A Whole New World

The triplets have a little more room for exploring these days!

With Cole walking, he quickly became bored in the "play pen".  I'd look into the Family Room and see him pacing back and forth from one side of the pen to the other.  Poor guy.  Just wanted to perfect his walking, and well, a 12-foot diameter pen was just not enough space for him.

Let's not kid ourselves, though.  There was also a slight safety issue.  If Cole was standing holding on at one of the "panels" of the pen, and one of the other triplets came over and joined him, the entire pen would fold back and either Eli or Ava would find themself on their back, sandwiched between the carpet and the wall of the play pen.  A play pen that just one moment ago was upright and providing support for them as they gingerly practiced standing and walking along.

The question became HOW would we contain the babies?  Would we have to gate off the Kitchen & Family Room together and add safety latches to EVERY cabinet and drawer?  Or could we fanagle a way to block off JUST the Family Room?  Contain them solely into that one room.  That would be preferred, but with a 12-foot opening, how would it be possible?

One Saturday morning, Shane and I were deep in discussion of this very topic.  Shane had even started moving furniture and had gotten out the measuring tape.  The conversation was about to get heated.  I was frustrated.  I won't deny it.  I was the source of the heat!  I didn't want a couch blocking in my kids.  I didn't want to climb over bookcases or be blocked from seeing them with toy boxes.  The gates that I thought would work were pretty expensive, and Shane wasn't convinced they'd work.  I was not happy.  Then, the phone rang.

I kid you not, it was our neighbor.  She and her husband were cleaning house.  Getting rid of a bunch of baby stuff.   Was there anything we needed or wanted?  Come over and look...

Low and behold, they had THE PERFECT GATE!  Within 20 minutes, Mark (our neighbor) was walking through our front door with it.  By the afternoon, Shane had screwed it into the wall.  The babies were contained...and safe!

Thanks Steffe's!