This is what it looked like AFTER we got done. Really, it was much worse when we started.
We worked a long time. Now Luci has a place to sleep in her room! She slept in her room TWO NIGHTS IN A ROW all by herself. ALL BY HERSELF.
Which is two nights longer than she's EVER done before.
She's been in our room, on a mattress. Or on the living room floor with me. Or somewhere else with me, not by herself ever.
She got brave this week. I am so proud of her.
So, now she has a comfy spot up on the big platform bed that John built for her years ago. There's a memory foam mattress thingy under her blanket there, because the twin-sized mattress that was up there before is still in our bedroom on the floor for when she still needs to sleep in the room with us. Which will probably be tonight, because I jinxed this by mentioning sleeping alone here. :)
Which brings me to this post.
I was getting all hot and bothered (i.e., cranky) working in her room. And then it dawned on me.
If it were not for this little girl, I would be...
- bored. JT graduates this year, and after 4 years of pushing and fighting with him over high school stuff, it would be all over.
- unsettled. What would I do after JT graduates?
- forced to work on housework. I do not want to do that. No, never.
Because of this little girl...
- John and I learned that we could love a little girl who came to us in an unnatural way. We are head over heels in love with Luci. She's stretched us in ways we didn't know were possible, and it's all good.
- I am relearning what life is really, truly all about. It is not about reading and writing and arithmetic, although those are so important. It is all about learning to be a good person, to follow Jesus and lead others to heaven. Learning to take care of a family. Learning to be a good mommy (notice the baby doll in the picture! All fed, diapered and has a binky. Luci takes good care of her babies) and a good friend (can you see the iPad Mini in the picture? She's face timing with her bestie who lives too far away to have in-person play dates often).
- I am learning how to teach all over again. Luci is my puzzle. Bryan dealt with dyslexia and ADHD, JT with ADD and allergies to scented things, and we learned how to work around those. Luci has quite a few letters that go beyond what the boys dealt with. I'm still learning what works best for her.
- I learned about classical education that I had thought was just "froo-froo" and elitist, that it was all just for those who were college-bound by age 12. Luci and I fell in love with classical education that a Classical Conversations group brought to us.
- I've learned that standing up for someone who has been wrongly accused is always a good thing.
- I learned that, even though I'm not writing books as my parents hoped, I am writing! I have learned to write a curriculum that my peers here are pleased with, and I am so tickled.
Makes all the mess worth it.
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