Tag: Baby Proof

Baby Proofed?

We never really had to baby proof for Ella. I think the only thing we had to do was put plugs over the power outlets. This was more of a precaution than anything. She never seemed to want to do anything dangerous. She never went in cupboards, she never pulled out drawers, and she never really messed with stuff like Andrew.

If I had hair – I would be grey … VERY grey! Andrew is into EVERYTHING!!!! Not too long ago, we bought those things for cupboards. You pull then out, then you have to push down on the plastic thing in order to open them. Yeah, he figured that out. So we literally had to add another lock on the front of the cupboards to keep him out.

Our closet in the bathroom has handles on the door that don’t need to be turned. All you have to do is pull on them and they open. Sam’s curling iron, hair dryer, my shaving stuff, the plunger, and many other things are in there. So, now we have a lock on that, too.

He knows how to open the bedroom doors, so have to lock them or put one of those plastic covers on the door knobs so he can’t get in.

He is really a brilliant kid. All he has to so is see something and he can mimic it. He knows the order of things. He knows where the dishwasher detergent goes – and he knows how to start (and stop) it. Thank goodness we figured out how to lock it when it is in a cycle. He knows how to start and stop the washer/dryer. Our water bill jumped a few bucks because he knows how to flush the toilet. He is so curious!

It really is true what they say. Ella was so well behaved that as parents you think you can tackle anything. Then that second child comes along and proves that you are in for a bumpy ride.

Never a dull moment at our place…..

No Excuses Now, Mister Fix It

You may recall that last summer, my father-in-law and I tackled a plumbing issue at our house. That incident required us cutting up the drywall to access pipes. The results were not pretty.

The above picture was taken during the project. We were able to get pipes fixed and the hole has remained in the wall ever since. This is partly because there is always someone sleeping in the bedroom where the repair has to be made.

I digress.

Way back in the summer, my wife asked me to apply for a Menard’s card. I kept meaning to do it. I was going to do it the last time I was in there, but I had both kids with me and they were anxious to leave.

After talking about the hole in the wall, and how I need to get an access panel for it, I decided to go on their website to apply for their credit card. I figured if I got approved for a couple hundred bucks, that was all I needed to get the things for the bedroom. Well, I was approved – for a much larger amount!

I have to really take a step back and remember that I don’t need to spend that much money. However, there are things that need to get done (and haven’t) because the budget didn’t allow for it. The access panel – has to be done.

The thing is going to cost like $50 and depending on the hole in the wall, and such, I may need to patch a bit of the drywall. $50! It’s a plastic door for crying out loud, but ok. I need to get it done.

All of the doors in our house have the handles that look like this:

Personally, I like them. However, they are perfect for Andrew to get to – and open. Sam and I discussed switching them all over to the round brass handles.

Some of them will have locks on them. Those will need to have the “easy unlock” from the other side, in case the kids lock themselves in a room. You know, the notch you can put a butter knife in and turn? And the round door knobs will allow us to put those childproof covers on that the kids can’t turn.

So, we have the access panel project and the door knob project. There are still a couple other projects.

Our bedroom had a ceiling fan/light fixture in it. The bulbs are all halogen and extremely hard to find. If you can find them, they are like $30 apiece. The entire fixture has 5 lights in it and currently only has one that works. Thank goodness for the lamp on my bedside table! Sam has been talking about getting rid of the whole thing and just putting in a regular light since we moved in together.

Something as simple as the light above – or something even more simple – would work. So that project is also on the list.

Finally, in our living room, the ceiling fan/light has needed to be replaced for some time. This should be an easy swap since we are just going to get another light/fan fixture.

At some point, we’d love to do something with the lighting in our kitchen, but that’s probably enough projects for now. Unless my father-in-law and I can figure out a way to build a deck in the back of the house really cheap! It couldn’t hurt to just price it all out, right?!