The Big Boy Room

I have so many things I want to write about but I've been so busy -- busy keeping up with my work, busy chasing Landon around the yard and playgrounds, busy cuddling and talking with JP until the wee hours of the morning, busy marveling at my nearly 2-year-old and planning his birthday fiesta... just busy. And even though I have one post in particular that I want to write- that I have been writing in my head as I fall asleep the way some people count sheep, it's late and I'm copping out with pictures of Landon's big boy room.

We finished the room a month ago, just before my friends flew into town. Our enthusiasm for the project waned considerably by the time we were installing the old living room ceiling fan by flashlight at midnight on a Tuesday and putting on the last coat of paint very late Wednesday, but we got it done and I'm so happy with it. I spent less than $150 on the decor (linens, curtains, window hardware, rug, pictures, frames, decorative pillows) and I think it's a room that can grow with him. Someday when he falls out of love with trucks (hard to imagine, but I suppose it will happen), we can take down the pictures and change the curtain tie back and truck sheets and suddenly it's just a blue room with navy blue and khaki comforters ready to be re-personalized according to his new love for skateboards or sports or classic novels.

The wooden bins are from Land of Nod and were all I could find to fit under the low, long window sill. They're serving as bedside tables and storage and Landon already loves putting his toys and books inside. I think they'll remain useful for some purpose or another- I can imagine one day stacking them in the laundry room to store sandals and other things (can you tell I spent two days justifying their purchase inside my own head? I thought up all kinds of future uses for them).

These are my favorite touches- the truck tie-backs (also from Land of Nod, on clearance for $7) and the truck pictures (from a lovely woman on eBay). These are Landon's favorite things too. When we walk in the room he exclaims "BUSSSS!!!!" and points with great force towards the pictures and the curtains. It's been a month and he still reacts the same way every time. He carried the sheets around in their plastic packaging for weeks before I put them on the bed. Given how little JP or I cared about them growing up, it's so funny to see how much he adores all wheeled vehicles. We still need a dresser and maybe a desk or shelves but we can add them later. For now his clothes can go in plastic drawers in the closet and it'll be a long time before I allow writing utensils anywhere within his unsupervised reach.

We haven't made the transition to him actually sleeping in the room. He still likes his crib so we're not in any rush. We did go out and buy a new mattress for him yesterday so maybe we'll start reading books in there at night and maybe practice lying down together. I'm not sure how it will go, but there's no need to push it so I'm happy to follow his lead. I do want to try before he gets attached to his crib out of pure stubborness but I think the excitement of BUSES! OMG BUSES! on his sheets will help woo him over.

Between this and potty training (another things he's nowhere near ready for and we're not pushing) I'd really rather freeze him as he is right now. I never thought about how hard this growing up/transitions stuff is on the parents. It's a constant process of getting used to something and then having the rug pulled out under you and starting over. I wonder if that's how it feels to be a toddler too?

I can tell I'm getting tired because my writing is becoming needlessly deep. I'm off to bed and promise more substantive content sometime soon!