The Tree Fort

Though there are a few North American experiences that our kids don't get to have as TCK's (third culture kids) growing up on the foreign mission field, the truth is they aren't really missing out on the things that matter most.  We get to be together as a family most days, my kids have much less vested interest in the popularity contest than I did when I was their age, and their world is a whole lot larger than the average 8 year old's.  Well, there was one American novelty I didn't want my kids to miss out on and that was the ever-so-rustically awesome tree fort.  So, being the man of action that I am I drew a picture of it and stuck it on the fridge where it has stayed for the last year or so. 

Then one fateful day news reached my ear that my buddy Jeff had shown me up... beat me to the punch and built his kids a tree fort before I did!  He obviously had a lot of nerve, I mean, he had seen my drawing on our fridge so he had to have know that at any given moment I was about to bust out a big bad tree fort for my boys!  As I looked up at his masterpiece which even had a name: 'The Crowsnest' I told Jeff, "You know, my wife isn't going to let me live this one down."  Well, his action was just the incentive I needed to make that drawing a reality and my friend was good enough to help me get started since I obviously had no idea what I was doing.

Oh yeah, I meant business!  Power tools littered the yard and a pile of freshly cut wood from our neighbors sawmill was stacked as if waiting to find its place of destiny.  Our hovenia tree was sure to find new joy as children would soon be clambering up her trunk and swinging from her limbs.  Once we got started my competency as a carpenter was quickly confirmed as I cut boards too short and measured wrong angles.  Many a day the sound of hammering or a circular saw echoed across our rural neighborhood.  I know our Paraguayan neighbors thought I was nuts.  More than once I had a conversation that went something like this:
Neighbor: "Hey, what are you building?"
Me: "A little house."
Neighbor: "A little house?"
Me: "Well... yeah, you see, its for my kids."
Neighbor: "You're building a house for your kids?"
Me: "Well... its in a tree."
And that's about when the laughing would start.  But even better than working on the tree fort with Jeff was working on it with my boys.  Over the following weeks we'd work together to measure, cut, hoist and nail.   It was both bonding and educational.

On the last night the boys got to stay up late as we worked together to build the rope ladder in our living room.  I told them, "Tomorrow we will hang the ladder and you can go up into the tree fort!"    After they were in bed I went back out in the dark to put hinges on the trap door by headlamp.  The next morning we wolfed down breakfast before rushing out to hang the ladder.  As the boys and I made the final instalment I noticed the various ficus plants growing on the trunk of the tree.  I had never been up that close or that high to see the details.  There was something adventurous, boyish, and rustic about it all.  Between playing pirates and tree top camp-outs I hope my boys notice those details too.  When I gave the go-ahead the boys clambered up the ladder, through the trap door and reveled in their new hideout.  Though I was standing on the ground I too was up there with them, reveling in their excitement and wonder.