventually I got Robin to interpret this. Turns out it was Backyardigans.

Mmmmm... Metal!

Yesterday Cooper and I were looking for something in the garage.

He has a very lose tooth and was pulling on it as we walked around. He said:

"Dad, ya know, blood tastes really good. It tastes just like metal. I don't know if anything tastes quite as good as really clean metal… but not dirty metal… because then you're just eating dirt… and who wants to do that?!"

BIG yellow socks

Cooper said they were going to play dodge ball or soccer at camp today. Either of which he insisted require "soccer socks." Can't imagine spending a day outside in this SC heat with mustard yellow knit socks as tall as my legs.

He did say he thought they would also help keep off the mosquitoes... can't argue with that I guess.

(and they DO look fantastic with the blue and gray horizontal stripes shorts!)

Amazing waterfalls during a weekend hike in the NC mountains

Sometimes you just gotta laugh

Before the weather turned so warm, Cooper found my polar fleece on the couch. He decided to put it on to keep warm, but he put it on upside down.