If only

The only problem with just blocking of the kitchen, is, well there are a number of problems.

One he loves to be in the kitchen helping us cook. If I had to keep him out, I think we would both go crazy. He is very good at throwing tantrums. I am not kidding, it doesn't seem to matter if I ignore him or comfort him. He still throws tantrums. They are getting a little better. But by the end of the day, I have usually had enough. (Plus add in that I am always super tired from being pregnant and things just escalate.)

Two the opening for our kitchen is like 6 feet or something. I know they make gates that big, but I think he would figure out how to knock it down, he is really good at problem solving, plus it doesn't seem like one that big would be very sturdy. Robert has worked with Josh to teach him to figure things out. Which is good, but can get a little annoying in a 15 month old. I don't always want him to be able to figure it out.

And lastly, if I blocked off the kitchen he would only be able to play in the living room which is not very big. Seriously, with the love seat, chair, entertainment center, computer desk, his book case with toys, and all the other odds and ends we have, there is really not much room to play. He loves to go into the kitchen and bounce his balls and roll his cars and play. He gets bored as it is. I don't even want to imagine what it would be like if I didn't let him play in there. I am even starting to let him play upstairs if he wants. I just have a gate on the bathroom (he has a little too much fun in there) and I don't care what else he gets into. The house is usually a mess, so that is the way life goes.

So I started writing this as a comment to your two comments and decided it was going to be too long. But we are actually getting used to the baby locks. It is now mostly when other people come over. We have already told Heidi (she is Robert's sister and lives in Rigby (10 min away)) about the fridge. She is over enough that we thought she should know. And once Josh learns that something don't open, he usually leaves it alone. So I guess we could take them off, but you never know when he will try to open it again, just to see.

Seriously, I don't know what we were thinking, being two engineers and reproducing. It is not safe!!