When Dad's Away...

When Dad's away.... Mom takes the kids to the toy area at Target to save her sanity as she waits three more days for his return.

Seriously, what can you do with two accident-prone speedy children for that many days straight without a break? Even my nights are kid-filled as the boy insists on sleeping with me.

We have a two-story house with all of the bedrooms upstairs. Half of the living room is set up as kid space with a shelf and bin of toys, with the other half the TV space with two couches, a chair, and an ottoman. Being that our living room is already the size of a dorm room, it becomes a problem with only so much space to wander around in. However, I'm not comfortable with letting my 14-month-old daughter climb the stairs with the assistance of The Boy, so it's baby gate central over there. I can't even go upstairs without a kid crying at the bottom stair.

There has to be an easier way to make our house more open. Can anyone recommend a gate that you don't have to remove every time you want to go upstairs? I'd love a solution to this stupid 'we bought a two-story house before having kids' issue.

So what did I buy in the toy aisle, you might ask? A slide. Oh yeah. Because of all the space we have and how easy my kids are, it was the perfect idea. *smacks forehead*

Hey, the mini trampolines were out of season.