Big Boy Beds: Episode 1 - The Bedroom Menaces

Not to steal Leah’s thunder regarding the twins’ transition to “Big Boy Beds”, but there are some stories that demand telling.

I traveled to Minneapolis on business three days last week. Not a great time to be away considering Noah & Aidan had abandoned their cribs two days before I was to leave. They did great the first night, sleeping all the way through. The following day’s naptime was somewhat of a different story.

Less than 15 minutes after putting them down, Leah & I proceeded to remove all toys, books, and stuffed animals from the room, as they had literally jumped from their beds and hurled everything they could reach across the floor.

Ten minutes later, I went back in and tied a rope around the doors to their armoire, as they had decided to see how loudly they could open and shut them. Things then quieted down. This is what is referred to as the calm before the storm.

I came back downstairs. Leah was on the couch in the living room, with a vacant look in her eyes. Putting my ear to their bedroom door, I listened to the scariest thing I’ve ever heard.

Teamwork.

I opened the door a few inches, trying to spy on them. Both boys were standing in front of their dresser, the bottom drawer slightly pulled away from the frame. I watched in awe as they each grabbed hold of a drawer handle one up from the bottom and pulled with all their toddler might. They then took turns reaching in and yanking out a piece of clothing, examining it for a second and then tossing it over their shoulders. When they recognized a shape, be it a truck, plane, or what have you, they showed it to each other.

At the close of this phase of the exercise, they turned around and picked up all the clothes, quickly stuffing two drawers worth of clothing into one. It was then that I chose to enter.

“Hi, Daddy!”

Big smiles.

Devilish eyes.

Darting back to beds.

Jumping on mattresses.

Laughing.

I left the next morning.