Project: Rock Climbing Wall

Mimi and Papa John's spring break trip was postponed because almost everyone was sick!  So they came up from Corpus to hang with the boys and help with the fort this weekend.  After a week of rest, more measurements and planning, Paul was ready to tackle an all-day project with his dad:  the rock climbing wall. 

My big boy likes hanging out in his fort.  And in case you are wondering, if a shirt has a hood, you MUST wear the hood (per Gabriel).  It was almost 90 degrees and he kept that hood up all afternoon! 

David went with his Mimi and I to shop for some fort interior decoration.  Our goal was to find something comfy and boyish but not go "Martha Stewart" on the manly fort.  So after a morning of planning and shopping, we came home and had lunch with the guys.

 "Say CHEESE!"

Gabriel was excited to play with some friends for a little while and christen the fort with popsicles! (And yes, that is a flamingo in the future doorway.  That was David's contribution to the decor.  A fort isn't a fort without a flamingo!)

We were so impressed that Daddy "planned" this interior bench on the backside of the rock climbing wall! 

This is a monumental photo of the last screw that completed the east wall of the fort.  It was an all day project that involved a lot of mathematical equations I haven't even heard of since high school. So yes, kids, you may actually need to know that stuff!

Mimi with her grandsons

Go Gabriel!

Project:  Rock climbing wall - Complete!

 

Front wall, door, window cutouts, trapdoor, staining and roof still to come.   Then the boys get to have their Grand Opening!  By the way, what do you call a house warming party for a fort??  "Fort Warming" just doesn't sound right.......

Project: Fort - Day 2 and The First Injury

My dad had to leave after lunch to drive back to Corpus but they were able to cross off a few more items on the fort to-do list.  They put up another wall and a half and measured and remeasured, cut and remeasured and cut again (repeat many times) to get the ladder just right.  

David advised his dad and grandpa on the placement of the ladder.

All the guys worked hard all morning!

Time to stop for lunch and say goodbye to Grandpa! 

And the first injury goes to ....... David!  But its nothing that a little ice pop can't help. 

 And some silly brotherly time had him back to normal!

Project: Fort - Day 1

My dad came in town on Thursday to help Paul work on the boys' fort this weekend.  We started off with a chilly morning but Gabriel and David were ready to get started!

It warmed up quite a bit that afternoon and the boys were excited to see how their fort had "grown" during nap time! 

Gabriel had some tools and wood to work on some of his own "projects".

David wanted to snack and hammer in the middle of the action.

Tinker Bell found an almost peaceful corner of the yard and watched from a distance.

Break time!

Gabriel was a busy little worker with nails and a real hammer!

Daddy's saw was REALLY loud.

The extent of my manual labor today was climbing the 8 foot ladder while holding my fancy camera for this shot.  We all survived.

The boys got a chance to check out their fort.  I think they like it so far.

At 5pm they ran out of screws so we (I mean Paul and Dad) called it a day and turned on the grill for some burgers, hot dogs and chicken.  

The boys wanted to sit at their table.....in their fort......with Grandpa.  So Paul moved the table in and Grandpa didn't say no.

More to come: walls, railing,  doorway, awning, window, peepholes, ladder, trapdoor, rock climbing wall and roof!  And Papa John comes next weekend to help with the fun project!

LEGOLAND!

We had a lot of fun with my parents and youngest brother when they came up to visit this past weekend.  We went to LegoLand in Grapevine, grilled out, created our own yogurt concoctions with many flavors and tons of toppings (who puts poptarts on yogurt?!?), visited another new church and had a movie night with Gabriel as he watched Bugs Life for the first time.

But I think the boys would say the highlight of their time with the grandparents and uncle was LegoLand.  It's the only time I pulled my camera out all weekend so here you go!

It was finally our turn to buy tickets and enter LegoLand!

We watched Bob the Builder in 4D.

 Grandpa and David played in the Duplo section.

Gabriel, CJ and Paul all built race cars and raced them on the big track!

David pretended to drive whatever this thing was....

Snack time with Nana!

David kept coming back for more of this slide with Grandpa.