Daniel's New Digs

For a few months now Daniel's needed to move into a big-boy bed. After several years of using his crib converted to a day bed, his feet were finally touching the end slats. Poor thing. So, having received his new furniture (unassembled and in sealed boxes) about a month ago and a weekend of yucky weather on the horizon, Daryle began assembling.

As each piece was completed, Daniel would go up to it and give it a hug. The piece de resistance was, of course, the bed. However, there was no point in assembling it until we had purchased a mattress and bedding for it. So, in the middle of one of the downpours on Sunday, we traipsed off on our shopping excursion.

At one of the local big-box stores the three of us stood in front of a wall of children's bedding. "Choose whichever sheets you like the most." I think Daniel grew a little bit with the responsibility of choosing his own bedding. So many to choose from: plain blue, patterned blue with white, sports themed, Cars movie characters, Thomas the Tank Engine, Spiderman, NHL players and team logos, etc. And if one were to look a foot or two over to the left there were Dora, Barbie, and everything pink. Yikes! In my head I'm thinking "Please Daniel, don't choose one of those, but if you do - so be it." After a couple of minutes he reached for the NHL sheet set. NHL? Hockey? Are you my child? Okay, I guess NHL it is. I didn't know he even liked hockey. New sheets in hand we leave the store and head over to another store to buy a mattress.

After Daniel had hurled himself onto all the twin sized mattresses on display, we chose one and loaded it into the van (thank goodness we'd had the forethought to remove the back set of seats before heading out shopping).

On Tuesday, Daryle finished assembling the bed and put a few of Daniel's stuffies and trinkets in the headboard. Then we both went to pick Daniel up from daycare. The look on his face was priceless when he saw his new furniture all set up in his room! He took a running jump and pounced on his new bed. He didn't even want to leave his bed to come and eat dinner. After dinner Daryle finished juggling the old furniture out and the new furniture in and I shifted the contents from the armoire to the new dresser. I made his bed with his NHL sheets and a beautiful quilt my mother had made for him. A quick purge of toys and clothes and the room had an entirely new big-boy look.

Daniel was happy enough to pass along many toys to the baby or to donate them to charity. The tiny bedroom almost looks spacious with so much stuff removed and the new furniture in place. There's much more space for Daniel to play with his cars and he has easier access to his easel, table and bookcase.

Welcome to your new digs Daniel!