12 Years Later, We're Sleeping Apart

This past weekend my husband and I celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary. Last year, we picked up take-out and went to a park for the first time with our three sons. This year we were camping. The camping was great. Really, it was! We had good weather, good friends, great campsite, and excellent food. The only bad thing was our sleeping arrangements.

This was our first time in our new tent trailer. It was also the first real time we would be camping as a family of 5. Before we left I had assumed we would have the older boys share one bed, Brandon and I would share one bed, and Finn would sleep on the table/bed. Jack and Micah were used to sharing a bed from when we went camping in the Westy. I had also received a piece of advice from a friend that I thought was an excellent idea. She told me before our trip that she wished they had had their boys share the king bed, and her and her husband share the double. The idea being that the boys would be able to share the king bed much longer. Great idea in theory.

The first night of camping is unbelievably exciting. We are sleeping outside. There is a fire, and hotdogs, and smores! We are up way past our bedtime and chock full of adrenaline. This does not lead to a successful bedtime. After watching my three year old open the door and peek out repeatedly I just gave up and went to bed. I laid down on the double bed with Finn, thinking I would nurse him to sleep and then put him in the little bed. While I was laying there nursing him, listening to my husband and friends laugh by the campfire, Micah was racing back and forth across the tent trailer. Seriously racing. Complete with "ready, set, go!" I am going to admit that my frustration at my husband was a little bit high right then.

When he finally came in to go to bed he found his pillow on the floor of the tent trailer as I not so sweetly whispered "you're sleeping with Jack". Because Micah had claimed the table/bed. Finn was finally asleep with me. And there was no way I was moving over to squeeze into the double bed with baby, husband, and me.

Two nights later it was our anniversary night. Our boys had fallen into the routine of sleeping where they did on the first night, and so had Brandon and I. As we said "goodnight" to each other, standing in the middle of the tent trailer, kissed, and got into our respective beds, I had to laugh. This is not how I thought we would be sleeping 12 years into our marriage. But even then, falling asleep huddled under 2 sleeping bags for warmth, surrounded by all my boys, there is no place I would rather be.

12 years, 9 cars, 4 homes, 3 boys, 2 dogs, 1 very happy life.