My Father-in-Law is a Ninja

I am so excited. My oldest three children have always begged for bunk beds - begged. Our answer was always the same, "You have very nice beds. You don't need bunk beds." Well, it turns out the kids keep growing {who would have thought?}, and their needs continue to change. While Charlie used to be perfectly happy spread out on the floor playing with Matchbox cars for hours at a time, he's now more interested in drawing and constructing projects that require a smooth, flat surface.

And Greta and Frankie, though their room is big, have a hard time keeping a space clean with toys and clothes and beds and everything else girls need.

So we started thinking, and we thought, "Maybe??? Maybe bunk beds would be handy?" It turns out that bunk beds would be very handy, especially ones that are customized to our exact needs! Charlie doesn't need a second bed, but he could use a bed that's lofted over a large desk. And Greta and Frankie could certainly benefit from having all the extra space that bunk beds would provide. And another idea - what if all three girls shared one large room, and we made Lou's nursery into a play room? We could do a wall of bunks, with one side having a desk/vanity table space on the bottom.

Wouldn't these girls look sweet sharing a room?
How about in their teen years? {We're not thinking that far ahead!}

One problem: bunk beds are pricey, especially ones so specific. The solution: my father-in-law.

Have you met my father-in-law? Dave's dad is a wood working ninja. He has an awesome talent for building furniture. And he's been very generous with building beautiful furniture for us for birthdays and Christmas and even just because. He made a gorgeous baby cradle that each of our tiny babies has slumbered in.

He built our dining table. He built our bar. Ready for this one? We handed him a couple pictures of this entertainment center from the Pottery Barn catalog,

and he made this:

I told you he's a ninja. So my father-in-law has agreed to build customized bunk beds for his favorite grandkids {his only grandkids} for Christmas. They know about it. Oh, believe me, they know all about it, and every single day they inform me that "Grandpa is building us bunk beds for Christmas!" As though I could forget!

So I'm taking this opportunity to make the most of these bedroom transformations and redo their rooms to suit them - their personalities, their wants, and their needs. Of course I'll be painting. And I am so excited. I think I already told you that.

Stay tuned!