Out On A Limb with the Comrovs

Every summer the Comrov household is filled with typical warm weather activities for the kids – camp, family outings, swimming, barbecues, play dates, and all sorts of good fun. This summer, however, has been especially busy at our house, mostly because we are building a house – a treehouse, that is. My husband had been promising our four sons all winter that this was the summer the he would finally design and construct a 100 square-foot treehouse in the 200-year old white oak in our backyard. Thus, the children have spent most of their free time helping Dad construct the treehouse. The kids have been helping Dad carry tools, nail boards together, act as trusted consultants on the design, and most importantly, being the official first tenants of the house. The treehouse has allowed my family to spend more time together and has provided the kids with a sense of satisfaction that their team effort built something that they will enjoy for years to come. “I certainly hope this project instills in the kids a notion of self reliance – that they can do whatever they want as long as they put their minds to it,” Dad Comrov said as he admired the almost-finished treehouse one recent balmy July afternoon. I added, “I am glad that we worked as a team to build it with safety in mind,” referring to the code-compliant railings, single-hung windows with screens, low-angle ladder, and easy-lift trap door. At this time, all four boys were too busy playing in the treehouse to offer their own comments.