The Great Bed Swap 2016

I feel like we have done this a couple of times before over the years, and this weekends bed swap is ranking up there with the best of them.

There were a number of factors at play this time.
Megan was ready for some personal space.
Was Johanna ready to share a room?
Was Bridget ready for Johanna?
Beds- which ones? where?

We had originally intended to do the swap after Megan's birthday and we began to pick things out and make decisions. We went to Ikea to look at a new storage bed for Rachael, but that trip wound up being too long (I drove to PA to drop off Emma) and everyone was too tired to make a decision. Then my Mom died and the swap took the back burner.

This past weekend we decided to get it done. Jim drove with Rachael to Ikea and they bought her a bed. With the bed in hand, the swap could now begin. The crib would come down and Hanna would move to the bottom bunk in the front room, Bridget moved to the top bunk, the loft bed in Rachael's room would be dismantled and moved to Megan's new room, and Rachael's new bed would be put together.

The bed part of the move went pretty easily. Jim did most of the dismantling and the girls and I held things, assisted and carried things. We then reassembled the beds one by one over the weekend in their new locations. Rachael's didn't get done on Saturday so she slept on her new mattress on the floor.

I was sad to take down the crib, for the last time. It is too old to reuse (doesn't meet new standards) so we can't even sell or donate it. It makes it more bitter sweet. That crib felt like an extravagant expense in 1998, with the drop down side and storage drawer, but it held our 5 little girls safely and I appreciated its features each time.

Johanna was happy to be in the big girl bed and Bridget was happy to be on the top bunk. Bridget was also glad to lay claim to the big desk. Their 1st night together it was getting late in the evening and Jim, Megan and I were still putting together the loft bed. Bridget offered to help Hanna get ready for bed and read her a story. Those two bonded in a new way that night.

Megan revealed in her new room and new space and is looking forward to getting the stuff swapped as well. THEY HAVE SO MUCH STUFF. paper, clothes, toys, stuff. The beds turned out to be the easy part. Megan's stuff is piled in the office and Rachael's stuff is spread out over the whole basement. We still have the bookshelf with the little kid's books and the wardrobe with sheets, the rocking chair, and the changing table all still need to be removed from Megan's new room. I am hoping that pulling everything out will encourage the pruning of what goes back in.

The Great Bed Swap of 2016 is done. Now onto the stuff.