The run a way tree house
This whole thing started when my 8-year-old daughter asked why we couldn't just build a house in the backyard where she could "live when she's mad at me and Daddy." Smart kid - she'd figured out that most of our fights happen because we're all crammed into 1,200 square feet with nowhere to escape.
What was supposed to be a simple treehouse turned into... well, this. My husband kept saying "just build a platform with some walls," but I got carried away. Purple paint? Why not. Wrap-around porch? Obviously necessary. Full electrical and plumbing? Seemed reasonable at the time.
The project nearly ended our marriage twice. Turns out designing a two-story structure around existing tree branches requires engineering skills I definitely don't possess. We had three different contractors laugh at our blueprints before walking away.
That's when I started asking for help in the DIY and WoodWorking Communities on the Tedooo app where I usually sell my crafts. People there actually understood what I was trying to create and shared structural tips and advice. One amazing woodworker even made those beautiful custom flower boxes that perfectly fit our weird measurements.
Six months and approximately one million Home Depot trips later, here we are. The kids have officially moved their sleepover headquarters outside, my daughter hasn't declared her intention to run away in weeks, and I've got the coolest mom reputation in the neighborhood (and on Tedooo lol).
My husband still shakes his head every time he looks at it, but last weekend I caught him up there reading a book in peace. Sometimes the best solutions are the most ridiculous ones.
