Embracing the Spirit of the Woods

There is a wooded area in our neighborhood that has become the location of a fort for the boys. Ryan, Brady and Gavin have been busy building and collecting and imagining for several months now. When Ryan describes it for me, he reminds me of when I was a kid and the fun I would have in the woods with Laura and Susan. They have created a world in their minds similar to the one in Bridge to Terabithia.

Sometimes the slightly older boys will come to play too, but they tend to scoff at the make-believe. Ryan was thoroughly annoyed with Brandon's attitude one time and said, "Look, Brandon. We know this is pretend, but we're having fun. You just need to embrace the spirit of the woods." I was so proud of him for standing up for himself and the other boys. And Brandon has begun to join in with these activities now too.

In this picture they are collecting grenades (pinecones), arrows (sticks) and other weapons for their armory.