Wednesday, June 11, 2008

I Am My Mother's Daughter

I came to this realization last night as I was fighting with a screwdriver to get some drawer latches installed.

I had been asking for them to be installed by Aba or a handyman for months. I got half installed back in December but then our handyman flaked and I was left with drawers for three inquisitive girls to play in. There was also the cabinet with Zeus' food, the hall closet with the tool box (I love seeing my kids playing with screwdrivers and Xacto knives) and that is just on the main level. Upstairs there is the bathroom cabinets (bye bye lipstick!) and my craft cabinets (bye bye ink pads!).

Last night I got fed up with asking for it to be done and just did it myself. There are still a couple drawers to finish. (Most of the drawers got the latches lined up so that I didn't need the other part, but I need to go back over a few.) Then, seeing as how Aba showed no concern when I mentioned that Shira had climbed out of her crib at nap time, I set about lowering the mattress.

Since I didn't have the book and wasn't involved in putting the crib together originally I had been hesitant to do this. However, after months of asking for it to be done I was realizing it wasn't going to get done and seeing Shira waiting for me at the door when I went to get the girls yesterday managed to freak me out enough that I gave it a whirl. It was actually pretty easy and I am confident that Shira will be held safely for the remaining weeks before I have their bedroom ready.

So I decided that, barring a couple projects (swing anyone?) I'm not going to bother waiting for Aba. I want some light switches changed to timers, the locking doorknob to the girls' room traded out and some repairs made to a couple kitchen drawers. I can do that. Everything has instructions. Everything is pretty simple.

A part of me kind of wishes I was the type of girl who couldn't do this stuff because my nails would get messed up. But it just isn't so. It just isn't me. I packed most of an apartment, moved a large part of it and unpacked everything while four months pregnant with triplets. I'm a "just do it" kind of gal. And I'm just sick of all the half-done things hanging out around the house. My mom changed telephone lines, I can install drawer latches and adjust crib mattresses.

And while I'm on my toolbelt-diva kick, I should go through the tool box. It is full of bits and pieces of old tools that I can never seem to figure out or find what I want. Maybe I should just get my own. I am my mother's daughter after all.