THE FORTIFYING OF FORT BERRY

Well, when TJ was just turning 3 years old an tyler was 6 months old and jake was no where... I stayed up late late late one night and finished a fort we built from scratch for TJ to surprise him. He loved it.

4 1/2 years later we moved. But, with 3 boys and all the money and time spent on building a 12 foot high monster fort, I unbolted it and brought it with me to San Diego. We also, with the new house, inherited a smaller fort.

So, my Dad and I rebuilt the old one, added a bridge, and modified two forts into one "mother of all forts kinda fort". It's like 30 feet long with 3 swings, 2 decks, and 2 slides- one of which is 12 feet long. You'd think that would have the kids elated... and it did!

...initially... but times change and 2 years later, TJ is almost 10 and now he wants walls, and doors, and stuff to hide behind so he and his brothers and their buddies can have full on WAR with each other.

So... enter FORTIFYING FORT BERRY- a 6 day set of after work/school projects that TJ and I did together. Jake and Tyler sorta helped. Sorta.

• DAY 1: Trip to Lowes to buy plywood, paint, rope, couple of pulleys, and some hinges. Then we painted the plywood brown on both sides.

• DAY 2: Add plywood to the sides of the fort and cut holes to shoot through. Added doors to a few of the holes for cool factor. It's always better to shoot through a hole and then slam the door shut on your enemy evidently.

• DAY 3: Move the ladder from outside and angled to inside and straight up and down. Add trap door in the floor. Add plywood to upstairs railing.

• DAY 4: Add dumbwaiter to keep trap door from falling on it's own (which 2 of my kids can testify really hurts) and make it easy enough for Jake to open. Add rope pulley system to get guns and ammo to the top deck.

• DAY 5: Build and install the door downstairs.

• DAY 6: Camo the place up and add the climbing holds to the 9 foot high climbing wall.

• DAY 7: Dad rests and the kid start a war, ambush the neighbors, and climb like crazy.