In My Own Little Corner

When we moved to Pennsylvania our plan was to rent for two years, then buy a house. The summer that our two year lease was up for renewal, we had a baby instead of buying a house. The next summer we still didn't feel quite ready. Then the next summer we were in the middle of a pandemic, but we actively looked for a house. Now the housing market is so nuts that we probably won't be able to buy for some time.

We continue to make do with this house that we have outgrown. We squeeze into the kitchen to eat. We've set up school and work stations in various locations in the basement and main floor. We've bought sound cancelling headphones to mitigate the loud voices. But one issue has remained unsolved: Topher is still in our room. Topher, who is nearly three, has not only stayed in our room, but he has still been sleeping in a pack n' play instead of a toddler bed as a way to contain him in our room. There simply isn't space in Peter and Cooper's room for another bed. Plus, Topher is shockingly busy and curious, so all the tiny Legos and trinkets that occupy our big boys' room would be a fascinating danger to our littlest boy.

Bryan has been brainstorming for months about how to solve this dilemma. We talked about clearing out our closet and making that into a room for him, but Bryan was uneasy with that arrangement. He repeatedly tried to work out how to build a sturdy yet temporary little room for Topher within our room. Nothing really fit. Then, last week, Bryan had an epiphany. Why build a little room when we could buy one on Amazon?

Topher's new room arrived on Saturday. He thinks it's pretty cool. And he's stayed inside it for naps and nights. He's now on a toddler mattress and has space to move around. He did figure out how to unzip the door, but he didn't leave the tent. We see this as a temporary solution, but we're thankful for it while it lasts.