Kicked to the Curb

Double is becoming "not needed". I think this upsets Rob and I more than Mason. He has been MIA for two days and it hasn't phased Mason or affected him at all. Is his precious sleep comapnion not needed anymore?

Update: Double has been found and his sleep space in bed every night with Mason has been restored!

So Big

Oh, Bryson is getting to be so big! When do they grow? I am with them all day and don't notice they have grown. Maybe if I called one of the discovery channels, they could put a camera on him at all times, slow it down and then we could actually watch the process happen! That is a great idea for the next reality or documentary series! I would watch in awe!

Sweet Dreams though Osmosis

Oh, we might as well make Ellery's bed a toy box or a book shelf????

Footed PJ's

While Rob and I were out on date night, Mason talked the sitter into letting him wear footed PJ's in June! Mason has been telling us for weeks that he needs to wear footed PJ's at night because he is so cold. We have been telling him no, but you can see the sitter couldn't resist him. We didn't wake him up to change, just uncovered him. Funny how he hasn't asked to wear footed pj's again. I guess I should have let him do it sooner?

Sleep Habits

Ellery feels compelled to tell random people how I poked her in the eye yet fails to mention it was in the dark and I was groggy as I reached out for her. Since the incident she hasn't made near as many night time appearances, although she has fallen out of her bed twice in the last week. I think it might be due to all the books and stuffed animals she is sharing her bed with. She also unzips her PJ's not because she is hot, but so she can feel the silky side of her blankie. If she doesn't have on zipper pj's she lifts her shirt up and requests you cover her up with her blankie, silky side down. She also can't keep the books out of her bed. I have given up cleaning them up for her or with her every night because when we wake up in the morning we are back to having 20-40 books in her bed. She keeps her favorite books tucked under her pillow, so if I do happen to clear them out while she is asleep, I don't get the "good" ones. We also have started lining up her animals in bed with her. It changes every night. Some nights we have to round up all the dog stuffed animals and they sleep with her, or baby dolls, etc. It is usually a category well thought out on her part. If she had her choice, I would be in her room perfectly placing them with her for a really long time. Since, patience isn't a work anyone would use to describe me, I give her 5 animals/things with two positionings each. Once we max out the number I kindly kiss her goodnight and leave her to her perfectionist ways. Which Rob would also say she gets from me!

New Sleeping Arrangements

We have done some bed rearranging in the Chaplin house yet again. Why we didn't think of this option the first place is beyond us, but we have now figured it out. We decided that since Ellery's room has the private bath we should move the queen size bed back to her room, so when we have guests they don't have to share the bathroom the kids are currently using. Not to mention they would have a bit more privacy a bonus in my book. Ellery doesn't realize she has a bathroom off her room yet, and we haven't promoted it. We have had a lot of company the past few months and they have been coming in multiples. Booking up the guest room in the basement and flowing over to the upstairs. We were booting Mason from his room and letting him sleep on the floor in either our room or Ellery's when the light bulb went off that we should do the switch a roo in beds because we probably will have multiple guests in the house

in the near future. AKA Christmas.

Well, Rob was super excited to look for beds. We were really tempted to buy the loft style bed, but went against our urge and bought the standard bunk beds for Mason's room. I think the price of the loft style bed had a huge play in out decision as well. We got a steal of a deal on these bunk beds and a great price point seems to make things more appealing to us! The kids are loving it and Mason informed us he is going to make a "pattern" out of his sleeping arrangements. One night on the bottom and the next night on top. I now have a quest to buy bedding for the rooms. Poor Ellery was sleeping on Mason's old blue space sheets and comforter on her twin and now that she has the queen she gets his blue comforter. I am going to buy her something girly and hopefully pink!

Ellery's first night in her queen size bed. She can sleep any way she wants on it. It makes her look so small again.

Mason back on a twin and sleeping in bunk beds for the first time. Funny it doesn't make him look small. When he outgrows them, Bryson can put miles on them.

No Naps

I knew our days were numbered, but I had hoped I had a few more numbered ones left. Mason has officially given up naps, he now has quiet time. In his quiet time he plays with his cars, reads books, and makes tents for him and Double. Occasionally we are lucky and he naps one or two days a week. It is usually towards the end of the week when he is tuckered out. It does make a quick and easy bed time. He used to come out with multiple excuses to delay bedtime and now if you wait 5 minutes (taking care of Bryson) to give him his last hug and kiss he is out cold in bed. Ellery is another story, she is our late night party girl. She parties in bed with a stack of books. It is not uncommon when we go tuck her in for the night having to remove 20+ books for room for her to sleep.

Mason's First Sleep Over

This might come as a shock, but Mason shared his bed with his friend Cora. In the past if you asked if you could sleep with Mason the answer was always NO. He liked to cuddle with you and get tucked in, but then when he was ready to go to bed he would request you leave. That is why we were shocked when we asked if he wanted Cora to sleep with him and he answered YES. We told the sitter if it was a problem we made a pallet on the floor downstairs for Cora, but when we came home from the wedding everyone was peacefully sleeping with no problems to report.

Tenth Reason Why I Can't Go to Bed

Mason has come up with a new excuse on why he can't go to bed.
I had a bad dream.
He states this before he has even fallen asleep.

Big Girl

We have a big girl on our hands. We gave up sippy cups a few months ago and have been fairly successful in drinking out of a cup. We used to put her back in a sippy if she spilled, blew bubbles, or put food in her cup, and we were doing that regularly but then she figured out she'd rather have a big girl cup like her brother. We haven't had to use a sippy in a few weeks due to spillage.
We also have started transitioning her into her new room with a big girl bed. I might have to break down and buy her girlie sheets and comforter rather than make her use Mason's hand me down space ones. She doesn't seem to mind, but she does favor girl colors over blue. We tried last week and she failed miserably so we put her in the twin bed last night and she was happy for a bit. She then started coming to the door, we baby gate her into the new room, and we told her if she came to the door one more time she would have to go into the pack and play we set up in her room. She failed and ended up in the pack and play, but she is currently upstairs taking a nap in her big girl twin bed and she hasn't came to the door. She isn't that big to begin with, but looks so small and dainty in her big girl bed.
We also put big girl undies on today per her request. Poor Mason couldn't go 15 min without having to relieve himself where Ellery can go 1 hour plus before she gets the urge. We filled up on fluids and popcorn today and she is proud as she can be to be in underwear. We only had one accident and that was when we were outside playing and she did #2 in her pants as well as #1, but she came and told me asap because she didn't like the feeling. Mason tried telling her it was ok to poop on the potty, he stated "you just have to push a little harder". He also told her not to be scared. I still think she is a little young, but she is expressing the interest so I am not going to tell her no.
Thank goodness I have another child on the way. It is tears of happiness that she is growing up, but I don't know if you can ever prepare for it emotionally.

How to Stall Going To Bed

How to Stall Going To Bed by Mason Chaplin
1. I need another Hug and Kiss
2. No one tucked me in
3. I need a band aid
4. I need to go to the bathroom
5. I need my nails clipped
6. I can't find my flashlight
7. I need my cars shoes (house slippers)
8. I need one more book read to me
9. I need help putting on my socks
10. Etc Etc Etc
It is pretty standard he will come out for another hug and kiss, but he has started coming up with some interesting ways to stall going to bed.

Faithful Friend

Some things never get old or left behind. Double remains a trustful and faithful friend in Mason's dreams. I hope his dreams are as sweet as they appear to be

Not Quite a King but Close

We have actually been putting some thought on where we should put the new baby and what we need to do to get prepared. We spent yesterday afternoon moving around furniture and getting started. We made the executive decision to put Mason in the queen size bed. We moved the queen from the guest upstairs into Mason's room and his twin into soon to be Ellery's room so her room can become the babies room. We told her she could start sleeping on a big girl bed when she no longer needed diapers to give her some incentive to help jump start her non existent thrill for potty training. Just when I get used to seeing Mason in a twin bed we switch him to a queen and he looks so small and precious again. He was tickled to have a new bed and a new room. We moved the dresser and chest of drawers from the basement spare into his room. We are using the chest for clothes but we currently aren't using the dresser drawers. Mason and Ellery have had fun putting toys and stuffed animals in different drawers.

Tuckered Out

After looking at the weather we had to spend an extra day in Wichita due to ice and blowing snow in Nebraska. We decided to take the kids swimming the morning before we left to wear them out and it was a successful mission. On our ride home the kids fell fast asleep and slept longer than usual.

I want to sleep in my tent

We have progressed from sleeping in a nest on the floor with pillows and blankets to sleeping in a nest that looks like a tent. We had a party at our house for Rob's transport team and had Shannon the babysitter come over to help with the kids. She always does a good job, but tonight she out did herself. She built Mason and Ellery the coolest tent, so cool that Mason wanted to sleep in it and we said what the heck, go for it. He loves it and slept in it all night long.

I want to sleep in my nest

Mason has been obsessed with taking ever pillow and blanket he can find and building himself a "nest". We think he calls it his nest because his favorite show on PBS is Dinosaur Train and the main character Buddy, a T-Rex, lives in a nest with Pteranodons. We let him take his naps in his nest, but make him sleep in his bed at night. He seems content as can be and well rested after his nap. I personally get a flashback to ET and think at times Mason looks like ET did sitting with all the stuffed animals beside him while he is hiding in the closet.

Zzzzzzzz's

Since Rob gets to experience most everything I put on the blog first hand, he isn't a faithful follower or reader so I should be safe for a few days until one of you rats me out.
We have a lot of discussions and we like to tease each other and ask for proof when we do something that might not make ourselves or others proud. In some instances we ask for proof because we are in denial as well. I classify this video and post as a denial issue. Next time Rob asks me to prove it, I am going to refer him to this entry as evidence, he is going to kill me for this, but it makes me laugh so hard I could almost wet myself. I sometimes wake up the next morning not feeling as rested as I think I should. It isn't the kids waking me up or keeping me up, but it is my husband's snoring. Nothing is wrong with the video, you just need to have your volume turned up so you can see how it feels to me sometimes sleeping next to Rob. Thank goodness he doesn't snore like this every night, usually it is when he is really tired.

Sleeping Baby

Nothing beats peaking in on a sleeping baby. I think we have a little virus and I think Ellery and I are getting to experience it a bit more than the rest. It has made us all a bit more tired. I would be happier if it was just affecting the kids because Mason slept until 7:00 am this morning and Ellery woke up for a bit but when we when to go get her she was back sleeping and slept until 8:45. So since I am tired as well I got a little extra time to relax.

Worn Out

Mason informed me he was too tired to eat lunch today. I told him he could go to bed, but I was going to feed Ellery. I thought he would go to his room and go to bed, but I guess he was too tired to climb the stairs. I found him in the living room passed out on the floor. I have a suspicion he finally came down from his sugar high.
He did wake up this morning and he was excited to come down and hunt for eggs and was slightly disappointed to learn that the Easter Bunny only comes once a year, but it wasn't anything that an Elmo video couldn't fix in a flash.

Dream Dream Dream

I was brought out of my slumber last night by Mason calling to me saying he was "scared". When asked what he was scared of he states "monkey". I have no idea what the monkey was doing or why it scared him, but he quickly went back to sleep, but not before he asked me to "get out of my bed". He is still proud of his big boy bed and he is sharing it on his terms only. He did request that Ellery sleep with him one night and he does let you read books to him in bed, but he does let you know when it is time to get out of his bed. Clearly is doesn't matter what time of day or night it is he is lucid enough to let you know when your time is up.
As I got back into the bed that I am welcomed in I then hear owls hooting outside my window. At first it was just one owl hooting but I think it might have been a mating hoot because shortly after I hear two owls hooting and then none.
Back to the monkey, Rob had a meeting the other evening and came home with a lovely door prize. A monkey that has hidden rubber band arms and legs so you can catapult it across the room. It not only flies, it makes a hideous sound when it lands. Mason loves it, but it is a bit scary looking. It also has a helmet not pictured due to the fact that it flies so hard and fast it won't stay on the poor thing. I used to be able to play catch with a ball, but now Mason wants to play catch with the monkey.