Fortress

Seeing as how we've lost half our snow (seriously!) I thought I'd update you on our efforts from  a few weeks ago.  After watching Maddie and Jake work on forts/tunnels for a couple days after receiving our 21+ inches, Mike and I headed out to help them.

Maddie had pretty much finished her tunnel by the time we headed out. 

This tunnel was about half the length of our driveway.  It was big enough for Maddie to fit inside almost sitting up.  Definitely big enough for Mike and I to climb through.  Outside of her fort she had also constructed several paths.  We had 20+ inches of snow - without the paths it was like swimming to get anywhere.

Jake's side of the driveway needed some work.  He'd started a huge fort at the end of the driveway. In fact, he'd started and restarted it about three times since the first snowfall of the year began.

He also had paths created, though Mike and Maddie dug those a little deeper and wider.  Those two worked at the end of the driveway shoveling out a giant hole for a cavern that would eventually connect to the tunnel Jake and I were working on.

By the time Mike and Maddie finished, they had a cavern big enough for all four of us to sit up inside!  And we weren't squished!  Maddie and Jake embellished it by adding a "deck" to the top complete with surrounding walls of snow boulders!

As I mentioned, Jake and worked on the connecting tunnel.  He had started this several times, but I think he lost oomph after having to restart the cavern at the bottom of the tunnel every time it snowed.

Mike and I had each chosen our own tools from the garage to work with.  I chose a long spade shovel and this rocked!  I was able to get it dug out enough that we could start climbing inside.  After that it was amazing to watch the kids jump in and take turns digging it out!

And let me clarify - it wasn't amazing because they were working so well together (though that was pretty awesome).  It was amazing because they were like little moles!  During my turn, I was digging with a little garden hoe.  Maddie?  Her arsenal consisted of her fingers.  She clawed away at the snow, pushed it out for the rest of us to collect, then clawed more.

(That's Jake in there...or Maddie...either way, this picture is probably making my claustrophobic mom hyperventilate.)

Jake used everything.  Fingers, feet, shovels.  I bet in a cartoon they each would have just had these round circles where their hands or feet were.

We eventually got this tunnel wider and much longer, but we never got it connected to the cavern.  We were getting pooped and some of us were losing feeling in our toes and claimed to be getting frostbite.

I swear it wasn't me!

But as I mentioned, much of our snow supply has dwindled.  It's also been rained on, and frozen.  What was once a great fortress has collapsed.

But, Jake just came in to tell me the new plans he and a friend have for the ruins.  The dream lives on!