The Best Lessons

She didn’t want to pose for this picture when we were at the mall but she did it for me

Luisa and I spent the morning finishing the last few things in the basement and then bought new shelving. The thing about new shelving is that you have to put it together. There is no Shelf Putter Together Fairy. So, we carried all the boxes in and took all the pieces down to the basement and then put them all together with a little help from Zeca. Then, we went up and down the stairs approximately 439 times as we emptied our dining room and our family room of all the odds and ends that have been stored there. We are nowhere near done.

I’m tired. Days and days of cleaning, painting, and now lugging stuff up and down the stairs have added up. After the loads we carried down today, we ordered pizza and I plopped down in a chair to relax for a few minutes. I had just opened Words with Friends when I saw Zeca out of the corner of my eye, walking stealthily past the living room with a hammer.

“Whoa there! What are you doing?”

Zeca: “I’m going to hang up my cork board in my room.”

Me: “You can’t use a hammer on plaster.”

Zeca: “But it has ‘No hassle hardware!’”

I tried not to sigh audibly, “I’ll help you.”

We went upstairs and I checked out the No Hassle Hardware which consisted of two hooks and two nails. I explained that you can’t use nails on plaster and told her that we would need anchors. I thought about trying to put it off until tomorrow but decided we’d just do it and I’d teach her.

So, we gathered all the tools and I explained as we went. Drills and chucks. Bits and anchors. I drilled the first hole and she put in the anchor, gently tapping it with the hammer. Then, she drilled the second hole and as the bit went through, she said, “Well that’s terrifying.” Then, she put in the anchor and then I showed her how to use the drill with the screws. And then, I picked up the cork board to put it on and realized I probably should have checked her measurements, “I hope you measured this right.” She laughed a little, “Me too…” She had measured it perfectly.

She admitted that she had planned to do it herself because she knew I was tired and she didn’t want to ask me. I admitted that I hadn’t wanted to do it but was glad that we did because I really enjoyed working with her.

In the end, she learned to use a drill and hang something on the wall and I learned (again) that some of the best moments happen when you’re not looking for them.