Mornings in my house are crazy. I love sleeping in. I have never liked being an early riser. But lately I find myself setting my alarm at an early time just to wake up before everyone and have a few minutes to get something done. Trying to get 6 people ready for a day, especially one where I have to drag extra stuff with me takes a little extra organization, more than I ever thought, but mornings with four kids are a new type of fun, especially with the big brown chair in my room.
I wake up in the morning and ask “Who’s sleeping in my chair?” Then I search the house to see which kids ended up on the couch, in the hall or somewhere on the floor. I was a sleep walker when I was a kid. In fact, I was a sleep walker up until college! And I seem to have spawned a family of sleep walkers. In their defense, I think sometimes they get up to go to the bathroom and can’t find their way back to their own beds. I mean, we live in the house they were born in and their rooms haven’t moved or changed, how can they not find their beds?
I have a brown reclining chair that I got as a Christmas present from my parents the year Evelyn was born. I have used this chair to rock kids to sleep, as a backdrop for pictures, and just to relax. My kids on have found it to be an alternative to sleeping in their own beds. The kids are not allowed to sleep in our bed. My husband and I toss and turn enough, the last thing we need is a kid in bed with us!
Evelyn started the trend of sleeping in the chair. I ask her why she sleeps in the chair and get lots of different responses. The other day is was because the music on the radio bothered her and it was quiet in my room. One day she was in the chair because she wanted to sleep in my bed but knew she couldn’t and claimed the chair was the next best thing. As Evelyn grows, it gets harder for her to sleep in the chair. She could once curl up in the chair but now her legs and arms just hang over the sides. I think she must be uncomfortable, but she keeps sleeping there so it must have some attraction.
Lately, Will can be found in the chair. He is still working on being potty trained at night so I think his excuse for sleeping in the chair is the one about not finding his way back to his room. He will come up to my bed, call out my name. I tell him I love him and go find someplace to sleep. That some place is the chair.
Rarely is Lizzie in the chair. She is just too tall for it. Plus when that child lays down in her bed at night, she is often found in the same position she fell asleep in. If she is sleep walking, I usually find her on the couch.
Casey is still in the crib. His getting up and sleeping in the chair days are ahead of him.
In some ways, I don’t mind my kids wanting to sleep in the chair. It means they are near me, and want to be near me and I can still get a halfway good night’s sleep. One day they will all be grown, move out and I will sit in my chair thinking about all the nights I held a teeny baby or the early morning hours I rocked a sick kid back to sleep. I will laugh at guessing who had been in the chair and cry because my babies are all grown up. Until then, I will tiptoe by them until it is time for them to wake up and smile at whatever blondie unfolds them self out of the brown chair in the morning.
I wake up in the morning and ask “Who’s sleeping in my chair?” Then I search the house to see which kids ended up on the couch, in the hall or somewhere on the floor. I was a sleep walker when I was a kid. In fact, I was a sleep walker up until college! And I seem to have spawned a family of sleep walkers. In their defense, I think sometimes they get up to go to the bathroom and can’t find their way back to their own beds. I mean, we live in the house they were born in and their rooms haven’t moved or changed, how can they not find their beds?
I have a brown reclining chair that I got as a Christmas present from my parents the year Evelyn was born. I have used this chair to rock kids to sleep, as a backdrop for pictures, and just to relax. My kids on have found it to be an alternative to sleeping in their own beds. The kids are not allowed to sleep in our bed. My husband and I toss and turn enough, the last thing we need is a kid in bed with us!
Evelyn started the trend of sleeping in the chair. I ask her why she sleeps in the chair and get lots of different responses. The other day is was because the music on the radio bothered her and it was quiet in my room. One day she was in the chair because she wanted to sleep in my bed but knew she couldn’t and claimed the chair was the next best thing. As Evelyn grows, it gets harder for her to sleep in the chair. She could once curl up in the chair but now her legs and arms just hang over the sides. I think she must be uncomfortable, but she keeps sleeping there so it must have some attraction.
Lately, Will can be found in the chair. He is still working on being potty trained at night so I think his excuse for sleeping in the chair is the one about not finding his way back to his room. He will come up to my bed, call out my name. I tell him I love him and go find someplace to sleep. That some place is the chair.
Rarely is Lizzie in the chair. She is just too tall for it. Plus when that child lays down in her bed at night, she is often found in the same position she fell asleep in. If she is sleep walking, I usually find her on the couch.
Casey is still in the crib. His getting up and sleeping in the chair days are ahead of him.
In some ways, I don’t mind my kids wanting to sleep in the chair. It means they are near me, and want to be near me and I can still get a halfway good night’s sleep. One day they will all be grown, move out and I will sit in my chair thinking about all the nights I held a teeny baby or the early morning hours I rocked a sick kid back to sleep. I will laugh at guessing who had been in the chair and cry because my babies are all grown up. Until then, I will tiptoe by them until it is time for them to wake up and smile at whatever blondie unfolds them self out of the brown chair in the morning.