Toddler Bed Adventures

My 27 month-old angels (ha) have graduated to toddler beds.  I was in favor of keeping them in cribs forever and prolonging their developmental growth for as long as possible for my own selfish reasons*. But Sweet Potato had other ideas. He began quietly climbing out of his crib a couple of weeks ago.  He would open the bedroom door and saunter down the hall, one time with no pants on. The Dynamo wanted some freedom, too, and after seeing his (littler in size) brother climb out, he tried it -a little less delicately.  Fortunately for me the climbing only happened during naptime and after a few days of it, I knew I had to convert the cribs to beds.  I ordered new mattresses too (because the old ones were in sorry shape) and bed rails to keep them from rolling out.  A big production was made about their "new big boy beds!" and they even got to help put them together. 

Looooong story short, all items except the beds and one dresser have been removed from the room including the light bulb in the ceiling light.  The clothes that used to be kept in the dresser have been relocated to the spare bedroom and the dresser drawers taped shut.  Before the bed conversion, while they didn't spend a lot of awake time in their room, they had access to the dresser and didn't pay too much attention to it.  The same goes for the closet door which they have taken off its track at least three times.

Lucky for me, overnight has been pretty good for this transition but naps have been almost non-existent.  I managed to get them to nap this past weekend both days by taking turns sitting with them on their beds after letting them burn off some energy like wild boys running around their room while I watched for about an hour and a half.  This is clearly a work in progress.  Their lack of naps has made them unbearable after work and they collapse early for the night and wake up EARLY for the day.  I'm reminded of their infancy a lot these days! 

In other news, the boys will be starting daycare full-time after the holidays.  I've yet to decide on which center (due to Sweet Potatoes food allergies and the centers' proximity to home/work) but have narrowed the list down.  I knew this was coming.  I did consider enrolling them this month after my mother ditched me yet again (this time with no notice) for a scheduled-where-she-gets-paid day of babysitting while I work.  That and the fact that she cannot handle the boys for long periods of time anymore on her own.  (Frankly somedays I can't either*).  I pushed it to January 2nd to give us more transition time with the new sleeping arrangements since they will be napping on cots at daycare, and because I have Christmas week off from work and can prep them -and me- for this new phase in our lives.


*not really.