my first place

Dennis actually got a present for turning one and a half. Ellen had a friend who was desperate to get rid of a playhouse quickly and cheaply, and 24 hours after I'd been emailed a picture of it, it was here. David set it up today, much to the delight of Dennis who finally had to watch from his crib rather than stay constantly underfoot during the setup process. Who knew $50 could delight a baby so much? Yes, it means another giant plastic toy in our home, and I am coming to terms with that fact by reminding myself that at least it's recycled (or pre-played with) and we'll donate it to another happy child in a few years when it isn't used here anymore.

We bought it thinking it would go outside. But it's in such good shape because it wasn't used outside at its previous home, so we are rethinking that. Besides, his play tower that we are building outside has a house-like place inside it, so this one would just be extra. It's in his room right now, temporarily most likely. We talked about enclosing our garage and turning it into a playroom for the big toys (car, house, etc.), and we might just do it. See, he'll be out of the crib in a few months, and the best way to keep him in his bed and asleep is to move some of the toys out of his room, and a playroom would be a good solution. We'll see what happens. It's in a great location, has a window that opens to the kitchen and a doorway that opens to the den. It would be a perfect place to put him to play and I'd be able to get some things done and still watch him.

He loves the house. I mean he LOVES it. He's spent the majority of the afternoon going into and out of it, parking his car beside it, ringing the doorbell, opening the window, closing the window, "cooking" on the little stove inside it... I put a tiny chair inside and he was thrilled to be able to go into his house and sit. There's a phone on the wall inside, and he's been making calls and talking a good bit. We donated some old pots from the kitchen for him to use in there and he's been putting them on the stove and taking them off. And all of this was accompanied by huge smiles and frequent hugs for Mommy and Daddy (when he came out of the house). He especially delighted in shutting us out and having us ring the doorbell or knock on the door. Then he'd open the door or window and peek out at us and smile and laugh before shutting the door on us again. It's pure toddler euphoria. And I'm so glad we were able to get it for him!