Let's hear it for toddler beds!

After several days of naptime disaster (recorded here), I decided that it was time to switch the girls to "big-girl beds". I thought that if they had a little more freedom, they might stop with the sheet and clothing removal. Thankfully, it worked! They didn't nap, but they were happy. For a few days they carried on like little monkeys without actually harming anything. The night-time transition was seamless.

We got Lana's bed a few days after the first two. The children were all excited about it, and eagerly helped to wipe it down. (Everett, Gwyn, Maddie, Lana)

That day I put all three girls in the same room for naps and learned that here is definitely a critical mass issue at nap time. No matter what kind of beds we're using, three in the same room just doesn't work in our family! So we're now putting Lana in Everett's bed at nap time, and a miraculous thing has happened. Yesterday, ALL THREE GIRLS actually SLEPT at nap time! Today, I had two girls napping.

Here are my wild and happy children dancing before bed (on a no-nap day):

Gwyn and Maddie are usually very sweet with each other. I realized one afternoon that naps would have ended a lot sooner if both of them weren't being considerate of their sister. Around 2:30, Gwyn had finished napping, but Maddie was still asleep. I quietly collected Gwyn and brought her downstairs. Maddie probably woke up shortly thereafter, but lay there quietly until 4PM when I finally went up to check on her. When I went in, she whispered, "Gwyn sleeping." She thought Gwyn was still in her bed, and was being quiet for her. Sometimes these children really melt my heart.