Upstairs Feet, Downstairs Feet Revisited

One of the first things that happened when we moved into our new house back in September was an incident involving the stairs, before we were able to get our baby gate installed.

It had happened after reading Dr. Seuss's "The Foot Book," and I had made up a song for the babies for going upstairs using our, "Upstairs feet," and one for coming down the stairs using their, "Downstairs feet."

I had run into a problem where they needed to all three come downstairs because they could not sleep, and I had one baby, Kaiden, downstairs while I was forced to run upstairs and grab the other two babies to bring them down as well.

Kaiden had basically climbed the bottom two stairs in a gleeful attempt to meet me on the bottom landing with his siblings, and had managed to sidestep off of the landing and fall on his head.

Kian had amused us all by telling his brother that he should not have, "Used his upstairs feet to go downstairs."

Fast forward a few months later, and we are at a point where our doctor had asked us why I haven't taught them to climb the staircase yet.

So, after much procrastinating, I decided to let them try it one night. Husband and I set the babies down at the foot of the stairs, and let them, well try climbing them.

Kaiden, who was with his big brother, had already been carried to the top, but when he saw the other two siblings coming up, he decided to demonstrate his ability to go DOWN the stairs backwards for all to see.

I have to admit that he did it well. He managed to not even disturb his brother or sister who happened to be going up the stairs instead of down.

So, now, every time it is time for the babies to either take a nap, or go to bed for the night, all we have to do is ask them, "Who is ready to go to sleep?"

All three babies will make this mad dash for the baby gate in the hallway and they actually try to burst through it in anticipation of us actually opening the darn thing.

They actually all three LOVE to go upstairs to go to sleep now. They no longer take detours into our bedroom to say, "Night night" to the baby Christmas tree in the bay window, and nobody gets sidetracked.

Everyone clamors over and around each other in an attempt to be the first baby up the stairs.

We still have to sing them their song, don't think for a minute that we can skip that part!

Only now, the part about reaching the top of the stairs "Safely" is a big deal to the winner of that race!

"We go upstairs, with our upstairs feet...and Vivie twinkle, twinkle, twinkles all the way. Up, up, up to say, "Good night" to our Daddee, and she twinkle, twinkle, twinkles all the way. Up, up, up to the nursery as she twinkle, twinkle, twinkles and we're safe!"

"We go downstairs, with our downstairs feet, and she twinkle, twinkle, twinkles all the way. Down, down, down to go get something to eat, and she twinkle, twinkle, twinkles all the way. Down, down, down to say, "Good morning" to our Daddee, and we twinkle, twinkle, twinkle and we're safe!"

Oh, the things we create for our children! But, at least this is teaching them a little something about the difference between going up and going down the stairs!

Plus, they have become quite familiar with the different family members in the pictures that hang in the staircase!

I am so very lucky that they have taken to this new routine the way that they have. It has made nap and bedtime so much easier on everyone.

Plus, it gets everyone up and down the stairs at the same time instead of someone always having to be last!