Secret Passage
At long last, a project that has been MONTHS in the making is complete! It started almost three years ago with a promise to the kids that we would create a secret passage between their rooms once we were in a "new house." Then Cora moved out of the boys' room and into her own and began to have nightmares. To help her rest more easily, we took drastic measures: we knocked a hole in the wall between their rooms. It was intended to take any number of forms, but as I hammered away one day, I got a little carried away... It turns out knocking holes in walls is really therapeutic. The result has been an evolving project that has resulted in something really amazing!
The demo in the early stages. We each took a turn hammering the wall.
Next, we finished the boys' side: a large bulletin board to display their artwork.
The medal that hangs on the door is a "secret handle" that blends in with the rest of the things on their board. The thumbtacks are shrinky-dink pictures of the superheroes and villains we've created for their "Nebulizer" superhero stories.
Next, we shopped for months to find the perfect thing for Cora's side. Originally, the boys' side was supposed to be a small cupboard and bulletin board, but we just couldn't get the mechanics worked out. Cora's side was going to be a bookshelf on wheels. We worked on plan after plan, but nothing was just right. Then we hit on a new idea: a wardrobe. They could walk into the wardrobe and cross into the next room. It was perfect, but finding the perfect armoire was nothing short of a feat of endurance. At long last, we found our piece...
We painted the inside of the door to look like the snowy scene from Narnia.
Of course, true to form with the rest of the project, there were some hiccups...
Half a gallon of paint on the white carpet, for example. You just have to laugh. Or cry.
And the wardrobe didn't fit up the stairs, which meant making some... creative... arrangements.
Poor Dad Barcalow was left balancing it while I held it up with ropes and Micah ran around to join me on the balcony to heave it over the railing. It's a wonder nothing broke--including any bones!
It took some work to get everything reinforced, sturdied up, and anchored in place. And there was a little set-back when the wardrobe fell over and got banged up. But it's FINALLY installed and ready to go (Thanks again, Dad Barc, for putting the finishing touches on this weekend and getting it anchored to the wall!). We even added a place to hang the superhero capes.
The demo in the early stages. We each took a turn hammering the wall.
We added a time capsule, for anyone who might open up the frame in the future. The kids had fun writing a note, and even left some money behind!
Then we framed out the opening. For a long time, it sat just like that. They loved walking back and forth between the rooms!
The medal that hangs on the door is a "secret handle" that blends in with the rest of the things on their board. The thumbtacks are shrinky-dink pictures of the superheroes and villains we've created for their "Nebulizer" superhero stories.
Next, we shopped for months to find the perfect thing for Cora's side. Originally, the boys' side was supposed to be a small cupboard and bulletin board, but we just couldn't get the mechanics worked out. Cora's side was going to be a bookshelf on wheels. We worked on plan after plan, but nothing was just right. Then we hit on a new idea: a wardrobe. They could walk into the wardrobe and cross into the next room. It was perfect, but finding the perfect armoire was nothing short of a feat of endurance. At long last, we found our piece...
We painted the inside of the door to look like the snowy scene from Narnia.
Of course, true to form with the rest of the project, there were some hiccups...
Half a gallon of paint on the white carpet, for example. You just have to laugh. Or cry.
And the wardrobe didn't fit up the stairs, which meant making some... creative... arrangements.
Up and over it is...
Poor Dad Barcalow was left balancing it while I held it up with ropes and Micah ran around to join me on the balcony to heave it over the railing. It's a wonder nothing broke--including any bones!
Once it was inside, even Henry helped with moving it into place.
It took some work to get everything reinforced, sturdied up, and anchored in place. And there was a little set-back when the wardrobe fell over and got banged up. But it's FINALLY installed and ready to go (Thanks again, Dad Barc, for putting the finishing touches on this weekend and getting it anchored to the wall!). We even added a place to hang the superhero capes.
