The Gated Community

The weather is getting nicer now, and we are taking the babies out to play almost every day. Our play area is the patio right off the dining room. It’s so convenient for the staff. It gives great access for welcoming people coming in. But was just an open entrance onto the parking area. Nothing to keep the babies from going out to meet incoming cars. Where is the safety officer?

Not that the babies have been left free to roam. We have been putting an old shutter across the entrance – kind of like a cattle guard. The babies don’t like crawling over it. However, it doesn’t always stop them. Piling the bottom 2 drawers of the dresser across the entrance seemed more secure, but they can squeeze through that too. One turn away from the babies by the busy caretaker and they’re out!

What to do???

A donation came in last month that we decided to use for a gate. Now a gate doesn’t sound like much of a project, but in Malawi, things (including our patio fence) are built out of cement. Installing the gate involved 3 workmen, chisels, a sledgehammer, and new cement! But when the dust settled we had a nice secure gate to hold the babies in. They don’t mind at all because they can climb on it, see through it, and somewhere in their unconscious feel a little safer. We are happy knowing they can’t get out to greet incoming cars. So everybody’s happy!

Do you suppose we can now consider ourselves a “gated community”? It’s always nice to move up in the world!