I need a big playpen.

But all I could find at the big box baby store is pack-and-plays. When my oldest was a baby I had a huge playpen for him. He loved it. He used to press his face against the mesh and giggle and smile a little smashed smile. I've got pictures somewhere...

So they say, necessity is the mother of invention. He is the new jumbo sized playpen!

I close all the doors in the hallway and gate it off. I can see him from the kitchen as well. This is not as inventive as our cardboard box bumbo table or pringles can leg braces, but it works great. Now that Ralph is crawling like a champ, I need a safe place to drop him while I cook lunch or iron shirts. Guess who thinks confinement is cool? Rose and Leroy demand to be in the "playpen" with Ralph!