How was your weekend?

My son must hear this question at school, as he asks us frequently about our weekend. But it seems appropriate to turn the question on him.

I imagine it was a pretty big weekend in his world. We started by going to Ikea. There was the usual cheap breakfast and playing in the kiddie area, followed by running around the floor. There was, however, an ulterior motive--picking out a twin-size bed. Our son was in no mood to make a decision, so my wife and I did the debating and measuring. We ended up switching from our original choice--a daybed with built-in storage--for a metal-framed bed that is high enough off the ground that we can use under-bed storage boxes. Somehow I managed to get everything into our car (including us!) and we brought it home, to be assembled later.

That afternoon, there was no nap, something that has started to occur once or twice a week. I love my son, but I also enjoy those couple hours on the afternoons he's home. I will miss the nap when it was gone.

When my son decided he didn't want to stay in bed anymore, he wandered into the living room, where my wife and I were watching Fantastic Four--some mindless, weekend viewing. He came in during the skiing scene (and if you haven't seen it, don't worry), just as the obnoxious brother bursts into flame. "Oh no," he yelled, "he's on fire." This concerned him for quite some time and he kept referring to the fire. A little bit later, The Thing wrecked a truck to keep it from hitting a man. "Oh no," he yelled, "he broke the truck." Then a firetruck slid and took out the side of the bridge. Similar reaction. Ah, a toddler's perspective on life.

Today, he started his day with gymnastics, the first class we've signed him up for without one of us. It is the highlight of his week, and he brings it up several times a week.

Then we went to get a plastic sheet (very important!) and a new sheet set for his big boy bed. We had hoped to get a Thomas the Tank Engine set, but they were out--we could even find the exact spot where they were supposed to be. So Nascar had to do.

Before naptime, I dismantled his toddler bed, which had been his old crib with the dropside removed, and put together his twin bed. This led to a major meltdown once it was time to settle in. He kept telling us he wanted a new bed, Thomas sheets, his old bed, to sleep in our bed. We managed to defuse some of the anxiety by switching his pillow into a Thomas pillowcase and giving him his Thomas crib-size comforter.

It's a big change, and he's still not sure what he thinks about it. He has slept in a twin bed at his grandparents' house, but that is simply part of the excitement of the trip. We're hoping that by making the switch well before we start telling him that he'll have a sibling soon, he won't feel that his position has been usurped. But still, it's a lot of change for a little guy.

So that was my son's weekend.