Austen Gets a Bunk Bed

During the time when we were trying to figure out what to do with Peyton because she wasn't sleeping at all, we thought getting Austen a bunk bed would help. She could sleep with him at night and she wouldn't be scared. We had been talking about some day making Austen's bed into a bunk bed for no other reason except that it seems like sort of a rite of passage for a boy to have a bunk bed and we told him when he turned 5 he would be old enough. Well, he turned 5 and with Peyton not sleeping so well, we were desperate for a solution. Turns out we didn't need it for Peyton but Austen fell in love with it.

I'm glad too because it only took three trips to the store to make it happen. The first trip was to buy it. The second trip was because they forgot to give us part of the bunk bed kit and the third time was because we finally decided to open the box and realized it was the wrong bed (that part was my fault though). This wouldn't have been nearly as annoying aside from the fact that the store was a 40-minute trip each way!

Well, it was worth it. Austen loves it. He can climb up top and it is his space where not even his sister can go. (We taught her from day one that she is not allowed to climb up the ladder and she knows and doesn't.)

But, I miss standing over my little boy before I go to bed at night and watching him sleep. Now I have to climb halfway up the ladder or peek between the slats on the guard rail to catch a glimpse of him sleeping soundly. But, I'm okay with that when I see how happy he is in his bunk bed.

A Weekend Away

The kids were off of school this weekend so for the third year in a row, we trekked north to the Wisconsin Dells to let the kids enjoy themselves at the water park capital of the world!

We have tried a different place each year and this year was no exception. We ventured a little off the beaten path to Chula Vista and we weren't disappointed. The rooms were great (we of course booked a condo) but I still like Wilderness' indoor water parks the best because it gives you a little more variety.

Anyway, Austen was so confident this year to swim and go down the slides. He almost didn't need us. I did have to bribe him to go on the big water slide with his dad but hey, I bribed him with a book so it was a good deal! And, once he went on, he loved it! Tom thought he would be really scared since it was a pitch black tunnel they went through at first but he kept telling Tom this isn't scary! He was all smiles when he came out too and the raft they were riding in didn't flip over at the bottom so that made it a good experience!

Peyton definitely didn't like the water all that much until the fourth time we took her to the pool - the morning we were leaving! Then she started to get into it. I remembered from last summer how it took her a bit to warm up and she did.

The kids definitely loved walking together to the pool.




They loved playing all the video games together including Dance Dance Revolution!






And, they even got to share a room and they did really well. It's great to see how much they enjoy each other. It definitely makes twice the work that two kids are definitely worth it!

Happy Valentine's Day! Love A&P

Valentine's Day is fast approaching and even though Tom and I don't celebrate it like we used to with dinners out in the city and lavish gifts, we are certainly enjoying partaking in what Valentine's Day means to our kids.

Austen and Peyton's school doesn't really celebrate Valentine's Day with the giving of Valentine's to all their classmates but they are having a bake sale. So this afternoon, we spent some time as a family cutting out heart cookies and decorating them and making cupcakes. All Peyton kept asking is "I eat it?" meaning can she eat it. I caught her a couple of times trying to swipe some of the extra dough and all before dinner! They did make themselves each a heart cookie and decorate them. I told them that they had to wait to eat them until after dinner but even while I was trying to take this photo, Peyton was trying to nibble away at hers!

We asked Austen who his Valentine was in his class and he proudly proclaimed, "Lydia!" "We try to kiss each other all the time," he said.

"You're too young," said his Dad. But I thought it was cute, especially since Tom and Lydia's Dad are working together on building the school's new gym. The girls are already talking at this age about who they are going to marry. In 2011 it was Cali. Now it's Lydia.

For Peyton, the only boy she has eyes for is her big brother's best friend Gavin. Can't say I ever was interested in any of my big brother's best friends! Okay, maybe one....a long, long time ago!

A Good Night's Sleep

Finally Tom and I are getting a good night sleep once again. For about three weeks we were trying to figure out the perfect solution to keeping Peyton in her big girl bed from the moment she went to sleep and then throughout the night. She was making it an hour long process at bedtime and then waking up sometimes two and three times per night.

We tried leaving her door open and leaving the hall light on. That didn't work. I think the light disrupted her sleep since she has always slept with her door closed as a baby. Plus she was always getting out of bed and coming to find us.

We gated her door. She cried. She climbed over it and she barreled through it. Not so safe we thought.

We put her to sleep in Austen's room and that worked for one night aside from the fact that Tom caught them playing at like 4 a.m. when they should have been sleeping. We even bought Austen a bunk bed thinking we were going to move her into Austen's room.

But what we finally found that worked were two things: A video monitor so we could see what she's doing in her room throughout the night and also closing her door so she can't get out.

She tires of crying quickly, climbs back in her bed and sleeps through the whole night. I'm guessing this sleeping with the door closed despite her protests is really what makes her feel safe since that's what she has known all her life. She's getting the sleep she needs and so are we! We're a much happier family that way!