Home made Harness

Well I can finally tell this story. After we moved back to Florida from Tennessee and started up the cabinet shop I took Brandy and you to work with me every day.

You were quite an active little guy even in those braces you had to wear.. couldn't keep you in one place ever.. you figured out how to get out of the port a crib with no problem and I always had to watch you like a little hawk.

When I worked in the back of the shop building or laminating or whatever I had to do back there I put a playpen out in the back behind the shop. I could see you easy enough but still had to worry about you getting out of that playpen as well.

Of course there were the railroad tracks right next to us as well and the train did still run on them. The field back there was pretty big and Omi and Dad owned the 2 empty lots next door as well.. So I had to come up with some way to make sure you were safe when I had you out there.

It was better for you to be outside since there was all the smells and fumes inside the shop that you really didn't need to be smelling or breathing.. Brandy was too little to really watch you when she was around as she was only about 7 going on 8 and of course she had school as well.

So your ingenious mom came up with a home made harness for you. I would put that harness on you and then tie you to the playpen so if you did crawl out of it you couldn't go wandering off.. People thought I was totally nuts putting that on you, they would say he isn't a dog.. lol... but I knew you were safe and couldn't go wandering off if I missed seeing you get out of the playpen while I was working.

Of course it wasn't a fashion statement, wasn't even pretty to say the least but it worked :) wasn't even anything common back then. Not sure if they even made them for children then.

Anyway, when I was looking at walkers and jumping chairs etc for Takoda - I saw that they actually make harnesses for children now.. But, of course they are way cuter then the one you wore many years ago. So I decided that it was a neat idea to get one for him that Beverlee could use when she needed to.. Takoda's is a Monkey backpack with a harness leash on it.. I thought it was really cute and since she calls him her little monkey I thought the monkey one was the most fitting one for him.

You know that just reminded me I wish I still had your Lederhosen that Omi brought me back from Germany when you were about 2 years old. Oh well maybe I can find some online somewhere..

But anyway this is about your harness anyway :) lol...

I hope you enjoyed this memory of mine - I can still see it in my head him in the back climbing out of that playpen and then finding out he really couldn't go very far.. :)

I love you Cody and I miss you more and more each day - Sleep well my son - mom