Yesterday, Brady went downstairs to do a few little adjustments on his work. He invited the kids to join, but Laela opted to stay upstairs with me. But she didn’t want to play, really. She wanted to do something. So we did!
First, we made a list of things we still need to buy for our basement. Its going to take time to finish the whole thing, so this list will be a good reminder of what we should be looking for sales on. Felt minimally productive. After that, she read a book so I could get the blog up. Very shortly after that, though, it was clear she wanted to spend some intentional time with me. She made this clear by accompanying me to the bathroom, where she stood directly in front of me, just to be there. Just to watch.
That was a thing. Lol! It was time to do something!
So we cleaned out her closet! Laela had previously had a little nightstand that held some of her little special things, but we found she would mess with it well into the night, and eventually we had to remove it from her room completely. During our tidy, she reminisced about it, and told me she was five now, and she had disobeyed those rules a long time ago. She petitioned me for it back. I told her I really wanted her to have it back, so this was one step towards it. I want her special little things to fit in it, so we needed to purge them back a little. (Hear me. Not everything she owns has to fit in it. Just the little trinkets, papers, bouncy balls, birthday cards, etc.) She ended up getting rid of lots of little papers, putting a bunch of books back in the bookshelf, rehoming some things that belong to the other kids, and deciding to donate some old backpacks she had when she was younger. That all felt really good! She was SO satisfied!
But she wanted to keep working. So we sorted a little bit more stuff out and she put some of Solly’s little things in her box of “keeps.” She plans to share a drawer in her nightstand with him, so she’s currently hanging onto the things she’s decided he wants to keep 🙂
But that wasn’t enough. So I asked if she wanted to fold laundry. And she did!!
And it was the BEST! Easily the most fun I’ve had folding laundry in a long time. As I’ve said on here before, I really don’t mind folding laundry! I weirdly hate putting it away, but I don’t mind folding it! Two hampers have been sitting for a few days, because I’ve been sick and in the general busyness of life, we just haven’t got to them. So there was a good chunk to do. Laela LOVES laundry. If she were tall enough that she wouldn’t fall into the washer, she could do everything. She knows the dials, where to put the soap, and how to sort it all apart. She would be thrilled to just be trusted with the laundry. But she’s still a shorty, so I have to help her still 😉 Laela wanted to fold in the living room, so thats where we set up. I had a tub of hangers, and two hampers of the kids laundry. I clicked some music on, and she and I chatted and folded and got the job done. She hung most of the shirts on hangers, and paid attention to where I was stacking each kids pile. She was so gentle not to stretch neck holes, and worked hard on the little buttons that even I have a hard time with.
My favourite moment was coming back after I had stepped away for a second. I watched her without her knowing. She was standing beside the couch, picking a shirt out of the hamper. She gave it a good shake to get the wrinkles out, and then started putting it on the hanger. She was swaying, and singing along to the music on my phone. “Sit down and be set free… come to the table.”
I just melted into a puddle. Her heart is HUGE! Can you imagine the smile on Jesus’ face as she sang?? Ack! It was almost too much!
She eventually spotted me, and I rejoined her. I told her I liked her singing, and she got all shy about it, as I suspected she would. But we continued the job, and got it all done. She put away all of her laundry, and what she could reach of Sollys. I put the rest away at the same time.
When it was all done, she raced off to her room to play with some of the goodies she had rediscovered in her closet. She was SO excited!! Yet, she had first chosen to help me with a job. It thrills my heart to see her make that choice. She has an amazing head on her shoulders, and a beautiful heart within her.
And if you ever get the chance to hear it, she has a beautiful singing voice as well!