Everyone Gets a Tent

We’ve had a big week at the Fauser house. Saylah finally has loose teeth … I was pretty sure she was going to be in a training bra before that actually happened.

And, I got a whim to move the girls into separate rooms. Actually, it was no whim at all. I’ve been thinking about it for weeks. Call it mother’s intuition or a blatant “duh” but after nights and nights of the girls keeping each other up until nearly 10 p.m., constant bickering, and a room looking like what can only be described as the  aftermath of a tornado – I decided it might be good for the girls to have their own space.

Really all of the tangibles could have been addressed and corrected if Ben and I had decided to actually not plop ourselves down in pure exhaustion every night after throwing them in bed, and instead taken the time to monitor what they were doing when they were supposed to be sleeping. But, odds had it that we were not going to muster the energy to tackle that mountain. Moving a desk down the stairs by myself and rearranging bedrooms seemed a much easier option.

The key factor in my decision was actually the notion that Saylah’s little spirit was in need of her own space and time for her thoughts. Say is one to enjoy her own time. When she had outgrown naps, but before I was ready to give them up, I used to put her in her room for quiet time. For TWO hours that child would play contently on her bed, coloring, reading and singing to her heart’s content.

Two years later, she still needs that type of time for herself. And there is no way I’m going to convince my big first grader that quiet time /alone time is anything different than her younger siblings’ nap time.

So the move had to be made.

WOW! I am soooo thrilled with the results.

A. Each girl used to get out of bed at least two or three times every evening before the move. Now, we don’t see either one until morning. Wa hoo!

B.  Each girl had been telling me that they weren’t sleeping and that the other one was waking them up early or keeping them up late. Now both girls are telling me how they love their own room and that they are sleeping all night long. (Audrey even re-enacted it for me by showing me how she kept her eyes closed all night … apparently before that she claims she slept with her eyes open … wonder if she was worried what Saylah was going do?!?!)

C. I’ve been looking for time each day where I could have one on one moments with all three kids. I FINALLY FOUND IT! Tuck in time starts at 7:15 with Isaac, about 7:30 with Audrey, and then 7:45ish with Say. All kids are in bed by 8, which is nice, but even more so I’m having a little bit of alone time with each of my babies. Isaac I rock and sing lullabies to, Audrey wants her back scratched while I tell her a story, and Saylah wants to chatter my ears off. Which I adore!

The girls are loving their own space and I am loving this precious bonding time! Last night I knew we had a winning situation when I went in to Say’s room to check on her before I went to bed.

She’d made a makeshift tent with her top sheet by attaching it to the bedpost with a  ponytail holder and a couple of her stuffed friends were in there camping. Then she’d used three pillows to concoct a shelter for her Care Bears and her last couple of baby dolls were set up in yet another tent created by her yellow blankie. Saylah? Well she was sleeping outside of the tents in the middle of the bed … I suppose she was protecting them during their camp out. =) 

Even though she’s got a big girl’s room, I’m thrilled that she’s not that big of a girl just yet. ;)