Times Haven't Changed

This is Miles on his second birthday.  We got him a toddler bed.  He called it his "toller" bed and he insisted on helping assemble it.  He LOVED it!  We couldn't keep him away from the hammer and screwdrivers.  He seemed so grown up to me. 

This is Miles eleven years later (and still holding the hammer in the same place)...

While we were in Utah last month, we stopped at a store that had loft beds.  The wheels in Miles' head started turning.  He could put his desk under his bed and have so much more room!!  He began to lobby for the opportunity to build his own.  "Okay, but only if you buy the wood yourself and you build one from an actual plan--not one constructed in your head.  You will be sleeping on this thing," I said.  I figured it would be a long process seeing that he was nearly broke at the time not to mention the weeks of assembling it.  What was I thinking?!  This is Miles we're talking about!

After kind and generous grandpas who employed Miles to his delight, a few babysitting jobs, and some car washing, Miles had enough money to buy the wood--the cheapest kind, mind you, but Miles doesn't like to wait when he's got his eye on a goal.  My friend Stephanie was kind enough to loan us her saw and sander and Miles and Matt started working on the bed Saturday. 

He was not allowed to use any power equipment without close supervision and you'd think this was worse for him than losing a finger would have been.  It made him crazy to have to wait for Matt to get home from work and finish piano lessons!  I was too afraid to help him with the saw until the last day when Miles literally looked like he was going to spontaneously combust.  So my fear of saws has subsided, I'll have you know.  Question: why do they call a piece of wood a 1"x 3" if it's not 1"x 3"?  That bugs me.

Speaking of spontaneously combusting, I had to step back and let Miles just do this.  So what if the screws aren't even?  So what if a cut isn't as straight as I think it should be?  It's okay.  It's Miles' project and he can do it how he wants.  We've only been home from Utah for nine days and it's done.  I think that's pretty amazing.  He was going to paint it but that would require more sanding and prep which just takes too long!!   It's okay.  This is his and he's worked hard.  To see his little note that he placed on the headboard made me remember what's important.  It says, "Knees first."  I love that.  If I have a son that remembers to pray, that's all I care about.

Miles' double bed is now Emily's and the girls' room has been dejunked like you would not believe!  It feels great.  Does anyone need two full garbage bags of stuffed animals?

So here it is.  Great job Miles!