Oh great

Yeah, so the moment I've dreaded since last year has at last arrived. Bumpus has figured out how to climb out of his playpen. I realize for many the playpen has never been an option, and I was super lucky to have it as a baby containing device for as long as I did. It allowed me to sleep, shower, dress, clean, work...well, do just about everything. And in the blink of an eye it's over. And my whole world has been turned upside down. 

I knew I was in trouble a few days ago when he climbed out of his pack and play into bed with me...I knew it was only a matter of time before he'd figure out how to swing his leg over the top of the playpen, too. This morning I was cleaning the kitchen while he was in the playpen in the living room...and then he ran into the kitchen. Uh oh. 

The rest of the day was a blur of chasing him around the house and cleaning the havoc he left behind - piles of books, overturned garbage cans, baskets of stamps and checkbooks strewn about. And I had to cook dinner, put on an elaborate 40s getup with makeup and hair, and prepare to go sing tonight. Oh, it was a nightmare. With nowhere for him to be contained it was impossible to do anything. Welcome to my world, you're all saying. I know! How the hell do you function?

I did manage to do all of this, get him fed and teeth brushed and changed and in bed, AND the tornado-hit house cleaned up in time for my very late and sick babysitter, so I could race over to my gig within seconds of it starting. 

The whole time I was plotting how to manage from now on - I have to get those toxic cleaners locked away, get a lock on the fridge and toilet, and probably start taking showers and cleaning the kitchen after he's asleep at night. Oh, and to add insult to injury, he is no longer napping in the afternoon, so I now have NO break at all during the day to get anything done. Thank God this unwelcome development didn't happen right before my event-! Can you imagine?

So I was able to put one of my old doggie/toddler gates on the kitchen so at least he can't get in or out of there; and he can't turn knobs yet so I can at least close a couple of doors to restrict his movements. I have an octagonal gate type thing that I could try, but I'm pretty sure he could scale that with zero effort at this point. Boy do I wish his room were finished! That may be my salvation, to just make that room fun and comfortable and restricted so I can shower and cook and do things where I can't keep an eye on him. It can't be finished fast enough. 

But my life is going to change dramatically now, and not for the better. My sleep is going to suffer as I can no longer safely nap during the day. It will be very hard to even sit down and relax during the day at all.  Cooking and cleaning and showering are going to be rough. Basically, everything is going to suck. As if things didn't suck enough lately already.

Tonight after my gig I went up to the playroom and took the knob off the little door leading to the unfinished portion of the attic (which would mean pretty much instant death if he got in there), taped up the boxes stored up there so they can't be opened, and put sheets on the little daybed so when he drags me out of bed in five hours I can take him up there and at least lie down and rest if not sleep. And I guess plan to spend as much time up there or out of the house as I can until his room is done. 

Here is a picture of how I'm managing stress these days: