All The Right Pieces In All The Right Places

The bed alone came in four different boxes. Dozens of pieces big and small plus four full bags of screws, dowels, and related construction things. The directions had the thickness of a magazine. Pages of descriptions with illustrations and alternate ways to put it all together. 

I started sweating just staring at it all. 

I've put together many pieces of furniture over the years, and with each piece comes its own share of stress, blood, sweat, and tears. And cussing. Lots of cussing. Sometimes the directions read like Latin and it would take forever to put together. This would always include putting something together incorrectly, followed by a string of colorful expletives while took it apart and put it back together again. 

And sometimes the directions were clear, but then pieces were missing or broken, and I'd have to contact the manufacturer to send new pieces. Usually though, manufacturers of prefab furniture provide extra parts and a customer service line to help you if you're grappling with broken or misshapen pieces that don't fit.

Like life, there's not always accurate directions, and the right pieces don't always fit where they're supposed to, and there's a lot of cussing (for me).

This time we ordered furniture from IKEA for both our daughters. We've ordered from IKEA before, and even though the joke is always what I've already outlined above -- tons of pieces and hours of sweaty fun to put together -- they've been quality products for us and they do a good job with packing their goods and the providing clear directions. 

The furniture is for both our daughters, because after sharing a bedroom for 12 years, and cramming a lot of stuff for two kids into one space, they're getting their own rooms as teens after some house remodeling. They've always gotten along fine in that shared space, but they're definitely looking forward to their own rooms. Their mom Amy has been helping them go through what they're keeping and what they're getting rid of. Now that we're back from vacation, it's time to get it all done before school starts. 

It is a bittersweet moment, though. This is yet another transition to independence and adulthood for them both. Moving away from young kid things (not all the way) to older teen things. Decorating their own spaces they way they want (within parental reason). 

It's also bittersweet because we know they'll miss each other. They've been close as sisters and friends for a long time sharing a bedroom and it will come with some buyer's remorse. More for our oldest Beatrice than her younger sister Bryce; Bryce can't wait for her own room. Yes, they'll still be in the same house together and will hang out in each other's new rooms, but the childhood days of sharing space are ending. 

I took a break from putting together Beatrice's new bed to have lunch. She asked me if she could help put something together, and I said of course. I told her to put together her desk chair. 

From where I sat at our dining room table eating lunch, I could hear Beatrice moaning and complaining about putting the chair together, not understanding the directions, dropping screws. Just like her dad but without the cussing, I thought. Then I heard Bryce tell Beatrice she'd help her. 

Bryce joined her big sister and I listened to them work together. They laughed, they complained, they teased each other, and they put the chair together, together. At one point it sounded like they were struggling with the chair, but when I asked if they needed any help, I heard a resounding no. 

I checked out the new chair and sure enough they put it together correctly, although there was an extra plastic cap that looked like it belonged on the chair. Bryce told me it did not and the directions said to throw it away. 

Well done, kids. However, life doesn't come with such a clear set of instructions, and while they're not quite in their own rooms yet, so far their budding independence and path to adulthood has all the right pieces in all the right places.