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A few weeks ago, we came to the conclusion that Monkey #1’s bed, which was a few years older than him, was shot. After all, it was the cheapest bed we could find and we shouldn’t have expected it to get him through. Initially we purchased the double bed for “guests,” which at the time was code for the cheap labor of my Mom, Dad and in-laws at our old fixer in Minnesota.

While we believed Monkey #1 appreciated the roomy accommodations, the bed really was too small for guests and a twin-sized bed would give him more space in his room.

So began the process bed shopping. Before my hubby and I had children, this would have taken maybe half an hour. (In fact, it did. We picked out and bought that old mattress in 20 minutes. When you want the cheapest, period, there isn’t much selection.) With three children, however, you learn to divide and conquer.

I took Monkey #2 to Nelson Furniture in downtown Hastings to price out mattresses, head boards and frames (after a quick stop at Eileen’s Cookies!). When we walked into the store I asked the friendly and helpful manager about the price of mattresses and headboards and a frame. Separately. That was easy enough and we left.

When we got home I called my hubby, who had Monkeys #1 and #3 at Bruce Furniture. I gave him the prices and he asked me the cost included both the mattress and box spring together. He also wanted to know if the frame was included if you bought both.

I couldn’t answer those questions because I hadn’t asked them. I realized then how unprepared I had been going into the store.

I am almost absolutely certain I have never shopped for or purchased a piece of furniture by myself. Hubby always asks the questions I forget to ask, which is why we shop together. It’s a good system.

After a phone call to Nelson Furniture and a follow-up to my hubby, he had already made his way from Bruce Furniture to Nelson Furniture so Monkey #1 could try out the beds there, too. (He’d already tried every bed and half the recliners at Bruce Furniture! Thank goodness the sales staff remained cheery and didn’t mind.) This probably should have been the plan all along.

When he got home (after a quick stop at Eileen’s), we tried to figure out what would work best.

We already had two twin beds Monkeys #2 and #3 were using. One was a traditional twin mattress and box spring with frame and headboard. The other was a trundle bed. It only had one mattress, with the trundle serving as storage space.

We could save money by putting the girls together in the trundle bed and giving Monkey #1 the other bed. All we would need then was a twin mattress. So, in the end Monkey #1 got a new twin mattress, which hubby purchased and brought home in the van (even though furniture stores offer free delivery; they came and picked up our old bed for free, anyway). Monkeys #2 and #3 got the existing mattresses and became the proud users of a trundle bed. (Does that make us old fashioned? It sounds old, doesn’t it?)

Trying to dismantle that old, wooden double bed was like using my hands to unscrew welded rivets. The humidity in the air, along with who knows how many coats of paint, made the wood frame impossible to pull apart. I decided to gently coax the joints loose with a hammer. It worked, but I almost broke my toe. Monkey #2 also learned that an object in motion tends to stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force. Her shins were that force.

With that battle won, we needed to overcome the battle for the trundle. Even though we had discussed who was sleeping on it, both Monkeys #2 and #3 wanted to sleep on the taller mattress. Then they both wanted to sleep on the trundle.

As all the craziness was happening, Monkey #1 took two minutes and filled up the extra space he gained with various toys, books and shoes (the shoes suddenly growing by two sizes).

When bedtime rolled around, though, peace had broken out all around. Prayers, hugs and kisses were followed by a good night’s sleep.

Except for Monkey #2’s stuffed animals occasionally dropping from her “taller” bed onto the trundle (and Monkey #3’s head) in the middle of the night.

About the author: Denise Howie

Denise Howie is a wife, mother and preschool teacher. She spent her formative years in Minnesota and Iowa, graduating from Iowa State University. After working in the publishing industry for 6 years she became a stay-at-home mom who rarely stayed home! Denise moved to Hastings in 2006 with her husband and three children and dove head first into life in Nebraska.