A Bedroom Tale

Once upon a time, three little babies were born. They were adorable. They were tiny. They were identical. Their parents had bought a house a couple of months prior to the birth, and while it was small, they knew it would hold their soon-to-be family of 5. They set up the nursery, and brought those little babies home…

Those three little babies grew, and grew, and grew. Before their parents knew it, they were active, slightly crazy, toddlers. Those silly boys learned how to climb out of their cribs around the age of 2.5 years old, and their parents decided it was time for a big boy room and beds. Oh my.

The parents spent a couple of days painting the room, and when they were done, realized it looked like a Kansas University bedroom. Whoops! See, the parents didn’t grow up around here, nor did they attend any of the local colleges, so their loyalties lie with none of the schools.

The boys loved their new room and new beds, and there was great rejoicing (and bedtime partying) at the house.

Two and a half years and one sister later, the room and house had been outgrown. However, the parents realized this was not a good time to try to sell and move, so they thought outside the box.

Hmmmmm…. their boys were getting too big for their toddler beds, and yet twin beds or even two bunk beds would not fit in their current room. Solution? Switch bedrooms.

The mom was slightly annoyed that there wasn’t enough time to re-paint the room before squeezing all of their belongings into it, but has determined that will be a good winter project.

In August, the father began building some beds. Yep. Building them! Since becoming a homeowner 5 and a half years ago, he’s become more and more handy, and the instructions said a beginner could handle the beds, so he took the project on.

After careful measuring and planning, the parents decided to build this bunk bed and this loft bed. And so the father got to work, collecting tools, wood, safety goggles and screws.

Many of his nights were spent in the basement, working on the beds. Finally, in early October he announced he was almost ready to bring them upstairs to finish assembling them! So the little boys’ aunt came over and helped their mother paint their new room a nice, neutral blue color – perfect for growing boys, but not crazy like their first room had been.

A week or so later, the beds began their migration upstairs…

There was great excitement in the house that weekend! The bunk beds were assembled first, and then a week later the loft bed made it’s way upstairs, and into the bedroom. During that week in between beds being assembled, the boys rotated who slept on the floor, and the parents were relieved to see their 5 year olds thought that was cool and fun!

Now the room is done. The three big boys, who were once three little babies, now have a much bigger room and much bigger beds. They have room to play with toys they don’t want their little sister to get ahold of. They have their own bathroom, and a larger closet that they’ve even been known to play in.

Whether this family is in their small home for 10 more months, or 10 more years, the parents have deemed this room-swapping decision to be a good one. The mother is highly impressed with the father’s increasing handy-man skills, and is already plotting what other items from the Ana White website she can have him build, and the father is rather proud of the beds, but dreading the honey-do list he knows is coming.

While the little sister is not a fan of being shut out of her brothers’ new room, the mom loves that her boys will go back to their room to play a board game, or with their legos, and peace fills the house (with exception of the sound of little sister wailing at the brothers’ door for a few minutes). The parents are also happy to see their little boys so good at taking turns on each of the beds. There is no arguing at night with who’s turn it is to sleep on the loft, or top bunk, and so the rotating is working wonderfully.

And they lived happily ever after!

The end.