What do you mean you’re not into princesses anymore?

Time:  Midnight.

Emma:  “Mom, wake up.  I can’t sleep.

Me:  “What’s wrong, Emma?”

Emma:  “I’ve had a bad dream.”

Me:  “It’s okay.  Let’s go back to bed and say another prayer.”

Emma:  “Okay.”

Time:  2 a.m.

Emma:  “Mom, wake up.  I can’t sleep.

Me:  “What’s wrong, Emma?”

Emma:  “I’ve had a bad dream.”

Me:  “It’s okay.  Let’s go back to bed and say another prayer.”

Emma:  “Okay.”

Time: 4 a.m.

Emma:  “Moooooooom!”

Me:  “Emma, GO TO BED!”

Emma:  “Can I sleep with you?”

Me:  “No, go to bed.”

Emma:  “Can I sleep on your floor?”

Me:  “UGGGG!  Whatever.  You and I both need sleep!”  (I am not the nicest person when repeatedly woken up at night)

Repeat this scenario almost nightly for a week or two and I either needed to find out WHY she was having bad dreams or I was probably going to collapse from exhaustion.  Turns out, the bedroom set she picked out in early 2008: 

(Not my actual child pictured)

was no longer what she was “into.”  I’ve known that she eased from princesses and castles to animals and nests awhile ago, but the bed?  THAT BED?  I may be living vicariously through Emma, but I LOVE THAT BED!  I’m the second of five girls.  We didn’t have beds like THAT!!!!  We let Emma get that bed after we found out Austin wasn’t a girl and Emma wouldn’t be sharing her bedroom with her little sister brother.  So, what do I do?  I really needed to sleep. 

I tried reasoning with her, “Emma, you can pretend it isn’t a princess carriage.  You could pretend it’s a ….uh…. burrow?  What’s an animal that burrows that you could be?”  That  bought me a night until she decided it wasn’t “burrow-y” enough.  Hmmmmm……

I took the netting off from around the top.  She really wanted the pumpkin bars off the top too, but I told her I couldn’t get it off without dad, so that bought me a few days until Justin got home.  But then he was home and we needed to deal with the bed issue. 

I had to make a fast run to Hobby Lobby and passed by some plastic flowers on vines on my way out of the store.  (the little hamster in my brain started running).  Hmmmm…maybe?  Then, I walked by the Christmas lights and picked up a box of mini lights. 

Exhaustion (and a $15 clearance sheet set from Target) turned that beautiful princess bed into THIS: 

It could probably use a few more vines, but for now, my little princess animal is happy!