Penning in Max.

Today is for cleaning, organizing, and rearranging.

Our dishwasher broke and the kitchen is rioting. It may literally take me several dishwashing sessions to catch up on the dishes I've been avoiding.

We're thick in renovation mode, using these last winter months and early Spring indoors to our advantage, knowing full well we'll want to head outdoors by May, factoring in that we'll desire to do nothing house related at all in June and July.

Our tv room and entry rooms boast new flooring! This has been a long awaited reno, the rug we tore out was well beyond it's lifespan. Next up, moulding, moulding and more moulding (the kids rooms moulding is actually in progress!), strip walls in another room to paint, new flooring there, tile in the entry.

Now to do more stuff shuffling to clear out the next room on the list, uncover and sort Claire and Max's toys from the room that holds them currently, move their play space, again.

For Max's playspace we've ressurected the playpen of the 1950's. By that I mean we're using the playpen for him to actually play in. It's his safe, clean spot in this hectic reno house. Over the years older women have often said "Well don't you have a playpen?" in response to my comments about crawlers being into everything, not getting something done for holding babies, etc. It's funny how attitudes change. Today's mothers won't 'fence our babies in' like that. It screams 'limiting their exploration' to me, my guilt crops up even though he's happily playing safely beside me as I gain the time to wash dishes, chewing on his toys and babbling away. It's not like he's crying with his face pressed against the mesh of his 'cage'. Whenever I wonder how my grandmother (mother of 13) could have possibly managed, I actually usually come up with good ideas. (How about teaching my older kids to help out and expecting a bit more from them? Penning my babies in a bit? ) My mother was saying that she recalled babies beginning to crawl much later, she thought in relation to the extensive use of playpens up to even toddling age. Max could very well be affected by his bum never touching the floor (for safety and at his request), he's not showing crawling signs yet at 8 months. Although those pre-signs are popping up, reaching far for toys when he sits, flopping onto his belly from his bum often.

Do you use a playpen? It's been one of my better 'ideas' lately.