Progress

Remembering the past weekend is exhausting. People, dogs, hammer, nails, wood, dirt and general craziness. My in-laws, 4-year-old niece, Tom's grandma and two dogs were here. We ate, played, worked, ate, went to soccer games, slept and ate and worked. The house was full of stuff that was out-of-place, full of yelling, fighting, smiling and giggles. Great grandma faithfully cleaned dishes. Grandma Pam and I refereed the girls as they loved each other. Tom and Grandpa Chris worked and sweated and made progress on that treehouse we have been anticipating for over a year. And my girls, for five glorious days relished in pretending they owned the two dogs that lived in the backyard and in being like their friends who always have grandparents at soccer games.  It was a great visit. And thanks to a brave grandma who took all non-workers to the park and Wal-mart, I was able to plant my garden. I turned over the dirt, added peat moss, vermiculite and blood meal to the dirt, divided it into squares and planted lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, broccoli, cauliflower, and peas (all the frost hardy veggies). Tomatoes and peppers are still waiting inside for the weather to warm and the cucumbers, beans, and carrots will get started from seed at the end of May. 

And while, there is much to do, the treehouse is currently wrapped in a giant blue tarp and is probably horrifying the neighbors since it looks vaguely like a scary monster in the sky. It is waiting for shingles and siding. But still, I think you will be able to admire the hard work and imagine the adventures the girls will soon have in their backyard retreat. Hads keeps saying, "Dad and Grandpa must love us so much to work so hard on our treehouse." They must. Without further ado, behold the beginnings of the treehouse.