A Lovely Gated Community

Growing up in Minnesota, the only "gated community" I ever saw was North Oaks, a tiny suburb north of St. Paul. I remember passing by it and wondering what kind of people lived there. I thought there must be something odd about people who thought a guardhouse was necessary in that sleepy suburban area. (I now know one couple who live in North Oaks, and they are quite normal.)

When we relocated to Atlanta, I noticed quite a few gated communities. They didn't hold any particular appeal for me. I never dreamed we'd be building our own little gated community when Mia arrived. In fact, I secretly pooh-poohed my neighbor's suggestion, back in July, that we hire a baby-proofing consultant who would select and even install the appropriate gates for us.

Everything changed when we met our little darling. As I saw her crawl enthusiastically around our little hotel suites, I realized what we'd be up against when we brought her home. (Or, as my sister Paula would say, "Ka-ching"! I could hear the sound of the Babies 'r Us cash registers all the way in Guangzhou.) At this writing, we have installed a total of 6 gates, and there is still one out there in the garage waiting until the cordless drill recharges. We have 3 sturdy metal gates at the tops of stairs (different versions for indoors and outdoors), a lovely dark oak spindled gate at the bottom of the family room stairs, and an ugly tan mesh gate preventing Mia from climbing into her own unused bathtub. (I'm not sure where they get off calling that last one a "gate", since it has no opening. I personally would call it a "repositionable pressure-mounted child barrier system.") The latest 2 gates keep unaccompanied toddlers out of the family room, which has a fireplace, a glass-topped coffee table, and several table lamps. Where does it all end?

Actually, that was not a rhetorical question. I've been wondering how old Mia will have to be before we can de-install these gates, sell them on eBay, and return to walking freely about our own home. Comments from experienced parents will be most welcome.

Changing the subject...
In preparation for my return to work late next week, I tried out one of those "meal assembly" places today. There was no one else in the store, so the nice ladies there helped me measure out the ingredients and assemble my meals. They cooed admiringly at my photos of Mia as well. I had 12 entrees in less than an hour. If this stuff is any good, we may be replacing what I suspect was the previous homeowners' "beer fridge" in our garage with a real freezer.