Back to Basics

This blog has been sitting here as a placeholder for…I dunno…ages.

I recently decided to refocus my efforts…mainly because of a request from my kids.  They want stories…not just stories from books, but original stories, that I write and then read to them.

The stories that we tell are important, but even more important is the interaction we have with our children. They remember you for the quality time you spend with them…or the quality time you didn’t. The inextricable bonds that form are those that occur over the breakfast table, after dinner, or right before bed. I like to think that they transcend the mistakes we all make as parents by creating a time in the day that is always safe, comforting and loving.

So please, use these stories to jog the imaginations for your own children, and share your experiences with me.

Platform Rises

The platform for the treehouse is starting to take shape.  I haven’t really figured out yet what I’m going to do once the platform is complete, but at the very least I’ll have a pretty solid foundation on which the kids can walk.

Since starting this project, I’ve found use for a TON of tools I’d almost forgotten I have.  Rotary saw?  Check.  Buzz saw?  Check.  I should probably get a glossary to get a list of proper terms for the tools I’m using, but hey…I know what I mean when I’m thinking about what I need.

I’ve cemented the posts, bolted the frame, and put in the floor joists.  At first, I had them 24″ apart, but soon discovered that length was a little on the too long side.  So I threw in a couple more and it looks sturdy enough to start putting on the decking.  When it was all said and done, I kinda surprised myself.  I’m no Noah, but it’s halfway decent.

 

The wood has arrived!

Yay!  The first round of wood has arrived.  This should be enough to build the deck, potentially the stairs to go with it.  Really excited now…I actually have a plan and direction.  Also set the posts with a little cement and stone for drainage.  I’m committed now.  I REALLY hope Gina and the kids like the spot I picked now.

Admittedly, the project is taking a little longer than I expected.  I had no idea, for example, that digging the holes was going to take about 8 hours…didn’t consider the cement would take time to set.  Oh well…learning as I go I suppose.

Treehouse: Picking the spot

Gina and the kids were away on vacation, and apparently I must’ve decided I didn’t have enough to do when they were away.  I went out on a Sunday night and started to look, in earnest, for a tree against which I could mount this house I was planning to build.  Half of the battle was actually exploring and *finding* this spot.  When I finally found it, I took a couple of pictures just to be sure.  The sunset taking its final bow through the trees in my backyard was the convincing factor that I had found the right spot.  The kids will love it.