Evolution of a Tire Swing

I suspect that eventually, it will happen with all my children. It has happened with all of the bigs so far. As they get older, they don't want to come up to Little Cabin in the Woods as much. It is a boring place after all. But it's sad for me when that time comes. Right around age 13-ish they start to look for excuses not to come. They simply get to the age where they just don't enjoy making dirt piles in the forest, hunting for heffalumps for hours on end or playing with sticks under the tall pines like the littles do. Or reading a book on the porch, listening to the quiet and solitude of the wind rustling through the trees, and being bored like us adults do. Nevertheless, unless there is a great excuse (and boy do they try) they still have to come and "be a family" at our Little Cabin in the Woods.

Knowing this was coming, I planned a project for the big boys, Patch and Boo. Their job was to construct a tire swing for their little sisters. No assistance except for a model of one that a neighbor cabin has a few doors down. It's a small town so I gave Patch the verbiage to use at the tire store. "I'm building a tire swing for my little sisters. How much do you charge for a used tire?" The tire was free and came with instructions that if they ever needed any replacements, they would be free too, 'cause really could you resist a 16-year-old boy making a tire swing for his little sisters?! As is should be.

With those eyes, there's not much any of us deny her. Extra dessert. Cuddles. Tire swings.

Not that the project wasn't without it's fair share of sibling rivalry. It's pretty easy to see who is the alpha dog here.

4 days later and about 15 trips to the local Ace Hardware, (I'm not exaggerating. Lucky for me he has a driver's license now!) they did it!

And their sisters could not be happier!

And... this kid... the one that actually had to do most of the work...

For as much as he drives me crazy, and oh ya, at times he absolutely does, he still melts my heart.