Up a Tree House Part II

In all the excitement of the tree house, I didn’t plan on one thing. The reaction. My son didn’t react as I expected to the tree house, and that initial reaction incited a reaction of my own that wasn’t pleasant.

His initial excitement of getting a tree house waned less than five minutes after seeing it. At minute six, he began to list all the things he found to be wrong with it. It was too small, it was too girly, it wasn’t what he wanted, etc.

I’ll admit that I lost it at his ungratefulness. Fine, I’d paint it pink and give it to his sister. This prompted him to tell his sister when we picked her up from school that she could have it.

Which, of course, cost him a lecture on how so many kids would be grateful to just have a tree house. I can’t be the only parent to ever use that argument, can I?

Fast forward twenty-four hours later to when he’s had time to think about it some more. I picked him up from school, and he tells me he’s changed his mind. He does want the tree house. I asked him what made him change his mind and his response was, “Because I probably won’t get another one.”

Probably? That would indicate there was a chance he’d get another one. There was no chance in hell that I was buying or putting together another tree house. Of course, the “good” mother part of me just nodded and said no, this would be the only tree house.

Then his grand plans for the tree house began. Now that he had accepted the tree house as is with all of its faults (I thought it was great myself), he had to plan out the details to make it completely his.

He made a shopping list.

You mean I’m not finished spending money on this thing? I now have to decorate the inside? Did I invest in a second house instead of a tree house in my backyard?

It may have been better when he didn’t like it.

Saturday I took him to the Dollar Store to check off the things on his shopping list. He bought rugs for the floor, a table for their things, a string of lights for the ceiling, small battery fans to ward off the heat, command strips to hang the lights, and let’s not forget the batteries. (We did and had to return for them.)

He hauled it all up the stairs (which on the first night he wouldn’t climb due to his fear of heights. He certainly got over that fear as now he is jumping off the top as I yell in protest.) The new decorations prompted an argument between brother and sister about how it was all for a boy and not a girl.

Go figure.