Gavinism...5 Year Old Edition

The bottom line is...the kid comes up with some real gems....I'm reserving this space for the absolute best of the best. One of which occurred tonight. Let me set the stage....
We just said goodbye to a bunch of Chrissy's family: her mom, older sister, niece, twin sister, and 2 nephews who came up to visit the day after Christmas and spend a few days to celebrate Gavin's birthday (yesterday, the 27th.)...we just got done reading his bedtime books, brushed teeth, and were getting ready to say goodnight prayers when he and I had the following exchange:

Me: "Well, Gav...today was the first full day of you being 5 years old, how did it feel?"

Gavin: "Well, I know that I'm getting older because the segments of my fingers are bigger. You see this segment here? (pointing to the top part of his finger where the fingernail is), well...it used be down here....and you see this segment here? (pointing to the next knuckle down)well...it used to be way down here....also...my pinky finger is fatter than it used to be".

Me: "Wow...um...that's great man...let's say prayers."

The kid's something else. So's the girl...I may have to start an "Ivyism" tag...she's getting there. Throughout this weekend, she had multiple personalities....at any given moment she could have been Ivy, or Mary, or King David, or Joseph, or baby Jesus....It was kind of touch-and-go for a while...you'd have to figure our who she was or be forced to endure correction (by a 2 year old, I may add).

God Bless us, everyone.

I still can't believe my man turned 5 this week:


12-27-06


12-27-11

Keep going strong, big man...the Lord's got mighty things in store for you. But enjoy your ice cream first.

Christmas post and Relatives visit coming soon.

The Day My Son Moved Out

"Well I'm takin' my time, I'm just movin' along
You'll forget about me after I've been gone."
- Boston; Foreplay/Longtime


My son moved out this week.

My 4 year old son.....left the nest. He's out on his own. All alone on the vast sea of "independence".


O.K.....i'm over-exaggerating. The reality is though, that Gavin no longer sleeps with the rest of us in the "family bedroom", but has moved into his own room.

I hate it. I hate everything about it. But I need to accept it. Here's the story:

We co-sleep and bed share. Gavin slept in our king bed with us until a few months before Ivy was born then he moved to a twin bed right next to ours. That's how it has been since the Spring of '09. We all sleep in the same room. Some folks think that we are mental, despite the fact that there are millions of families in other countries who bed share...mainly because they don't have the room to separate everyone...and also because it's awesome. It's so much fun to wake up all together in the same room and jump and hug and wrestle and snuggle first thing in the morning. It's so reassuring as parents to be able to look over and see your boy sleeping so soundly, just a few feet away. That's how The Leo Family rolled.

Until last Saturday.

Chrissy's family was up to visit from New Jersey. We set them up with a futon mattress in Gavin's "room" (even though both kids sleep with us, they both have their own rooms which are decorated for them and house their clothes, closets, toys, books, etc.)
Well...Chrissy's family left, but the futon mattress stayed in there for a few days. This past Saturday night, Gavin asked his mama if he could sleep in there. She said "yes", figuring that if he got scared or whatever, he could jump into his old bed in our room. Chrissy gave the O.K.

The kid slept like a log. All night.

Next day, same thing. And the day after that. And the day after that....and so on and so on....which brings us to tonight.

Tonight we took the futon mattress back downstairs...took his twin bed from our room, and put it into his room. It's official. Our boy sleeps in his own room. I know that it's one of the many things that I'll have to "let go of" as a parent. I know this...but I still hate it.

here's what our room looked like after moving his mattress (and yes, I'm posting this picture for subtle, self-serving, saddened effect):


It's like looking at a ghost. Alright, I'm exaggerating...but just let me be, will ya?

I guess it's like anything else...I love the independence and confidence that he is developing. I love seeing the brave, confidant leader emerge in him. I truly believe that God has something great in store for him....He's been blessed with so much already. But Lord...not TOO fast, please.

He's still my little boy. He still cries when his balloon pops. He still thinks that lollipops grow in his ears. He still thinks that a nickel is worth more than a dime because it's bigger. He still needs a goodnight story and prayer before he can settle into bed, He still believes that a hug makes a boo-boo feel better (which may actually be right)...he's still so small....

It's the dichotomy of life, I guess....you spend so much time preparing them for the next level...and then, when that day comes, you want to do everything in your power to prevent that page from turning. It can't be stopped. It can only be bathed in prayer and set forth with training.
"He'll do fine", The Lord keeps telling me....and I believe it. He's getting so big.

But wait for the next thundery night. He'll be booking across the hall into out bedroom to be comforted from the storm. There's a part of me that wants him to be able to ride something like that out on his own.....but there's a bigger part of me that would spend a weeks pay if I could guarantee the sky would open up tonight and he'd run to me.

"Time doesn't wait for me, it keeps on rolling".



So big.

Gavinisms: Chapter 3

It's been quite a while since I've posted a "Gavinism". It's not that he hasn't said anything "quote-worthy" as much as it's just the opposite. He's got such a kooky little way of communicating, he's got so much good material that it's hard to choose... and he certainly isn't bashful when it comes to making small talk with anyone within earshot. I joke that we are the only family who goes to yard sales where the yard sale hosts know the names of our kids by the time we're done shopping. Gavin always seems to gravitate to them and offer some random facts....what we had for dinner last night, how he took a spill on his bike, how his cousins came to visit last month...any topic is fair game....and Ivy is following suit and turning into quite the Chatty Cathy herself. I'm thankful that my kids like to talk to adults. It seems to me like there's a pretty good cross section of kids today who are not comfortable communicating with adults. Anyhow, back to today's Gavinism. I'll bring you in mid-conversation...we were talking about stealing...which led to the subject of greed:

Gavin: "What's Greed?"
Me: "It's like when you want something so bad, or if you have a little of something and all you want is more, more, more."
Gavin: "Oh. Then I greed fish and chips, 'cuz I can't get enough of that stuff."

Spoken like a true New Englander. That's my boy.

The Next Level

There are constant milestones and paradigm shifts that occur in the life of a young child....kicking, rolling over, crawling, laughing, standing, walking, running ....that sort of thing. It keeps happening throughout their precious little lives. Most of us parents have got something on our doorposts that look something like the photo above (that's Gavin's...Ivy's is on the opposite wall)....milestones of height....growth. There's this weird dichotomy with all of this...on one hand you LOVE the fact that your child is growing, but on the other hand...you hate the fact that they are getting bigger....and more mature...you long for the things that they used to care about....or say. I remember Gavin, as a baby, when thirsty, used to say "wahwee?!" when asking for water. That doesn't happen anymore. When he used to ask for his grandmother he used to say "maber?"...but no longer. These little endearing things have passed by in the name of growth and maturity and, on one hand, it's wonderful that he's progressing and growing but....it seems like it's happening so fast....too fast. I'm not sure I like it. I mean....I dig the growth but....slow it down a bit Lord.



Ivy has this great word.....when she's in the zone and loving life......when you are giving her tickles and hugs, and she's laughing like crazy and wants "more"....she says...."maaawwww?!"...I swear, it's the cutest thing that you'll ever hear. But the reality is that, in a few months or so, she'll mature to a point where she won't ask for "Maaawww" anymore. She'll mature out of that. I'm excited that she's growing....but I kind of mourn those little parts of her life that, as she matures, can never be revisited.
It becomes this constant balance of growth....the willingness to sacrifice aspects of your children's young lives that are replaced with new skills and experiences as they grow older. It just seems like it happens too quickly.
Teenagers wish they could grow up twice as fast....parents wish their children could grow up half as quickly.

Today, I reached a milestone with my son, Gavin. He's 4 1/2 and will turn 5 in December. He got stooged with a lame birthday 2 days after Christmas....he's still a champ, though. He's grown so much this past year....so much so that it's a 50/50 shot as to who gets that biggest fish in our daily fishing derbies (he won today....but not by much :^)
Today, my 4 1/2 year old son took his first trip paddling a canoe all by himself. His grampa and I were in our boat close by him should anything happen but....he handled himself like a champ and learned some amazing skills. He was so excited to do this today. I was so proud of him.
But I'd be lying if I said that I didn't wish that I could stunt his growth....if only to keep him little for just a bit longer.
Here's my boy....out on his own:







There is so much that goes into this activity....balance, direction, risk assessment, overcoming fear....and my boy handled it like a champ. He's learning so much this Summer.....gardening, harvesting, fishing, boating, dominion.....and he's only 4. May the LORD give me wisdom to teach my children ever more. Thank you, LORD, for your provision and blessing.



"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
- Mark Twain

A Boy's First Bass

There's something iconic about the Largemouth Bass. It's really the unofficial "posterfish" of American freshwater inland fishing. Don't get me wrong, there's lots of fish species out there that are total trophies but, there's just something about a Largemouth Bass....the way it looks....that HUGE gaping mouth, that unmistakable dark stripe painted down the length of it's strong body...it's jet-black eye...it's blood-red gills...the way it hunts, the way it strikes, the way it fights....There's a reason that the store isn't called Pickerel Pro Shops.

So, I've documented at length about our fishing experiences this year...that Gavin was introduced to fishing about 3 months ago with a simple rod and length of line...and, honestly, that's what I thought "fishing" was going to be for him this year, just dangling off the dock and snatching up bluegills and sunnies all Summer. That rig lasted about a month, then he said that he was ready to cast. I did a few weeks worth of hand-over-hand with him on my rod and reel...he'd flip the bail and hold his hands right under mine as I casted out. Then he wanted to try it on his own. The only reel that I had for him was an open-faced reel and, for those not in-the-know, is MUCH more challenging to use than the traditional kids training reel called a "push-button". I put a bobber at the end of his hookless line and taught him a thing or two and within one afternoon, he was able to cast out on his own fairly well. That led to him casting out a baited hook and eventually nabbing his first completely solo catch: casted, hooked, and reeled in all by himself.
And that's pretty much where we are at. he's still too little to bait a hook or unhook a fish but he's pretty much got everything else down pretty well. There's definitely some "proud papa" moments when I watch this little 4 year old boy sit there as something is nibbling his bait....paitent....waiting for just right moment to set that hook. It's impressive.
A few weeks ago we started dabbling in plastic and rubber bait. I picked us up some off-set hooks and rubber worms/flukes. Personally, I like the live bait. I love catching big fish, but most days I'm more content to catch 15 small/medium fish than 1 lunker. Live bait, on our pond, is a sure thing....and I'm good with that. For me, just being out there on the dock with my boy is the highlight...the fish caught is just the gravy. Gavin, on the other hand, has been much more interested in the rubber baits. He's had this white rubber super fluke on his line for the past week. He'll cast it out and pretend to have something on his line and yell "get the net"....sometimes even before his bait hits the water. He's got nothing all week....and he couldn't care less....I think that he too just mainly likes being out there.
So today, he and I are out there fishing, I'm snatching up the occasional bluegill and he's casting and reeling in next to me. Then he says "I got one"...I don't even really react at that point, thinking that it's just another one of his little pretending sessions. He says it again " I got one...a BIG one". At that point I glance over and see his line laser straight heading into the water and his pole bent sharply. "Yeah...you do" I say...."Reel! Keep your line tight!".
He handles himself like a champ and, in a classic yet inevitable shift in roles, I grab the net to help HIM land HIS big fish:



My boys first Bass. Signed, sealed, and delivered all by himself. Just under 2 lbs. Just over 16 inches. He was psyched, I was more psyched for him. He got his Big Fish.

I am so grateful to have rediscovered my love of fishing, especially with my boy. There is nothing in the world like getting to spend that much time with him, so close together, talking, joking, teaching, laughing. Being out there gives me so much time and opportunity to pour into his little life on so many levels. I look forward to many more years of quality time on the dock with my boy. Big Fish or not.

"Many men go fishing their whole lives without knowing that it is not the fish they are after" - Henry David Thoreau

"I'm the dang....Pater Familias".

Father's Day is one of those interesting times of the year when you can take the "holiday" from two very distinct angles.....
1. "It's Father's Day and I want to spend as much time with my kids as possible, embracing the beauty of my family and this special day"....that's nice and all, but the reality sometimes is.....
2. "It's Father's Day and I'd love an hour to myself to do just about whatever I want to do...I love my kids and all but....a break would be wonderful."

This year....I'm stacking the deck....I'm going for the best of both worlds.
Now, as a parent, you know that there are a million variables that govern every aspect of your daily life....wake-up times, meals, sickness, naps, injuries, attitude, discipline....any of these can create either harmony or havoc at times within your household...all that being said.....
Sunday morning.....I'm waking up early....I mean EARLY....my Father's Day plan is to be out on the water fishing....by myself....by 5:30am.....brew up a strong pot of coffee....grab some fat night crawlers....and hit the lake....just me, myself, and I. I'm sure that the boy will wake up soon enough, maybe by 6:30-7:00 or so....but I am looking forward to that hour when I don't have to think about anything but me and the lunker that I'm yanking out of the lake Sunday Morning.
The rest of the day will involve family, church, doing the Sunday Paper Crossword, and perhaps some greasy take-out food and a good 6-pack....all of which I love....but I'm really looking forward to that early morning fishing session.
Even now, part of me feels guilty....I mean, my boy has been my fishing partner all year....is this a breach of etiquette to have a session without him? I'm not sure. I guess I'll leave that up to The Lord....If He wants me to take Gavin with me.....I'll leave it up to Him to wake Gavin up in time....otherwise....he's just going to have to be subject to the fish stories that I relay to him after he wakes..... I'm gonna leave that one up to The Lord.
I am so thankful for my children. I never imagined that I would enjoy fatherhood nearly as much as I have....what a blessing these little children are to me. Children are so equally beautiful and terrifying....I'm grateful for His continued wisdom, direction, and guidance.
Now...if He could also manage to guide a nice 5lb. bass onto my hook Sunday morning....that'd be alright with me.




blessed am I.

Lunkers and Leafy Greens

Let me just start by posting the best first:


I pulled this mother out of the lake this afternoon. Now....let me post my "fish story"...
I started Gavin fishing for the first time early this season....we had pulled a million bluegills and sunnies out of the lake, along with the occasional catfish and the gift pickerel that we nailed....He's becoming quite the fisherman, even at 4 years old, the kid is learning how to set the hook like a champ....in fact, today...I taught him how to cast an open-face reel....I figured, why bother with these push button junkers...just teach him the real deal...anyway, he nailed it. He's a bit sketchy on the back swing but, he's nailing the release. Very "proud papa" moment there, but nothing like what would come later in the day.
So today, we're on the dock...a pretty standard day of fishing for us....he's pulling in bluegills every 5 minutes or so...usually, a day fishing on out dock turns out like this:

a bucket full of bluegills, fun as anything for a four year old...but after a while, Gavin decided that he wanted to practice casting. I took the hook off his line, showed him a thing or two, and let him rip, bobber only. I, in the meantime, strung up my pole, sent the line low and casted to an area that I I've pulled some impressive catfish out of this season. I'll spare some details here but....suddenly...I got a hit...I mean, a HIT. If you've fished long enough, you learn how certain fish hit. "Kivers" poke and prod and then zig-zag the whole way in. Bigger stuff like Catfish and Bass hit quick and strong and pull strong in one direction. This thing took my bait (just a simple hook and night crawler) and RAN. I said "Gavin...I got a big one"...he immediately knew what his job was...drop his pole and get the net. I reeled this guy in and Gavin was right there with the net in the water. I wasn't sure what I had on the line until it was about 7 feet out from the dock. After I saw that it was a MOTHER of a Bass, I was freaking out. Gavin got the net in the exact right spot in the water. I got down on a knee to start to lift this lunker to the surface and grab onto his bottom jaw with my fingers when.....suddenly....**SNAP** my line broke.
The biggest Bass I've ever pulled out of my lake in my life dropped and fell.....right into Gavin's net. We pulled him up onto the deck and got the hook out. It wasn't until things calmed down that I realized that....the only reason that we landed this fish is because my son...my 4 year old son, knew exactly what to do in the moment and performed marvelously. I realized that, through it all, I didn't give him 1 command or instruction. he just knew what to do. He was trained for this moment, and did exactly the right things. Had he not been at the ready and on point, this would have been just another story of "the one that got away", but...not the case today. I have to say....that was more impressive than the fish we landed (well, almost :^).
We showed the girls, snapped some pics:


and then let him go . I know, I know...here come the comments "why didn't you eat him"..." I can't believe you let that thing go"....well...gutting, cleaning, and filleting will be next years training. This year, we'll just continue to focus on catching them.

Also tonight....
I had to thin out our lettuces. I planted way more than we needed....which I guess is a good problem. Anyway, I decided to do a major harvest and give individual bags of lettuces and spinach to the participants of the day program that I run. Both kids helped me harvest. Ivy helped me wash:


then we dried:


Then bagged:



I'm sure that the folks at my program will enjoy these garden treats.
It was a very busy, yet very fulfilling weekend for our family. The Lord is using us to serve others in so many neat ways. I'm grateful for the Servant Heart of my wife and kids. That He is using us (and especially the little ones) to bring Him glory through service. I'm specially thankful for the down time that He gives us...and the blessings, like garden greens and this HUGE fish, that He sends our way....

Caulculated Risks and Daredevil Dives

We take calculated risks all the time. It's an essence of our everyday lives.
Every decision we make....usually involves some element of this.
A calculated risk is where you weigh the consequences of your decisions before you make them. Is the juice worth the squeeze? Sometimes this takes years to come to a decision on...other times it happens in a split second. You play situations out in your head to come to anticipated conclusions before they are a reality.....then you decide if it's in the best interest of your ultimate goal....you either go for it or sack it.

This happens everyday on a thousand different levels...you take a calculated risk when you decide to cut a bagel in half or when you merge out into traffic or decide to accept a mortgage rate on a home. It happens when you decide to do something as simple as shave or pass someone on the highway. Our minds are geared to constantly weigh variables and predetermine outcomes. Here's what I was faced with today...

"Daddy...can I jump off the dresser onto the big bed?"

In an instant I was faced with a myriad of situations, equations, scenarios....is this in the best interest of the development and well being of my child? Should I, as the voice of reason, encourage this or deter this? How far is the nearest Emergency Room? Could he bite through his tongue if he falls hard enough? all this goes through my head....then the ultimate decision gets made....fairly astute kid.....huge King sized bed/landing area....hospital not TOO far away....

..."Go for it"....

Once the risks were calculated and the decisions were made...here's what played out...

the "Dresser Daredevil Dive"....






After several solo successes...we recalculated and decided that he'd have no problem clearing his sister.....enter "The Girl"...



Money.


Our society progresses when we make calculations and take well thought out risks....There's a huge difference between being "safe" and being "sheltered"....

...Calculate, Weigh it out, and Go For It.

Winter Weather Robot Roundup

O.K. so...

It's 1:30 in the afternoon on Sunday. Ivy is asleep.

It was 13 degrees outside.

The snow in my yard is up past my son's torso.

I COULD take 25 minutes to get him all geared up to go wander around outside for 10 frozen miserable minutes....OOOoooorrr......



We could build us a ROBOT!!!!! BOOYA!!

Chrissy has been working with Gavin on each letter of the alphabet...this week is "R"...so we put together a robot...not just a robot...but a recycled robot...and not just a recycled robot, but a resourceful recycled robot...and NOT just a resourceful recycled robot...but "RUSTY" The Resourceful Recycled Robot.... man, you gotta love alliteration. Anyways...

We used all kinds of stuff that Chrissy had saved for occasions such as this as well as stuff that was laying around the house...cardboard boxes, foil, Styrofoam, pipe cleaners, buttons, old wires, milk caps, orange juice caps, cardboard tubes, duct tape. Here's us at work:


building us a head


we currently have a patent pending on our juice lid "control panel"

And when the dust settled in the Leo family's own personal Frankenstein workshop...


Rusty was born! Complete with carabiner hands to "bring you stuff". Oh and by the way.....


He's Mobile!!! We fabricated a little bracket on Gavin's remote control car so that Rusty could seat right on top of it and ride all over the place. Watching this little guy come rolling at us was the funniest thing we've seen all week.



I gotta say...I'm not telling anyone what to do or how to spend their time...but throwing some crappy Sunday jazz on the radio and spending some time creating with my boy was just about the best Sunday afternoon I've had in a long while. I love that my son loves to spend time with me like this. There's such an opportunity to connect in such a valuable, vulnerable and real way with him during times like these. I know I've mentioned it here before, but there's that verse in Ephesians that I love about "redeeming the time because the days are evil"......Being able to engage my son for 2 hours in something creative and wonderful....being able to work along-side of him, building, problem solving, training him to use tools, laughing with him, guiding him....man, what a blessing those times are. I pray for thousands more opportunities like today.

The kid played with his creation all night...and really, why wouldn't you? The thing is cute as nails:


Who needs a hug?

Blizzards and Birthdays part 1

First let me just say that I hope that all of you who read this had a wonderful and joyous Christmas day. We sure did.

It doesn't take much for our family to get excited. We revel in the simple pleasures of life....a frog caught....spotting a rare bird at the feeder....fresh garden veggies....iced coffee....tickle fights....snow storms.

Woke up this morning to this forecast on weather.com:



2 things...first: do you see that the forecast for the next 36 hours are bracketed in red? That means trouble...it also means awesome. Second...do you see the forecast under the "Tonight" heading? 1 word. Blizzard. BLIZZARD. YES!!!!! We're big on natural disasters around here. We spend lots of time, money, and energy getting ready for stuff like this. My pops and I feel that it's much better to be proactive and prepared than reactive and frantic. The Winter storm warning mentioned widespread power outages, 50 + mph wind gusts, and the possibility of 20+ inches of snow. Let's party.

We started by stocking our wood bin and hearth with 3 days worth of wood:


Between my dad and I, we've got a pretty good supply of wood, food, water, gas....probably enough to lock it down for several months if we had to. I credit him for instilling the attitudes of preparedness and pro activity in me. While others are scrambling to react to adversity...we are able to calmly deal with what comes our way with an attitude of preparedness. It may seem overkill to some...but the reality is, that it doesn't take that big an "X" factor for the average family to start panicking. 2 Winters ago there was an ice storm that knocked out power for thousands of families just North of here for 17 days. Most people had to scramble to figure out how they were going to survive....many families had to head to emergency shelters....our household would have hardly noticed.

In my families opinion...it's important to be prepared. Tonight there is a blizzard outside with wind gusts reported locally of 44mph....if a tree branch were to break off and smash through someones front window, would they have the knowledge and resources to be able to immediately deal with the situation? most wouldn't....If the power went out for days or the water were to get shut off or sanitation removal were to cease or if gas or food were rationed...would most households be able to survive without panic? It's sad to say that the answer is probably "no".

The Lord, through His Scriptures, has called us to be skilled and wise....I'll go ahead and include "prepared and proactive" in the definition of "wise". It's a joy to be able to enjoy this storm. My work called me this afternoon and cancelled for tomorrow. I get to ride this baby out prepared and protected alongside my family. That's a simple pleasure that I'll take any day. Here's a few more pics:


First Flakes

Here's how it looked at about 4:45 pm EST:



The call is for 15 to 20 more inches to fall before all is said and done. Bring it. We're ready.

On a completely separate note...my son turns 4 tomorrow. I can't even begin to believe that he's 4 years old. Someone is stealing months away from my calendar when I'm not looking, I swear it. He told me today that he doesn't want to turn 4 because he's afraid that Mommy and I won't care for him any more or carry him to bed. Sweet little soul. If he only knew that I'd do that 'til he's 30 if he'd let me.

We were planning on heading to Chuck E. Cheese for some birthday fun tomorrow, but given the present weather circumstances, we're gonna be home bound. Well, score another one for preparedness and pro activity....we dug through some old totes of old party stuff that we had stored downstairs and found a bunch of decorations that we used to dress up the dining room:



We decorated after he went to bed, so he'll be surprised when he wakes up. I know for a fact that he's not too old to be excited over a roomful of decorations and 2 feet of snow outside. I'm 36 and I'm not.


Once all is said and done and the snow totals are tallied, I'll post part 2 to discuss how we fared on all counts. Right now i've got to hunker down and get ready to party.

Hunkering Down

By this time last year, we already had enough snow to cancel school a few times. We awoke to a dusting this morning, but it won't be long before our first big snow, and Gavin, Pa, and I took the morning to batten down the hatches by taking care of a few outside chores while Mama and Ivy put on a MAJOR cleaning session inside.

I won't bore you or I by listing all the chores we did, but in completing these tasks, I remembered one thing that I had thought of late last winter that I wanted to build this year....a glove and hat drying rack near the wood stove.

We are outside ALOT throughout the Winter, and normally when we get back inside we just drape our wet stuff on the gate surrounding the stove...but there's always a glove or a hat that gets buried under some jacket and doesn't dry. Today Gavin and I took to the workshop again and whipped up this bad boy:



First, we selected a 1/2 round piece of split log off of the wood pile. Then we headed to the back yard and lopped off a few branches from one of the trees back there and cut them to size. We figured on making a 12-point rack...enough for 4 pairs of mittens and 4 hats.
Next we rounded the tips of the points using a grinding/sanding wheel and tapped them into the log using appropriate sized spade bits.
We secured them using wood glue and drywall screws screwed in from the under side.

At first, after we installed it on the windowsill, I thought it looked a little cracky and ominous. But the more I look at it, the more I like it....and, from a functionality standpoint...it's going to be super convenient. Here's how it looks with the rest of the stove area:




I can't wait for that thing to be filled with hats and mittens all soaked through from a session of sledding/quadding/snow forts/snow angels/snowmen....gear drying....fire roaring....family warming....cocoa flowing....bring it on, Winter.

We're ready :^)

Solo Skipper

Word.