Big Girl Bed

Kate recently began to climb in and out of her crib at will.  In fact, it was one of her favorite activities!  I guess it is no big surprise that mean old Mom and Dad decided it was time to transition to a "Big Girl Bed."  Kate wasn't a hard sell, however.  She thinks it is pretty fun.

Fortunately, one of my fifty unfinished projects was a quilt I started two years ago to match the bumper pads I made for Kate's crib before she was born.  The quilt was pieced, but I had never gotten around to finishing it.  It just happened to be the perfect size for the new bed.  My Mom and I had a day of sewing together and ended up with a quilt and two pillows.  Kate was thrilled with the finished product.

The transition was easier than I expected, except for the fact that Kate will no longer take an afternoon nap.  She just has an hour of quite time when she thoroughly delights in the fact that she can get to her books and toys as she pleases.  She is so tired by bed time that it isn't very hard to get her to stay in bed.  We have only found her on the floor twice and I love it in the morning when she comes walking into my room with her "soft green blankie" and her stuffed dog to wake me up.

The girls' room is pretty cute now.  Jane has a real crib.  I don't know that she cares, but it makes her mom and dad feel better to see her in there.  We resurrected the bumper pads and moved the red shelf around to the only available wall.  Now it is a cute room for two instead of one.

There are a couple great stories in this room.  One is the book shelf.  It is a shelf my Dad made just after my parents were married for their little apartment.  It has been all over and served many purposes including a junk shelf in the garage but with a fresh coat of paint it was perfect for the girls' room.

The other story is that my parents actually found the big girl bed for us...at a garage sale.  I can't think of anyone less likely to shop a garage sale than my parents, but they were out for a walk, saw the bed, knew it was perfect, and bought it on the spot.  

It makes me happy to see my girls in their bright colored room.  There is something very rewarding about seeing a project turn out just as you imagined it!  Now the question is if I will ever get anything hung on the walls.  That may be pushing the limit of my creativity too far.