We re-did Tage’s room this past summer, replacing the Mamma Mu decor chosen for a five-year-old Lydia with a something more in line with his current tastes:  superheroes!  He’s got Spiderman bedding, Spiderman lamps, Spiderman curtains, and even a Spiderman laundry basket.  We painted bright blue walls on which Spiderman figures prominently–with a smattering of Batman and Superman thrown in for good measure–and there’s a suction-cup spider web stuck on his window.  Put all that together with a large worktable and the literally hundreds of building blocks he got for his birthday in August, and you’ve got a place he doesn’t want to leave.  (He even sleeps there sometimes, if you can believe it!)

There is, however, a fly in the ointment of his delight.

Since Petra started walking a couple of months ago, she doesn’t want to leave Tage’s room either.  And the thing that gives her the most enjoyment, apparently, is razing the elaborate towers he builds and making off with his Matchbox cars.

After too many weeks spent hauling her out of there and admonishing Tage to please just close the door if he doesn’t want her in  there, we broke down a week or so ago and put up a little baby gate in the doorway.  So far it’s working a charm–Tage can be in his room and play in peace without having to be shut off from us by a closed door, and Petra doesn’t mind too much being locked out as long as she can see what he’s up to in there.

Last night I was in Tage’s room gathering up dirty laundry or some such thing, and rather than opening the gate to come out, I just stepped over it.  Or I tried to, at any rate.  My foot caught on the gate and I tripped, flailing around and scattering papers and toys and a bowlful of beads from the adjacent countertop in my wild scramble for purchase.  It was spectacular.  Ultimately I succumbed to the inevitable and concentrated my efforts on falling in the least painful manner possible.  I managed to pivot just in time to land with a thud on my backside instead of on my face.

I sat for a moment to gather my wits before assessing the damage, and when I looked up Tage was standing on the other side of the gate, watching me in wonder.  The corners of his mouth turned up in a small, pleased smile and there was admiration in his voice when he said, “I like that.”