Tree House

I think I’m going to build a tree house.

When we had our house built it was constructed to fit both the family and the budget.  That meant a second den for noisy kids but no garage.  However, the wife wanted a garage, so last summer I built a garage.  The initial budget also meant no back porch which I wanted, so this summer I finished a back porch.  This fall, I’m shifting gears, I think I’ll build a tree house.

I’m not doing it because it’s all that’s left, there’s a horse shed that would keep Bossy and Bullet dry and an equipment shed to keep my lawn gear dry.  If I could convince the wife horses weren’t a necessity or the horses that lawn weeds were delicious, I could eliminate one of those chores, but I get the same blank stares when I try these conversations so I’ll leave both projects on the plan board.

But my daughter wants a tree house and tree houses are cool, and, though my wife reacts like the reasoning is irrational, as I mentioned…my daughter wants it.  She’s just a few weeks from starting sixth grade and I’ve taught middle and high school so I know what’s coming.  These are the waning days of childhood enthusiasm, soon to be replaced by teenage apathy.

With my family off for summer you’d think I’d have plenty of help on my projects, but then there’s church camp, camp counseling, sports camp, summer leagues, vacation, trainings, conferences and summer jobs.  Fortunately (for me, if not him) my dad is available to help.  I’ll be giving him the tree house project off.  I think this is one for me and the girls.  I’m going to recruit a mother/daughter team to help.

Sure, I know this means simple decisions become committee votes and my taste in tree house architecture will be perpetually second guessed, but I think it’ll be fun.  And it’ll be a chance to teach a few skills to a young lady that’s about to enter the world of make-up, boys and hormones before she decides Dad is neither cool nor wise.

It’ll also a nice chance before a dad’s next step in raising a child, driver’s education, to establish a cooperative environment, free of screaming, panicked ‘wish there were a passenger brake’ floor stomping and wide-eyed, white-knuckle ride alongs.  And maybe a place to go cool off when dad doesn’t do as good a job as he should keeping his composure when driving skills aren’t quite up to expectation.

It will also make a great place for future generations to play in the trees, making the Herndon grandparent’s place just a little bit cooler.  It’s not a competition to win grandkids’ favorite destination…it’s much more serious.

If I’m honest, I can see myself in the tree house, among the limbs and birds, reading or napping (it will need a hammock) or sipping a beer and staring at the stars.  It just makes sense so I think I’m going to build a tree house.