Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Breaking up roommates is hard to do

Monday night Karsten spent his first night ever in his own big-boy twin bed in the boys room. We placed a foam swim noodle under the mattress to give him a barrier, but he still woke us up twice with loud thumps and cries after hitting the floor. But in the morning Karsten still appeared at breakfast with a wide ear-to-ear proud-of-himself grin. Last night he managed to not fall out of bed even once.

Signe, unfortunately, has not fared as well. Karsten has been sleeping in a pack'n play in her small room since we moved here in November. Her room was ideal because it gave him a separate place to nap while Signe was at school, so his big brothers could still play in their room. She has grown quite fond of her little roommate. Signe read Karsten stories at night before he fell asleep, and in the morning he peeked over the top of the pack'n play to cheerfully chat with her and wait for his big sister to pull him out of bed. The affection was mutual. Karsten often fussed and called for Signe during his earlier bedtime, and we asked her to go read in bed to make her brother happy, even though she just came back out after he fell asleep.

So on Monday night, Signe was sobbing big crocodile years after the boy's bedtime because she didn't want to lose Karsten. She proposed sleeping in the bottom bunk with him in the boy's room, or having him sleep with her in her bed. Anything to avoid losing his companionship all together. This is the first week she has had her very own room without sharing with a brother or two, and being an extremely social creature she doesn't like it much. Although we tell her that the transition is inevitable.

Yesterday morning just after breakfast I found the two of them still in their pjs and on their backs curled up in his very cramped pack'n play. He was cuddled up next to her listening to her read a story she held up high over their heads. I think she'll be alright.



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