A Little Gem

I am, admittedly, not the best housekeeper that ever lived.  However, I do like things to be neat, tidy, and orderly.  Most of the time, I think I achieve this - well, as much as anyone with three kids can achieve it.  Whatever it is in my DNA that creates this desire for cleanliness and order, however, was most certainly not inherited by my middle daughter, Megan.  On the contrary, she seems to thrive in chaos.  She is a whirlwind of energy, silliness, and moodiness.  Her bedroom reflects this pandemonium and is in a perpetual state of bedlam.  On any given day, it is likely that, if you were to look into Megan's room, it would resemble the aftermath of a hurricane - sometimes a category 1; sometimes a category 5.  Once, when I asked "how can you stand your room like this?" she replied, "I like it this way."  I do periodically require her to clean her room.  Her version of clean, though, and my version are in diametric opposition of each other.   So, eventually, after more mess and minimal cleaning pile up (literally), I am compelled to go into the trenches myself and bring order to the mayhem.  Yesterday was that day.

After picking up toys, clothes, and papers from the floor, I knelt down and was confronted by the wasteland that lay beneath Megan's bed.  I saved it for last - the final frontier, if you will - between me and a clean room.  From under her bed, I pulled shoes, socks, clothes, books, markers, small toys, food wrappers, bathroom cups, and a multitude of papers.  All the while I was thinking, "Why does she do this?  We don't live like this.  Our house isn't cluttered like this.  Why?"

Then, I found this little gem.

 
Translation:

• I'll meet Taylor Swift.
• Avery will like me.  (Avery is a boy in her class at school.)
• I'll get my own horse.
• I'll have the cutest purse in school.  (At first, I thought this said "puke."  I was really glad when I looked closer and realized it was "purse.")
• I'll get my own puppy.
• I'll be treated the way I want.
• I'll have the best party.
• I will be popular.
• I will be an ambassador of honor.  (Kind of like the student council at their elementary school.)
• I'll have a nice 5th grade teacher (She is currently in second grade.)
• Dover - (I have no idea where she was going with this or what it means.)
• the last one - # 12 - was blank

I love this.  I love that she did it in all different colors - reflective of her vibrant personality.  I love that, when one piece of paper wasn't big enough, she taped it together with another piece.  It shows her ingenuity.  I love that her hopes and dreams are a mixture of childlike (I want a puppy/horse) and too grown up for her own good (I'll be popular).  This is exactly how she is.  I love that she misspelled some of the words (treeted), again, a reminder of her innocence.  I love that it is incomplete - there is always room for more hopes and dreams.  Most of all, I love that I found this amidst the unruliness under her bed because it is a perfect analogy and summation of Megan.  As I said, she is a whirlwind.  She is high energy all the time.  Sometimes she is simply exhausting.  But, when she slows down for just a moment; when you can get underneath the crazy and really take her in, there is treasure to be found.

Megan - you keep me on my toes and, sometimes, you wear me out.  But, you ALWAYS amaze me and I love you bunches!!!!