Movin' On Up

....to a bigger boy bed! I promised my mother-in-law awhile back that I would post a picture of Ian's "new" bed.

I'll preface the picture by saying that the toddler bed didn't suit Ian's needs. He was constantly sleeping on the floor, even going so far as to set himself up on the floor with pillow and blanket. We dragged the full-sized futon mattress in for a Trevor sleepover and it remained in the room for several months while we contemplated the next piece of furniture.

We took Ian, with Connor in tow, to look at beds. He gravitated toward the bunk beds, looking forward to lofty digs. Watching Connor climb right up after him solidified the decision NOT to get bunk beds. We thought about separating the bunk beds, but Connor is still in the crib. Storage is limited, so we moved to Plan B.

Plan B was looking on Craigslist for a used twin bed for Ian. I finally decided I wanted to get him a captain's bed with drawers for extra clothes and bedding. This one popped up for a lean $40 so I sent my husband to go and get it. It has four drawers, which are used for pajamas and extra sheets. The door opens to a long section that is perfect for storing Ian's board game collection. Our biggest concern was keeping Ian in the bed without rolling off. We tucked the sides of the blanket and sheet firmly tucked into the mattress. He stays put! Trevor has slept over and there is plenty of room for both of them to tuck in. Even enough room for Mommy to take a good snooze, which has happened a few times on those long-suffered days.

Future projects include: repainting the room to neutral colors (sorry J&T-they are outgrowing the baby colors! Sniff, sniff!) and adding some primary color altered letters on the wall with their names and some artwork and excavating the closet again. Toys are such a nightmare to keep under control.

You will also notice along Ian's wall are several Post-it notes with words on them. Ian can read all of his "AT" words and he is learning the "AP" words now. Preschool will not know what hit them. I see shades of myself in him because I was reading long before I ever went to Kindergarten. (McGuffey primers, anyone??) Reading has been the cornerstone of our time spent together, since he was a baby. Math is another area where he is connecting (which has nothing to do with my genes)....tonight I told him he had to take five bites of his "chicken". (salmon doused in ketchup) He had taken two bites already, so he immediately said, "Mommy, that means three more bites. Three more is five. " Sponge.

I also promised Sheila the birdhouse picture. It just so happens that Phoenix is experiencing a full day of pouring rain. A day to stay home because rain+Phoenix drivers = frightening, a day of curling up in pajamas, perhaps turning the heat up a few degrees and marveling out the window. It is not a day to run out to the tree in the front and take pictures of my son's birdhouse. Tomorrow's another day.