Small kids, big stuff.

Our kitchen just got a bit bigger.  For the last few months, we have had to weave our way around our kids' furniture in order to cook and wash dishes.  It's maddening.  But as of last week, we finally put away the Exersaucer.  If you're not familiar with Exersaucers, they look like this:

Sonja, five-months old, in the first Exersaucer we owned.
It is now up at the Grandparents' house.

Haven, five-months old, in our newest Exersaucer.

I remember when we put the Exersaucer away when Sonja was younger and it was a glorious day.  Putting it away for the second time is just as sweet; we no longer have to manoeuvre around this toe-stubbing, road-blocking, behemoth contraption.  

Don't get me wrong: the Exersaucer is a wonderful invention and our kids both loved it in small, manageable doses.  Neither of them would last more than twenty to thirty minutes at a time, but it was a fun way for them to be upright before they were able to stand on their own.  Both girls loved the toys, and let's face it, it gave Peter and I a chance to cook or clean, but bruised shins and sore toes get a little tiring after awhile.

If the Exersaucer was a space hog, it's got nothing on the Learning Tower, or as Sonja calls it, her Big Ladder:

May, 2010.

The Learning Tower is fantastic.  It allows Sonja to be up at counter height so she can be involved with baking, cooking, washing dishes and just observing and feeling a part of what's going on in the kitchen.  It's a double-edged sword in some ways, as I'm sure you can imagine, what with getting into drawers and sticking fingers into batter, but it's been such fun for Sonja and I'm sure Haven will love it just as much.

Now if only it wasn't a broken toe waiting to happen.  Seriously, I feel like it's just biding its time, waiting for me to let my guard down...