“You know, Cash is gonna need a bigger bed soon. His legs are practically hanging off the edge.” Daddy would come to regret saying this after spending over fourteen hours building your new bunk bed. “Why did I open my big mouth?” he joked, “I should have just let Cash sleep like that for the next three years!” Besides, you guys know me, it wasn’t long after Daddy made that comment that I was scouring the internet, snatching up a Black Friday deal for a twin-over-full bunk. In secret, I’ve let Grey to sleep on Cash’s top bunk whenever was at the MCS farm, but now it would be official and permanent: Grey would be moving up top.
For a hefty price, the furniture store offered third-party assembly of the beds, and upon remembering Daddy’s agony of putting together the old ones, I was prepared to pay. But Daddy would have none of it. He had a stellar cordless drill this time around, and besides he said, “Last time Cash helped me — remember, when he was five — with his PlaySkool tool box. Now, it’ll be Grey’s turn.”
And that’s just how it went. Grey woke up before sunrise that Saturday morning eager to start helping. First though, before the new bunk beds could be built, the old ones had to be broken down. Grey’s directive was to stack the new wooden slats, according to their numbers, while Daddy began breaking down the old bunks. Now, just for a second, imagine doing this in our apartment with our limited space. The living room became a jungle gym of mattresses and wooden planks that you had to scale in order to get to the kitchen or the other end of the apartment. And it was this way for HOURS. During that time, Daddy patiently supervised Grey’s every move, answering repetitive questions while trying to decipher the non-verbal IKEA-esque instructions. “It definitely makes the work harder, having Grey help. He’s almost TOO helpful … so things take much longer. But I know he’s excited about it, so I just try and be patient.”
Patience wasn’t the only thing needed that day; innovation proved just as vital. I’ve always said Daddy can fit a round peg in a square hole, and if anything ever needs fixing or creatively adjusted, he’s the one to do it. So every hurdle you faced you ultimately conquered. When there was a missing hinge for the pull-out drawer, you guys fashioned one out of metal from Daddy’s toolbox. When slats or pegs or screws didn’t perfectly line up, you found a way to make them. When the drill bit went missing that was crucial to completing the construction and if not found would cease everything — Grey scoured the floor until he found it. Then the one piece of wood needed to complete the staircase went missing, only to be discovered, yet again by Grey, in the pile of trash headed for the basement. As a team of problem-solvers and finders, you completed the great build by 9:00 p.m., and although it took many hours, the good news was that you were done just in time for bed.
Cash had somehow played games on his laptop while Grey and Daddy maneuvered around him all day (big shocker!), then dove onto his new mattress when he saw the completed bunk. Swimming his limbs around, he raved about how much bigger it was, shouting, “Look! I can lie diagonal! This is awesome — I have so much more space!” Of course the final touch would be new bedding, so I thought what better pattern for a gamers’ room than Nintendo controllers and Tetrus designs.
Settling in for the night the vibe was celebratory; Cash lay spread eagle across his gigantic mattress while Grey took in the view from the top. After a grueling yet satisfying day of work, Daddy ambled his way down the hallway toward his own bed to relax. There was no question the whole family was going to sleep tight.
So boys, this new year in your new bunks, I’d like to wish you “All a good night.”
I love you. Always and forever. Mom