Wednesday, October 10, 2007

The Double Decker Family Bed

We have tried out all possible configurations of the family bed. When Luke was a babe, he slept with us first in our bed unaltered, then with us on the mattress on the floor, with me in our bed while Craig slept on the futon, in a side-carred crib, in the bed with the co-sleeper attached but never actually in the co-sleeper, and I'm sure some other configurations that I have forgotten due to lack of sleep. But now we have a new arrangement: the double decker family bed.

Craig decided to build a bunkbed for the boys. In our fantasy world, once we moved the boys would share a room and a bunkbed, and we would have, drumroll please, our own bed! But, in reality, Luke still wakes once a night for cuddles, and Henry still wakes once or twice for songs. And the thought of running down the stairs multiple times a night was not good. And, too, there is Henry's strange habit of sleeping half on, half off the bed.

So the bunkbed Craig built is a double double bed. A double bed on top. A double bed on bottom. Craig and Luke have been sleeping on top. Henry and I have been sleeping on the bottom.

And our lovely adult bedroom upstairs? With wood floors and dormer windows? Our little oasis? Yet to be unpacked. And, what we jokingly refer to as the "marriage bed" after reading a conservative Christian parenting article about not letting children manipulatively "invade" said bed? We don't actually have one yet.

I don't know what this says about our marriage. Or our parenting. But we are all sleeping okay.

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Postscript: I wrote the above post two months ago. I kept meaning to take a photo of said bed, but somehow, sadly, that is too difficult.

Sadder still: Craig finally ordered us our own, wonderful, memory foam queen sized bed. The boys have been sleeping through the night, and we can't wait to reclaim some of our adult space and time! But the company Craig ordered it from was running a scam, I guess, because they never sent us the bed and they won't return our phone calls.

6 comments:

Beck said...

Oh no! I hope you guys get a good bed soon or your money back or something!
We boot the kids out of our beds when they're 11 months old. Sad but true.

Anonymous said...

Isn't this the perfect place to out the company in question?

Sleep is a good thing. There is something else we do in bed sometimes, but really, that can happen anywhere. :)

Your bed was invaded on the night of their conception, no matter what the Christian conservatives say! (well, I guess unless they weren't concieved in the bed, which proves that the bed isn't all that important anyway!)

Jenny said...

Ser,

I LOVE THIS BLOG! I especially love your candid, playful, ironic descriptions of the gap between how we imagine things should be and how they actually are.

I think you're brilliant and funny and can only hope you'll put in a good word for me when you're famous!

Jen

Bea said...

The marriage bed - that sounds like the kind of phrase hubby and I would use.

(I saw your comment at Beck's today, BTW, and thought it was right on.)

Julia said...

Hey, Ser. I've been meaning to come back and comment on this hilarious post. The double decker bed sounds totally eccentric, but I for one like eccentric people, so whatever it says about you, I like it. I don't co-sleep but every now and then I slip Esme into our bed in the pre-dawn hours instead of returning her to her crib because it's just so warm and sweet to have her there.

Unknown said...

i am not been able to change up my thoughts. for selection of good furniture i am always think about the Cheap Bed Glasgow