The Bunk Bed Ladder

When we had our house built 5 years ago we never imagined 4 kids running around. The floor plan we chose was a 1.5 story on a basement. Clif's office is in the basement, master on the main, and two bedrooms with a loft upstairs. We kidded our builder that we wanted to fill up the upstairs. That we did!

After it was determined that the triplets were going to be 2 boys and 1 girl to add to our little boy, we had to figure out the best way to have 4 kids inhabit 2 small bedrooms. The thought was that Austin would move to the room across from the nursery, the nursery would become the triplet nursery and eventually the two boys would move in with big brother. The best way to accomplish that future fision was bunk beds.

Before bed rest I found bunk beds at the unfinished furniture store. It was a floor model and already finished. The style was a single on top/double on bottom. Perfect! If it worked, all three boys could share it some day.

Fast forward to an earlier than expected delivery and Austin had to move to the room sooner than expected. We took great care to move him over several weeks before the babies were ready to "take over" his old room, the nursery. We wanted to make his new room a big deal and let him get settled before giving up his old space.

He knows the top bunk is off limits and has been told that he can sleep up there when he gets bigger. His friend Sam has bunk beds (he's 5 and mentioned in the video below) and sleeps on the top, so this took some convincing. When Clif assembled the bunk beds we didn't bother attaching the ladder. In fact, we put it in the nursery closet so that he wouldn't be able to readily get to it.

Today, he found it!

The babies had an early lunch and were in their beds for an early nap because Frances and the girls were coming to stay with the triplets while Mommy and Austin had a date. We went to Stone Mountain Park to meet Bob and Larry of the Veggie Tales. I asked Austin to play trains in his room while I took a shower.

I told Austin to stay out of the babies' room. He agreed. Now, I knew he couldn't be trusted, but you have give him chances to practice being trusted. I took a quick shower and was talking to my mother and watching the video monitor as the following unfolded.

Austin had taken his sheet, a quilt, and a pillow into the babies' room. He made a place on the floor and was on his back on the floor. This was surprising considering his new morning routine consists of him picking a sibling, jumping in their crib, and singing to them. Today's song was Jesus Loves the Little Children in John's bed.

John and Tyler weren't too amused at his nap time interruption, but Lauren was laughing out loud. He was laying on the floor, singing and making her laugh for 10 minutes. Then...he got bored.

This is what I imagine went through that three year old brain.

Hey, I wonder what's in the closet. Hmm. That door is hard to open.
{grunt.} There! Hey, why did mom put this in here? (throws out old
changing table pad that we're done with) Wow, there are a lot of shoes in here. Let's get a few of these out of here. {Lauren laughing harder...John now standing
up paying attention} Oh, jackpot! I found my ladder. {drags
the ladder out doing various acrobatic moves to try to get it so that he can
manouver it from their room to his} I know what to do with this! {Tyler is now standing up paying attention. And I certain he was making good mental notes}

"Holy Cow! He's getting the bunk bed ladder out of the closet!", I said. So like any good mom, I grab the video camera and head up the stairs. He never did answer me about where he found the ladder. The following is what I taped as I finished my phone conversation.

Needless to say...the ladder is now in a new hidden place only to be brought out when all parties upstairs are ready!