Free Range Children

Uh-oh.

Just over one month ago, Jack climbed out of his crib for the first time. Truth be told, I have been trying just as hard as I can to ignore this. And Jack seemed so shocked and a bit scared by the whole experience that he didn't try again.

But, two weeks ago (after hearing some screaming) I entered the room to find Thomas precariously balanced on his stomach on the edge of the crib rail. Jack, always righteous and ever helpful, was just watching from his crib and shouting "No! No! No!" at him. Still, I tried to ignore this.

But then today at naptime Tommy made it completely out.
And so, toddler beds and open sides it is. Let freedom ring, and all that.

I was worried about this, of course. But I never gave a second thought as to what the boys would think of the beds. I mean, if their goal is to be able to get out, then these are exactly what they have been looking for, right? I thought they'd be ecstatic.

Not so.
Thomas, I could tell, was on the fence about all this. Jack's reaction was decidedly more definite: he started shouting "No! No! No!", tried to push the bed out of the room, and made 'unscrewing' motions with his hand in front of the screws at the end of the bed that Daddy had just spent all that time putting in. All I can say about that is that they are finally asleep. For now.

Meanwhile, Anna's reactions to all this were fantastic.

• She went from the retail: "Wait... does this mean they get new sheets?
• To the sentimental: "We're giving away their cribs? Can we keep their bears?"
• To the insightful:
  [Mommy explains to Anna that the brothers are climbing out of their cribs, so they are not safe, so they get big boy beds.]
  Anna thinks for a moment and says
  "Yeah... or a top."