My Baby Gate Tried to Kill Me

Every person I know that has a small human running around, and has baby gates up, has more than one bruise from them. You go to step over and you catch your shin on it or you stub your toe. You whack your knee off of it. Even if you can install the ones with the swinging gate you still end up with baby gate war wounds. Yesterday morning though my baby gate tried to kill me!

I was doing what a million working moms always do on a Saturday morning, trying to multitask and cram as many chores into my morning as possible so I don't have to deal with them during the week. Ducky (my little bundle of terror) and I were picking up all the dirty laundry (aka I put it in the laundry basket and she of course yanks it back out). We were coming down the stairs and as I was keeping an eye on her and carrying the laundry basket that gate reached out and grabbed my foot! Or you know with my innate lack of grace I stubbed my toes trying to step over it and executed an impressive fall that involved throwing the laundry basket and managing to catch myself before bashing my head off the toy chest. And as any mother who has hurt themselves while home alone with kids you don't get a second to sit on the floor and catch your breath (or curse like a sailor until whatever you hit stops throbbing) because your wonderful child will use this time to perpetrate unspeakable horrors. I immediately jump up to rescue the Duck and my ankle of course refuses to hold weight for some reason (it couldn't be that it was just twisted and bashed off every flat service by my stairs).

After Daddy gets home to find us, me with my foot iced and elevated and Ducky taking advantage of this by running in literal circles while hiding dirty clothes, I go get my foot X-ray'd. You've never lived til you have emergency room personnel giggle at your harrowing tumbles. Luckily nothing is broken just bruised and sprained. I'm currently stuck in an air cast (i.e. something with lots of velcro for little hands to investigate) and having to elevate and ice my feet. (always sounds AMAZING until hour two when you start losing it)

Now I know what everyone will say, "Why don't you get a swinging gate?" A. I can't install it where I need to because of the way my stairs are made. B. Ducky is way too smart and is figuring out how to open everything including child safety locks on cabinets.  There's also the "Well just take it down" which leads to visions of Ducky trying to execute her somersaults down the stairs.

In the end I pick the path of least terror, which just means I need to keep an eye on the gate from now on!