changing the sheets

Garrett woke up from his afternoon nap itching to get out of his crib. I was happy to oblige on two conditions: first, that he let me change his diaper, and second, that he help me throw all the blankets and stuffed animals out of his crib and onto the floor -- I needed to change the sheets.

After collapsing in a fit of silly giggles, he let me take care of task number one, and he was more that happy to help out with task number two. (Really? You want me to throw everything onto the floor? Right on!) The last thing to be tossed out of the crib and into the growing pile on the floor was Garrett himself, and then it was time to undress the mattress.

It is a personal preference of mine to pull the naked mattress out of the crib in order to more easily attach new sheets while it rests on the floor. It saves my back from having to awkwardly bend over in an attempt to reach the far corners against the wall. And so out came the mattress as well and with a plop! -- it landed in its temporary home in the middle of the floor.

Garrett, who only moments before was itching to get away from that crib mattress, suddenly found himself magnetically attracted back to it. He climbed up, he jumped around, he twirled and did half-somersaults. He laughed, rolled off, then got up and did it all again. He didn't want the fun to ever end. And, quite frankly, neither did I: my opinion of crib sheet changing did a 180 right alongside the spins Garrett danced as he bounced around on his mattress.