Nap Time Antics

Nap time has become a little more interesting around here lately. To back track a bit, a few months ago Mitchell fell out of his crib one day. It was the end of nap time and I heard a big thud. When I went into the kids' room, he was laying on the floor saying, "I fall, I fall". I think he scared himself enough to not do it again for a while. Then two weeks ago Daniel went into to get them up and he had done it again, except a lot more gracefully. He was just sitting on the floor right beside his crib with a huge guilty grin on his face. I'm predicting that this little boy is going to be the world's worst liar because either flashes you a really guilty but super cute smile or he puts his head down and looks up at you with his huge blue eyes whenever he's done something that he knows he shouldn't have.

Another thing that has been slowly escalating is the stripping. The boys especially had been stripping down to just their diapers more often over the past month or two and then every once in a while they would get their diapers off too. There have been a few occasions in the past few weeks where I've found diapers in the middle of the room with the contents spread all over the floor.

Well, last Tuesday no one was in the mood for a nap (which also has been happening a little too often lately). I went into their room 3 times in about an hour because Mitchell reached over and grabbed Maggie's soothie from her mouth and she was upset. You think she would have learned by now to not stand right at the end of her crib close enough for him to steal it, but she hasn't yet. Each time that I went in there Casey and Mitchell both had their clothes and diapers thrown into the middle of the room so each time I put them back on. Time #4 I had had enough so I went in with a roll of industrial strength packing tape and started taping the boys' diapers on. They laid down in their cribs and watched me and I think I saw a flash of "Mommy's lost it!" in their eyes. I went back in a little later to check on them and at first I saw diapers on both boys so I was happy, but then as I got closer to Mitchell I realized what he had done. He didn't get his diaper off but he got it far enough down to be able to reach back and grab a handful of you know what and then smear it all over his crib, his sheets and in both hands. Yuck!!!

So after I got him cleaned up I put him back in his crib and gave everyone a few books to look at because there was no way they were going to sleep but I wasn't ready for them to come out yet. A little while later Daniel walked by their room and Maggie casually strolled on out! Another monkey escaped!

Just to cap off that day, while I was making supper the kids were in the play room and Casey came out holding some of the wall decals that were now torn up and crumpled into a ball. Lovely!

So now taping the diapers is a regular thing at nap and bedtime and it has kept them on, but our little Picasso has left his mark all over his crib a few more times. I DO NOT want to put our monkeys into big kid beds yet because I have heard too many horror stories from other moms of multiples that when they did this, it was just one big party and naps went out the window - and I can totally see that happening with our kids. Who would want to sleep when you have the freedom to play with 2 of your buddies? So instead I've ordered 3 crib tents which are mesh domes that attach to the crib and supposedly kids can't get out of. This way I figure I can keep them on their cribs until I potty train them just in time to go to Kindergarten. Ha ha!


Mitchell on the wrong side of the bars.

Casey was busted!

Little miss not-so-innocent.

I'm going to enjoy the fact that Mitchell won't be able to lie very well, let's hope that lasts into the teenage years.



Notice how the diaper and tape are still on, but there is a lot of cheek showing?

He has gotten himself out of zipper sleepers without undoing the zipper or the top button, he just wiggled his way out of it. Another triplet mom gave me the website of a company who sells pj's for kids that zip up in the back. That may be what we need for our little Houdini!