Life With Boys

Life with boys … was reminded of this little story a few days ago … this took place about five years ago now … and it still feels like yesterday …

RANT – As the boys had grown out of our much loved tree-playhouse, I decided to share it with another family and listed it on Craigslist for free … the new owners just needed to come and get it. We had a ton of responses. To be fair, I gave it to the first inquiry. Later that day, he came over to check it out to see what he was getting into. (HE SAW IT IN PERSON – KEY POINT HERE)

He shows up by himself the next day (this is not a strapping young lad, I am afraid to say … think Homer Simpson in overalls). May I remind you, he has already seen this solidly engineered and well-built fort in person … and he somehow thought he could put in on a two-wheel dolly and just push it out of the yard – um, no.

And no, Matt is not allowing him to back his truck and trailer into our yard. So he took it apart, loaded up the ladder (which is pretty much broken and in need of much repair), the slide, and the swings, and left to get help.

Later that afternoon, Homer had not yet reappeared, and we needed to pick up a replacement stove (which would later be dropped on my toe – which is getting better, by the way). We could not find time to connect again that day. I left several messages, texts, and emails to set up a time to get the rest … and nothing.

Now, I could have been all evil and given you all Homer’s name and phone number to bug him relentlessly to get him to give me back the missing bits or come to claim the pile of lumber in my yard, but I didn’t … So, now I was left with part of a fort/playhouse – without swings, a ladder, or a slide … anyone want it?

RANT REVISED – ok, two days later … two youngish guys showed up today to get the rest of the fort … in the dark … in some kind of converted van contraption (now, why did they not show back up with the trailer from a few days ago? I have no idea) … and of course, it is not going to fit … So here they are trying the take it apart even more … in the dark … and should mention here the van had several built-in shelves which are taking up most of the interior space and the area left is not wide enough to fit even part of the treehouse within … I think they may have spent more time trying to get it in the van than taking it apart in the dark.

And I feel for them. They have been pouring concrete since 5:30 a.m. (and they smelled like it) … and now they are trying the put a play fort in a panel van at 9:30 p.m… in the dark …. I have lost Matt at this point, and the new owners (boys) have taken it over … – and IT IS DARK and hot … and they are LOUD as they deconstruct the shelves in the van … And now they are exhausted. There are still three more pieces to fit in … pieces are sticking out of the windows … there is a spiderweb of twine trying to hold the doors together … pieces are now being tied to the roof … please let them get out of my neighborhood without being linked to me …

Finally, about midnight the playhouse is gone … everything is once again quiet, and I must appreciate how much this guy loves his girls … and yes, we should all question the sanity of opening the door at 9:30 p.m. to two strange guys with a panel van …