"Daddy's" Big Girl Bed

More than a year ago, I made one of those guilty trips to Home Goods. I told Chris I was going somewhere else...and I honestly was...the car wash, the grocery store, somewhere perfectly respectable and responsible.

But I did what I always do, when passing by Home Goods on a weekend afternoon. My car couldn't control itself. It turned into the parking lot, before I could stop it. And that inner part of me who always feels like she's missing some fabulously inexpensive find...she was thrilled with the detour.

I started toward the right, going up and down every aisle; careful not to miss a discovery.

I got alllll the way to the lefthand side of the store, where the little girls' stuff is...my greatest temptation...and I saw this darling Cynthia Rowley bedspread + pillows.

"Kate is not going to be in a big girl bed for more than a year," my reasonable, Chris Schumacher-side-of-the-brain argued.

"But this is such darling bedding, and it's so inexpensive, and it's the perfect colors, and if you don't get it, you won't stop thinking about it, ever," reasoned the impulse buyer that's been a part of me much longer than Chris has been my husband.

The impulse side won and I bought it, then placed (note: I did not say "hid") the bedding in a closet, waiting for the day that Kate Kate would need a big girl bed.

That day came sooner than I expected. At just 28 months old.

I was home from work on a Friday. I was on the phone with a friend who was having a bad day. Kate was whining for me, and I was trying to be attentive while not being rude to my friend. Finally, after about 30 minutes, I got off the phone. Looked for Kate. Found her.

She had crawled into her own crib to take a nap.

It was funny. But sad! I felt like the world's worst mom.

And I realized, that we needed a big girl bed, fast, before Kate hurt herself crawling in and out of her crib.

So...a few days later, I asked Chris about 10 times to please convert her crib into a toddler bed. Finally, he did...it took about 5 minutes. I ran upstairs, so ridiculously excited to see that Home Goods bedding -- purchased a year ago -- all in place.

I fannagled a way to display the cutest part of the twin bedspread's design, even though I was putting it on a toddler bed, half the size of a twin. I carefully placed the pillows. Chose the stuffed animals (from Kate's vast collection) that best coordinated with the bedding.



I got the camera. I asked Chris to bring her in. I anxiously waited to see her face.

He brought her in.

Her eyes lit up.



She smiled. She exclaimed....

"THANK YOU, DADDY!"

Chris laughed out loud, a deep belly laugh...actually said the words "Ha, Ha, Ha..."...I just smiled, pursed my lips and shook my head as I tried to capture the ironic moment in photos.






The next day, I just wanted to double check...I just wanted to confirm whether my suspicion was correct. Did she really think that this beautiful new big girl bed was DADDY's doing?

"Kate, did you like your new bed?"

"Yeth," shd said through her binky.

"Who decorated your bed for you?" I asked.

"Daddy!" she exclaimed. "That was nithe of he-um," she continued.

Yes, Kate. It was 'nithe.' Very nithe of he-um. That mommy lady, she had nothing to do with it.

:)