This Bunk Bed...
When you move as an adult, there is so stinkin' much to do, there is no time to be sad or throw fits (for me at least)...but when your parents say it's time to move to a new house (and new state! 500 hundred miles away), AND you have no say in the matter, your world is simply turned upside down and you lose all your friends and comforts of the only home you remember. That's the way I remember it at least, and that isn't what/how I wanted my kids to remember their big move...
So last March when we talked to Izzy about moving (Levi was clueless, but we told him too) and started downsizing toys and our belongings, we had the dramatic crying and sad talk with her; but then she just said one thing - could she get a bunk bed in her new house? We had a sigh of relief, followed by positive assurances... Well, heck yes, YES, you can, honey! We will most definitely do that! ... and that was the end of Izzy or Levi being sad about moving. (whew, because I'm not really an emotional or empathetic person). And she never complained about moving once, the day we said goodbye to TN, the months spent living at her grandparents or starting 2 new schools in 1 schoolyear.
Fast forward 11 months and we are finally fulfilling that promise! And we are so excited for our sweet little girl. We got the bunk bed of Izzy's little dreams for her. We sorta had to go to the EXTREME to do so though.
1. We looked at many stores and found the one she wanted at IKEA (thanks to her older cousin Beverly, who had a bunk bed/desk combo, our little artist, Izzy had to have that combo too).
2. We then stalked IKEA online for almost a month before one became available anywhere near us.
3. We went to IKEA in Atlanta and told her it was the big day to get her bunk bed. (but then they had none in stock and we felt like terrible parents - oops! Big parent fail!!)
4. She then asked almost every day for 3 weeks when she'd get the bed after that.
5. Finally this week, we found it online at IKEA Orlando at 9:38pm Wedsnesday. 1 in stock. 1. how does a store only get 1 in stock??? in Orlando. in Tampa and Atlanta. 1 in stock after 3 weeks!!! (can you imagine our frustration yet?)
6. So I got up early on my 1 day off and drove 250 miles (one way), praying the whole time no one was going to beat me to it, found the bunkbed on display stating out of stock, then sweating it out while the staff located the 1 I said I saw online....and then Mission Accomplished - I got the 1!!!! (Yes, the happy dance was done in the store at that moment, with customer service guy staring at me!) Then I speed shopped for sheets, pillows, lights and a chair - and loaded all those heavy boxes in the mini van myself. We enlisted the in-laws to pick kids up from school/bus stop and baby-sit later, so I could go to a late night work meeting. (Robert works late Thurs).
7. Robert put a movie on Friday night, let the kids stay up until 11pm while he re-arranged furniture and built the bunk bed. (I went to work). This was really a 2 person job, but for Izzy, he got the bed portion done for her to sleep in. He also moved Izzy's old full size bed into Levi's new room, so it was a change for him too. Levi was kinda bummed he doesn't get a loft bed and cool rolling chair, but he settled for a big bed to jump on.
8. We enjoy the smiles of our sweet girl because that makes it worth it!
The whole process was harder for me and Robert than the kids - they will probably never know or appreciate our pains we took to get these beds set up for them, but I'm glad to do it.
We have the craziest schedules where we aren't always together as a family of 4, but somehow we manage to make things work out and our kids just feel loved. That's what matters the most.
(I will add pics one day, if I ever get our computer back)
So last March when we talked to Izzy about moving (Levi was clueless, but we told him too) and started downsizing toys and our belongings, we had the dramatic crying and sad talk with her; but then she just said one thing - could she get a bunk bed in her new house? We had a sigh of relief, followed by positive assurances... Well, heck yes, YES, you can, honey! We will most definitely do that! ... and that was the end of Izzy or Levi being sad about moving. (whew, because I'm not really an emotional or empathetic person). And she never complained about moving once, the day we said goodbye to TN, the months spent living at her grandparents or starting 2 new schools in 1 schoolyear.
Fast forward 11 months and we are finally fulfilling that promise! And we are so excited for our sweet little girl. We got the bunk bed of Izzy's little dreams for her. We sorta had to go to the EXTREME to do so though.
1. We looked at many stores and found the one she wanted at IKEA (thanks to her older cousin Beverly, who had a bunk bed/desk combo, our little artist, Izzy had to have that combo too).
2. We then stalked IKEA online for almost a month before one became available anywhere near us.
3. We went to IKEA in Atlanta and told her it was the big day to get her bunk bed. (but then they had none in stock and we felt like terrible parents - oops! Big parent fail!!)
4. She then asked almost every day for 3 weeks when she'd get the bed after that.
5. Finally this week, we found it online at IKEA Orlando at 9:38pm Wedsnesday. 1 in stock. 1. how does a store only get 1 in stock??? in Orlando. in Tampa and Atlanta. 1 in stock after 3 weeks!!! (can you imagine our frustration yet?)
6. So I got up early on my 1 day off and drove 250 miles (one way), praying the whole time no one was going to beat me to it, found the bunkbed on display stating out of stock, then sweating it out while the staff located the 1 I said I saw online....and then Mission Accomplished - I got the 1!!!! (Yes, the happy dance was done in the store at that moment, with customer service guy staring at me!) Then I speed shopped for sheets, pillows, lights and a chair - and loaded all those heavy boxes in the mini van myself. We enlisted the in-laws to pick kids up from school/bus stop and baby-sit later, so I could go to a late night work meeting. (Robert works late Thurs).
7. Robert put a movie on Friday night, let the kids stay up until 11pm while he re-arranged furniture and built the bunk bed. (I went to work). This was really a 2 person job, but for Izzy, he got the bed portion done for her to sleep in. He also moved Izzy's old full size bed into Levi's new room, so it was a change for him too. Levi was kinda bummed he doesn't get a loft bed and cool rolling chair, but he settled for a big bed to jump on.
8. We enjoy the smiles of our sweet girl because that makes it worth it!
The whole process was harder for me and Robert than the kids - they will probably never know or appreciate our pains we took to get these beds set up for them, but I'm glad to do it.
We have the craziest schedules where we aren't always together as a family of 4, but somehow we manage to make things work out and our kids just feel loved. That's what matters the most.
(I will add pics one day, if I ever get our computer back)
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