Selim's new bed

Yesterday Selim and I skipped karate and headed out for Ikea instead.  Last spring we had been in the store and he saw a bed that he really liked.  I told him that once he slept more in his bed than in mine, he could pick out a bed that he wanted.  Since he has been doing a great job of sleeping in his own bed recently, I kept my end of the deal and took him back.

It was an interesting trip.  Most of the times we go I am looking for something specific for me.  This time, I followed his lead.  We picked up a few small things -- a stuffed dog, green pillow and one that has a design that reminds him of a treasure map.  Just before we got to the cafeteria, we hit the kids section.  And there was The Bed.  It was wood with white and blue, not green as he had remembered.  But it is like a bunk bed, without the second bunk.  The bed platform is about four feet up, using three ladder steps to get up.  The bottom is empty for a play or storage area.

In the marketplace area, we picked up a couple of big floor pillows, a light weight duvet and cover, and a few more storage bins for the unit we picked up last time.  I got a small stock pot and juice glasses.  I had a monetary number in mind and we came in $70 below, so I was pleased.  We stopped at Trader Joe's on Rt 1 north of Boston to complete our day.

Today the goal was to clean his bedroom, remove his old bed and install the new.  I didn't take before pictures because the room was so bad, I would not have been able to share them.  It wasn't hoarder bad, but it was gross.  Selim and I worked in his room while Nedim organized the bed pieces and started construction in the living room.  I am/was so proud of Selim and his willingness to through stuff out.  When he was small, he used to find "pretty" trash at the park and insist on bringing it home.  He has not had an easy time tossing broken toys, drawings, bits of paper, old pipe cleaners, or craft projects away. 

This morning was a different story.  He put things in the trash sack and told me to toss things as well.  We took out four kitchen trash bags full of crap out of that room.  Disgusting, when I think too much about it.  We got the room cleared out about the same time that Nedim was ready to bring in the new bed.  Construction went fairly smoothly.  The only hick up came when Nedim cut the Allen wrench so that it could fit in the power drill.  Genius!  But that made Selim really mad, "I didn't say that you could break the Allen wrench, Dad!"    Traumatic for him.

When the bed was finished, Nedim took off to his standing Sunday afternoon pool tournament while Selim and I stayed focused on the task at hand.  We went through the piles of stuff that we took out of the room to make way for the bed and only put back things that he likes, uses, and still wants.  That turned out to be a small fraction of the items that were there in the first place.  We put his karate pee-wee belts and the boards he broke in one bin, stuffed animals in another and one more with favorite books.  There is one miscellaneous container with costume hats and a few odds and ends, and that is it.  Selim set out the pillows; arranged the stuffed animal dog bed; and set the bins just so.  It is now a delightful space.  The only project that we didn't tackle in the room were the books.  We have to go through those and take out the baby board books, but otherwise, it is decluttered.

Since the sun was beginning to set and we hadn't had any outside time, we bundled up and played in the front yard.  He played, while I cleaned out the car and then sat on the front step.  I love it that he is content to play by himself in the snow.  He took out a butte knife and cut out blocks of snow and made tunnels in the snowbank.  He can amuse himself so much better outside than in.  I had fun watching him play, slide over the snow and jump around.

When Nedim came back, we installed the cloud lamp for his under the bed space.  With that on, he pulled out a book and began reading it to his friends.  Magical, really.  I think this will be huge for him.  Having a high bed opens up the small room and does allow for a play space that wasn't there before.

Our day would have ended on a high note had he not been practicing a karate kick.  Instead, he kicked, slipped and did a face plant on the floor.  He bit the inside of his lip really hard and gave himself a nose bleed.  He spit out lots of blood and was convinced that he had broken his jaw.  He was so scared that his legs shook and he could barely stand on his own.  Part of the issue is that he has lost three top teeth in the past two weeks, so his mouth is super sensitive and other teeth are wiggly.  It makes any hit to the mouth more scary when he thinks he will lose another tooth.

It took a while to calm him down.  But we did get him on the couch, with a paper towel to his lip, and after singing a few songs - relaxed.  He fell asleep before 7:30 and I think he will be OK tomorrow.  I wish the day hadn't ended like this because it was a great day.  His willingness to toss stuff gives me hope for the rest of the house.  I can take inspiration from his actions.