Saturday, June 4, 2011

Oh, To Be A Kid Again!

Wouldn't it be fun to be a kid again...just for one summer day? I was...almost. I had hours of childlike fun decorating the inside of the "Hobbit House" for our grandchildren.

It brought back memories of when my sisters and I would build "forts" in the woods and pretend we lived there...just for a day.

We'd make "clubhouses" out of scraps of lumber and old nails we'd find in the garage. We'd rake leaves into the outlines of little rooms in the fall and pile snow up to make secret forts in the winter. Then we'd bring our dolls out and assign them their very own rooms.

As we got older, our friends might be invited to join us in our clubhouse...providing they knew the "password", agreed to the terms of membership into the club du jour, and were good at keeping all of the club secrets.

The best clubhouse of all was the one my 6th grade friend, Sandy Yoder, and I decorated in the abandoned garage of an elderly neighbor who pretended he didn't know what we were up to. This "club" was so exclusive that  it never grew to more than two members.


When my sisters and I made forts together, it always started out with fantastical ideas and usually ended when one sister got mad at the other two and stormed off. In the meantime, we'd have lots of fun creating imaginary rooms.


As the oldest sister, I was usually the self-appointed "club leader" who would plan, organize, and tell my younger sisters what they had to do if they wanted to stay in the club. Andi was the "worker bee", tirelessly pounding nails, sweeping and raking with her blond hair flying. Nancy was the one who had the most fun...always carefree and laughing...never taking the club rules too seriously.


I wanted to recreate those memories for my grandchildren...


in a clubhouse of their own, tucked back in the "Wizard's Forest", a magical place in  the woods behind our house, inhabited by good faeries, gnomes, hobbits...

and only the friendliest of forest creatures.

 A place of their very own...

where they could keep their favorite things...

pretend...

 and share secrets...

creating their own special memories on warm summer afternoons...


Before...

like Andi, Nancy and I...


they had to grow up.


This post is linked to:
Show & Share Day at Just A Girl
Hodgepodge Friday at It's A Hodgepodge Life
Home Sweet Home Friday at The Charm of Home
Show & Tell Saturday at Be Different, Act Normal
Saturday Nite Special at Funky Junk Interiors
Show & Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

8 comments:

AuntLou said...

Enchanting! :)

Joy@aVintageGreen said...

I had forgotten all about raking the leaves in to rooms. We played that game with such great imagination and pleasure and seriousness when we were little kids. I loved that memory Cheryl, than you so much.

Your entire blog today was a trip down memory lane.

- Joy

Betty said...

I can so relate. Our house in NJ was on the corner of a dead end street. At the end of the street was a small patch of woods. We made our forts in the woods. Of course, no boys were allowed and we often built forts so we could "fight" the boys although the fights never really materialized. It was more the planning that was so much fun. We always knew we had to go home for lunch when the twelve o'clock whistle blew. Every day at noon our town blew the whistle. On the way home I'd stop and pick wild violets that grew at the edge of the woods for my mother. I don't think kids get the opportunity to have that kind of fun much any more. It was a different time.

Linda @ A La Carte said...

Such sweet memories and I love the playhouse for your Grands!

Debbie-Dabble Blog and A Debbie-Dabble Christmas said...

I would have loved a club house like the one you have created for your Grandchildren! Heck, I would love one like that now!!
I built forts in the woods with my friends too. My Dad then built me a screened in house in the back yard. I loved it!!

Thanks so much for the memories!

Hugs,
Debbie

Sherry@Back2Vintage said...

We used to rake pine straw into little rooms, leaving openings for doors and windows...Funny that when I grew up, I became a draftsman and drew house plans. Hmm!!! Love the playhouse..the fireplace is awesome and I love the "stove." So cute!!!

Dayle ~ A Collection of Days said...

Childhood memories are so sweet and so clear. I can almost smell those summer days.

You did a terrific job on the little playhouse. The kids will love it.

The Charm of Home said...

Oh, how sweet! I love playhouses. My aunt had one we played in when we were little. Thanks for linking this up to last weeks HSH! I have been gone and just got to look at it!:)
Sherry