The Mother I’ve Become

Yesterday afternoon I asked Jason if he could go up in the attic to get some boxes down for me.  He was busy and reluctant, and immediately I had three nine-year-old volunteers. 

“Sure,” I said, “you can go up in the attic and get the boxes.”

“Just make sure you step on the boards so you won’t fall through the ceiling.”

And I sent them up.

While they were up there they poked around, looking for the bunk bed connectors.  They didn’t find them, but they did find another treasure.  The chandelier.

Let me back up for a moment.  When we moved into this house, the dining room was very fancy.  I just spent 30 minutes looking, and I’m sorry—we seem to have lost the pictures we took before we moved in.  Which is a real pity.  Anyway, the dining room was wallpapered in dark brown brocade wallpaper, covered in roses.  It was shiny and obviously very elegant.  When the old owners lived here the dining room had lovely curtains that puddled on the floor, a beautiful dining room table, and a china cabinet.  And a fancy chandelier. 

We knew from the moment that we looked at the house that we would use the dining room as a home school room.  I didn’t mind the brown wallpaper, because it meant that I didn’t have to worry about what we did to the walls.  But the chandelier, which hung down to our heads and didn’t give off much light, was switched out pretty quickly for a functional ceiling fan/light.  We put the chandelier in the attic, thinking that if we ever sold the house we would need to put it back into the dining room.

Yesterday the kids discovered the chandelier where it had been sitting in the attic for the last 8.5 years.  And of course they called pleadingly down the attic stairs. 

“Please, mom, please can we have one of the jewels???”

And without a moment’s hesitation I said yes.

Why on earth not?  They’re not doing anyone any good up there, for heavens sake.  Why shouldn’t they be enjoyed?

Each one came carefully down the stairs, clutching their “jewels.”  Jared had a big round crystal, and is currently trying to make it into a disco ball for his zhu-zhu pet.  The girls had different plans for their jewels.

 

And so today I want to say…Cindy Lynn, I am so sorry.  If I could go back in time I would relax a little more.  I would let you roller skate in the kitchen.  And I would let you take apart and wear the chandelier too.