Jasper, Put That Down!

JP and I have nearly mastered the art of decorating a house with kids in it. We follow a fairly consistent philosophy:

Only buy things that are easy to care for and look better with use
Pass on the fancy decorative objects for now and work it out with the family mementos
Be prepared: good organization is the thin thread that holds it all together
And most importantly, embrace the concept of Wabi Sabi, at least while the kids are still living with us.

However, the introduction of Jasper to the family (see post "Welcome to the Family Jasper, Please Keep Your Feet Off the Table") has inspired a whole new set of guidelines that were heretofore unnecessary when we were just decorating for three kids. For example:

Reconsider the concept of "easy to care for." Rustic furniture finishes are great for kids, but are no match for Jasper.
Look at every arrangement of furniture for it's climbing potential. We've walked into our office and found Jasper standing with all four legs on the 20" desktop three feet off the floor.
Put your $200 Zebra print pillows away. Kids can be trained not to chew on your $200 Zebra print pillows, Jasper cannot.
When you return from a trip, don't leave your suitcase open on the floor. Otherwise you'll find Jasper sleeping in it.
If you buy a cashmere scarf, put it away right away unless you want to see Jasper walking down the hall wearing it.

Because we love Jasper, we're accommodating him by making adjustments to our decor to keep him out of trouble. However, if I see him walking down the hall wearing my motorcycle boots...

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