The Creaky Doorknob

It's a good thing our little cottage (or bungalow, or colonial, depending on your flair for real-estate speak) is about 90 years old, with creaky floorboards and original door fxtures, because otherwise the kids would scare us to death every morning when they came to get us. At least in this house, we have some advanced notice. Yep, the kids are getting out of their room by themselves these days, after two years of being well-trained to stay in their toddler beds until we came and got them.

I don't even remember when it started but I know who did it: Bud. One morning, after much rattling, he appeared in our doorway. The gig was up. I don't think we knew he'd even been practicing doorknobs. It kind of reminds me of how they learned to crawl out of their cribs: one resttime I heard a lot of giggling and went up to check--lo, and behold, they were naked in the middle of their room, dancing, having for the very first time (and last, as we dismantled the fourth rail, so to speak, that night) gotten out of bed; they never napped again. Last night, he did it twice--once at 4:30 a.m. because he wanted cuddles and then at 6:15 a.m. because he and Sis (who often follows along now in the mornings) were ready to be up. It's much harder to get kids back to bed after they've wandered around the light-filled house a bit and noticed it's not nighttime anymore. (Just like the loss of the nap, I think the days of listening to them chat while they waited to get up are gone. Makes one kinda wistful.)

Not that they actually go anywhere but our room. They won't just go play by themselves and leave us to sleep, nor will they take themselves to the bathroom if nature calls in the middle of the night. Though once, before Mama and I had even gone to bed, Bud appeared downstairs wanting to know why we weren't in our room and asleep (they think we go to bed when they do at 7:30 p.m.; we probably should).

It adds a new kink to family life, if only because just one more bit of our control is sliding away. I'm okay with that, I think. Especially if eventually they'll just go play or go to the bathroom alone. But beware, Gommie, I think, regardless of where you sleep, they'll be coming to get you early, and singing "You Are My Sunshine" when they do!