pig pen

In our almost 5 1/2 years of marriage, we've lived in 6 places.
Normally Tim and I refer to them (from former to later) as:
Our Cedarville Apartment
Wheaton Center
Lorraine Apartment
Wiant House
The house we bought.
and here.

We've had various sized places...generally on the smaller side, though the Wheaton Center was HUGE for a 1 bedroom apartment. Actually, the house we bought was nice and spacious too.
This place fits our needs. We rarely go into the finished basement, though it is equipped nicely for guests. We have a futon and recliner with cable, and a full bathroom. A bookshelf full of books, kiddie games and TONS of toys down there too (in case our guests feel so inclined).....
We have 3 bedrooms here, though the boys rooms are pretty small.
All of our stuff fits, but there isnt much in the way of 'open space'............
So when a friend of mine gave me one of those gates that opens out to a 'hexagon' or a large rectangle, I thought for sure there wouldn't be room for it anywhere. But, the idea of "penning" my kids at some points was so inviting to me :), that I thought I'd go ahead and see if there wasn't a spot for it after all.
WELL.....where there is a will, there is a way!! I found some space. And it's so nice!

Here it is: pushed up against the sliding door (though there is access to our deck on nice days), right by the desk and computer, and on the back side of the couch. We dont have much access to the bookshelves anymore...but they dont get used much anyway. It works:Not only does it help to have a place to put the boys (yep, Cale too...he's not much of a climber) when I'm fixing dinner and I want them away from the oven........but it's kinda like having an extra toybox! We have several "bins" for toys scattered around our house, but wouldn't you guess - toys dont spend as much time in them as you'd think.
I feel like I'm always walking on blocks or puzzle pieces. But with this new device, which I affectionately refer to as "the pig pen" - these days we contain the chaos a bit more.
The pig pen is great. I recommend it to anyone mother wanting an uninterrupted shower. Leave the door open so you can hear your piglets, and know that they are entertained in a contained, yet "open" space.
I. Heart. The. Pig. Pen. :)

And despite my inability to get both my children to smile at the same time (or on command), they actually do like it too. Cale asks to go in it on a regular basis...but only if Megersa can come too.