leaning in

a friend recently sent me a book that is deeply changing my life. (it's called "one thousand gifts"- i hugely recommend it!)

after reading i noticed that the author has a couple of websites with additional information.

i found myself reading one late last night, ignoring my need for sleep. i came to her "parenting manifesto for joy"...it is a list of ten things she commits to doing each day in her home, in an attempt to promote joy and thankfulness. (please go to her site at "onethousandgifts.com" to read it fully. i never recommend random websites, but i promise, this one is so worth your time.)

one of the things she sets her mind on each day, is the idea of drawing in closer to her children whenever they begin to exhibit attitudes or characteristics that would otherwise repel her. (i love that word, repel!! do i have kids that ever repel me?! hmmmm???)

as i read her words, i was taken aback. drawing in closer is the exact OPPOSITE of what i want to do. get closer? to a manic Tasmanian devil? on purpose?

a few days ago, dan returned from costco and after unloading everything, tossed the empty boxes into the garage. our #3 found one and converted it into his very own "bed". (even though his loving parents have already provided him with a full size bunk bed!!) that night he informed us that he wanted to sleep in the box, ehem, i mean bed. it was late and in an effort to not have one more hideous battle on my hands, i agreed...surly he would climb out after, say ten minutes, and sneak back into his real bed.

the next morning he declared he had indeed spent the whole night in the new bed. (mind you, i had no idea whether he had actually slept in the box all night or not.) that night he requested to be in his new bed again...to which we said, why not! again the next morning, he emerged from his room bragging that he had slept in his new bed ALL night!

this i gotta see! so at midnight the next night, dan and i snuck into his room to see just where the little rascal was really sleeping!

no kidding! these were taken after 12am! the kid had actually smooshed himself into a nectarine box from costco!!!

all that space lay wasted on his bunkbed...he seemed to crave closeness on all sides...as if he needed to physically feel his boundaries.
oh. i see. lean in to the repelling behavior...huh.

those three nights were the best nights of sleep he has had in years! (seriously!)

early this morning, i awoke to him crying...3am! i stumbled in to find him in his fruit box-bed weeping...one of the corners had busted!(go figure!) he only found deep rest again after i promised to duck tape the heck out of it in the morning!