Fortunately, I arrived on the scene not long after the attempted escape. From what I can tell, one or more individuals (Isaac being the suspected ringleader) pushed the school bus up to the perimeter of the "secure" enclosure, and then everyone except Jude scaled the bus in order to surmount the gate—all while Mommy was distracted by dinner preparations. Thankfully, they launched over into the relatively non-dangerous area of the hearth and not into the rest of the house, which is far from childproofed!
I keep telling Ted that we need to get a plan together to let the kids have the run of the house, especially now that winter is upon us and we'll be stuck indoors. He is in denial and thinks that removing the school bus from the playroom will do the trick. But I think it's clear that the kids are determined to force our hand!
Pretty soon Isaac won't even need to use the school bus!
While we were in Texas, the kids were thrilled to have the run of my parents' completely toddler-proofed house. Mom and Dad really went the extra mile to prepare for our extended visit, installing all sorts of safety locks, putting down rugs on the tile floors to cushion any falls, using booster seats to transform their kitchen table into a feeding table, and hanging blackout curtains in the kids' room. They even put several items of furniture into storage—both to accommodate our four PeaPods in the guest room and to create this veritable toddler heaven of toys, books, and stuffed animals in the dining room:
No longer being confined to their "gated community" meant that the kids had the freedom to explore and experience all sorts of new things—like hiding pacifiers in the recycling bin, tearing up the newspapers that my dad left laying around, and watching their beloved Baby Einstein DVDs at eye level (and within hands' reach, to boot!):
The kids also loved being gateless because it allowed unlimited access to one of their very favorite things: shoes. They all enjoyed finding their own shoes around the house—and putting them on and taking them off, seemingly ad infinitum—but Dahlia was the first to commandeer a "pair" of grownup heels:
Lucy, of course, was quick to follow in her footsteps (with a little plastic bling to complete the look):
For me, the best part about not having gates was that the kids burned off tons of energy running all around the house (and I expended quite a few calories, too, just trying to keep track of everyone!). One afternoon, Jude thoroughly entertained himself (and us) by repeatedly running to the kitchen and "hiding," calling out his own name while he was out of sight, and then running back to the living room to say "boo":
I was worried that the kids would stage a revolt once we got back home and they realized that the gates were back in business, but so far I've heard no complaints. And as long as they're still happy, I'm not changing a thing!
I can hardly believe it, but the Fab Four turned 11 months old on Tuesday! Unfortunately, all four of them (and I) came down with nasty colds the next day, so we were forced to skip Thanksgiving dinner at the in-laws' yesterday and settle for eating the leftovers that they were kind enough to drop off later.
Still, it was definitely a better Thanksgiving than the one I had last year! And in spite of the snotty noses and crankiness, we have much to be thankful for: thriving babies, the loving kindness of friends and family, and God's faithful provisions at every turn. Oh, and let's not forget the smaller things, like the fact that the babies finally started sleeping allll night this month—I feel like a new woman!
If the babies could tell me what they are most thankful for, I think they'd pick the newly gated living room, which is giving them the freedom to play and explore to their little hearts' content (hmmm, maybe that's why they've been sleeping better):
The Fab Four at 11 months: Lined up at the gate to greet a visitor
Can't wait to see what life will be like with 1 year olds ... the big day is less than a month away!
