The D's Nest

Years ago we were dreaming at a Pottery Barn Outlet when we stumbled upon a Queen-sized Pottery Barn Kid's Quilt with a surfer theme marked down from $175 to $20. So -- no brainer for us -- we doubled timed it to the register and purchased it for Dawson. I figured he could double it up on his twin sized bunk since he is always so cold, and the price plus quality made me willing to make it work!

Dawson loves this quilt specifically because of it's size. He crawls onto his bed and cocoons inside the quilt like a little ball. Seeing our lanky boy all squashed into this tiny sleeping mode caused Scott to christen Dawson's bed "The D's Nest."

Dawson flew to Arkansas for his birthday 10 days ago, while Shelby was at Camp Manatawny. Shortly after he left, we stripped all the sheets off the beds in order to make certain both Shelby and Dawson returned home to freshly laundered sheets and bedding with perfectly plumped pillows. Scott and I have passed on our love of crisp sheets to the kids, and I always change beds early on in the week when the kids are gone to ensure that nothing interferes in providing this "Welcome Home" gift.

Everything went as planned until the younger children crawled up to The D's Nest. Hmm. Apparently, we have misnamed The Nest. It seems it would be much more appropriate to simply call it "Magpie Haven." A Magpie is famous for stealing shiny objects in order to build its nest. Now I am not calling my son a thief, but his nest certainly looked as if it had been assembled by the Magpie. I would absolutely expect to find sheets, quilt, some favorite stuffed animals, a pillow, and a book or two. (These kids are Rutherford/Dubach hybrids after all. They read until they drop asleep onto the page.) I did not expect to find several card board boxes, 4 changes of clothing, every missing sock from the lonely sock basket (including some of his sisters'), several pencils and pens, tissues, candy wrappers, more paper scraps than I cared to count, football cards, baseball cards, hockey cards,  Legos, K-nex,  magnifying glass, specimen jars from the science shelf, GI Joe goldfish cards, a missing toothbrush . . .

Beds are absolutely off limits in our home to all but the assigned sleeper. Beds are literally the ONLY private place we each have here in Rutherford-dom, so we keep them sacred. You may climb onto another's bed only when invited or when serving said sibling/parent by taking off or putting on sheets. So I knew that this was not some evidence of naughty Littles we were discovering, but rather Dawson's recent version of "Of course I picked up my room and made my bed."

The next time Dawson phoned, I politely and enthusiastically listened to his adventures before I mentioned his D's Nest. I was met by momentary silence which was followed by a slow, deep chuckle which eventually morphed into a full-fledged chortle. And what, pray tell, do you think his comment was when confronted with the Magpie-style sleep environment he was maintaining?

"Sorry mom! I didn't think you could still climb up there!"