Big Girl Bed: Expectations vs. Reality

Funny how things never turn out the way you expect!



Up until this past weekend, if you had asked me what to expect when it came to Ashley's transition to her "Big Girl Bed" I would have insisted (and, in fact, DID insist) that convincing her to STAY in her new bed was surely going to be a nightmare and a battle all rolled into one! To put it another way...I was completely convinced that her enthusiasm and excitement about her new bed (as seen in these photos) was all part of her elaborate plan to lull us into thinking she was simply going to hop into bed and go "night-night!"

I was so completely convinced of this, actually, that we put off making the transition for a few months. But we finally got around to assembling the toddler bed (who am I kidding?...Pop-Pop did it for us...Thanks Pop-Pop!) and Peter took the crib apart on Saturday...and we made a little bit of a big deal about it, and then held our breath as we tucked her in and closed the door. A few little whimpers that might translate into "I don't know how I feel about this" that lasted about 35 seconds...and then NOTHING. I even sat right outside her door on the stairsteps, waiting. Not a peep...not a cry...not the pitter-patter of little feet shuffling to the door...NOTHING! What??!?! For real!?! That's right! It all went off without a hitch or a glitch! So we thought...

As it turns out, it is possible things did not go quite as smoothly as we led ourselves to believe.

Did she cry? No.
Did she wail "Mommy! Daddy! I want my crib!"? Uh-uh.
Did she get out of her bed and throw her toys around the room and bang on the door to get out? Absolutely not.

So, in many respects, it was a complete success.

But...by morning, we found ourselves faced with the need to redefine the experience by referring to it, as George W. would say, as "a catastrophic success"...b/c when I entered her room on Sunday morning, our wee little Big Girl was not, in fact, lying in her Big Girl Bed. Instead, she was stretched out on her tummy on the shag rug NEXT TO the Big Girl Bed.

OH! And that probably explains the loud THUMP sound we heard at about 11:30pm on Saturday night--which Peter and I both dismissed as Elizabeth kicking the wall with her foot, since the thump was not followed by crying or wailing.

The good news, however, is that Ashley has now spent TWO nights and two nap times in the bed and there are no new thumping sounds to report! :-)

Sidwell Summer Soccer Camp: From Superstar to Sidelines in Sixty Seconds!

Well, folks...it was a short-lived career!

Today was Elizabeth's first and last day of 9am–12pm 5-day soccer camp at Sidwell Friends in D.C. If it's any consolation, the two girls facilitating check-in did announce "Cutest Camper Award" when we approached! Haha! But, unfortunately, looking the part was simply not enough to sustain her love of the IDEA of Soccer Camp!



When she tried on her soccer outfit (complete with shin guards and athletic knee socks) last night, Elizabeth was very enthusiastic about the adventure that lay ahead of her. However, I could sense there was a little hesitation when we arrived at camp and she grew very quiet and unsure of herself. She was a little trouper as we met her nice, young soccer coaches (two very sweet girls probably in early college or late high school) and she bravely kissed me goodbye.

But it felt like the first day of preschool all over again. As I pulled out of the parking lot, I dialed Peter to confess that I was very hesitant to leave her in this new environment with unfamiliar counselors and peers to participate in a camp surrounding a sport she really knows nothing about. But he reassured me that "I know how you feel...but, you know...she'll be fine. She may even have a great time! And if she hates it, she hates it...and you just don't take her back. No big deal!" Ah...Level-Headed Daddy! Hooray!

Well... from what I gathered at pick-up, she didn't exactly participate enough to really HATE any of it. ;-) But she did report to me that she "didn't really want to do the games" and "it wasn't fun like at Mobu Kids camp" and "I was there for a loooooong time and when I told the teacher I wanted to go home, she said it would just be a little while longer, and it was!" Awww...poor li'l thing!

No tears...but it does sound like one of the sweet coaches--Sarah--probably spent MOST of the three hours trying, unsuccessfully, to persuade Elizabeth to participate. So we think it's probably best, for Elizabeth (and for Sarah!) that we don't insist that she return for the rest of camp.

In a year or two...maybe she will be ready. Or, maybe she would enjoy the team experience with a 45-minute practice here and there with games on Saturdays. But, for now, she is very much looking forward to "Safari Camp" (hello, MONKEYS!) at MOBU Kids in two weeks! ;-)