It's that time again . . .

I'm not a baby gate fan. Ditto on the playpens, superyards, and the like. There's something, I don't know, just confining about the whole thing. In fact, up until two years ago, we owned none of these items. We lived in a very open split-level house and when my babies started crawling, I'd just let them crawl around the family room a few steps down until they get up the guts to climb the stairs. Then I'd watch them like a hawk for a few months until they learned to crawl down the stairs. At this house, I keep my babies on the main level, so I bought this gate two years ago for Eliza and now I put it up for Harmony. At 5.5 months old, she is now getting around fast enough and far enough that there's no more delaying the inevitable. I don't like to put up barriers for my children. Oh, I'm all for structure and routines and such, but I've always believed that the best education for a baby is to explore their world and everything in it. We keep our eyes pealed for danger -- my kids know more about choking hazards than the average first-time mom! -- and I let my babies explore. If they find fun things along the way, all the better. In fact, as I'm writing this, Harmony just figured out the way into the office. Isn't she fun? I'm so blessed.