Our household has been pretty busy unpacking and getting things put away. We are FAR from being finished, but the house is now at least in a workable state.
Yesterday, I took the dog for a long walk on the trail that runs behind our new house (yes... no neighbors live behind us... just a big yard with a great walking trail in back). The part of the trail I took led behind the houses on our street, and (of course) I was comparing fences and landscaping and getting some ideas for the future. On the way back, I walked behind our house and when I looked up at it... and finally had that moment....
"Holy Crap. That is our house. We actually live there".
We have been so involved in fixing the roof and the plumbing, unpacking and getting the house livable in general, that I haven't had time to just sit back and really look at it.
I am really happy. I still can't believe that we live where we do, in the house that we have. The fact that it happened so quickly and (in retrospect) easily...is just the icing on the cake.
When we moved into our old house, most everything we did was cosmetic and we did it just because we wanted to. We didn't have to make the house 'work' (and it was just the two of us), so I got to personalize it right from the start. Now I'm finding I have to hold back on that part, and it's driving me a little crazy. I had to make a pact with myself that I will not buy any paint until every box is either unpacked or in the basement for storage. Given the chance, I would have painted the upstairs bathroom before I had even found our silverware - that is just the way I am wired, I guess.Now tonight, we get to have our first 'holiday' at the house. There is no better time to get to know your new neighborhood then Halloween! We had to buy a lot more candy for this house then the last one, and I hope we have enough. Hailey is really excited - she had her first school Halloween parade on Friday and she was adorable! There was no wavering this year, she wanted to be a vampire and stuck with it. She's lucky we found her costume or she would have had to go as a moving box.
Nathan and I got to go to our two annual Halloween parties - Seth and Jamie's where the food is fantastic and the guests are so nice - and Robert and Nick's crazy, over the top party that is so amazing everyone wonders what they can possibly do next year to top it (yet they always do). This year my favorite was Robert and Nick's 'Bates Motel' themed bathroom, complete with a pressure sensitive trigger under the bathmat, that lit up the shower curtain when stepped on. I also couldn't seem to stop munching on Jamie's yummy, spicy guacamole dip (recipe please!).On a less frightening note...
Hailey seems to be warming up to her new school. At least, she no longer responds with "Lame" when I ask her how school was. Her handwriting is getting much better and her behaviour... well... a little more disciplined. I'll know for sure how she is doing later this month when I have our first parent/teacher conference. We did have to switch her after-school care provider as Miss Emmy got a new job (Congratulations Emmy!). In fact, today is the first day at Miss Karen's. I think it will be fine, Karen's place is full of activity - which Hailey will love. I have learned to relax (just a little bit) with her care providers. That has not been an easy road for me, since she is still my baby girl.... but I'm learning too.
Tomorrow starts November and the holiday season. Will the house be ready in time to host our Second Annual Yost Thanksgiving? I really have no idea. We did finally order a new fridge yesterday, so at least we will have a place for the food. However we may be sitting on boxes at dinner.
Holidays at the new house... how will the turkey cook in the new oven? Will we have our serving plates unpacked...will we even have time to find the Christmas decorations? Stay tuned!
