And it looks like all our dreams

“My house is me and I am it. My house is where I like to be, and it looks like all my dreams.” The Big Orange Splot, Daniel Pinkwater

We’re here! We’re in the new house. And it only took me a little under three weeks to find the cable for the camera. Not my own camera- I have no idea where that is—but I have the cable here for Audrey’s, on which the little photojournalist has been taking pictures of the new surrounds.

The short version is that we’re very happy and wallowing in suburban glee over things like high ceilings! A playroom that is not also the living room! A back yard full of zippy, industrious squirrels! Neighbors who conveniently know how our sprinkler system works and are available to show us where to turn it on!

There are quirks, of course. The kitchen has a perceptibly different altitude at one end than it does at the other, and some of the light switches, while electrically sound, are puzzling. Example: I can illuminate the third floor landing from the front door. Huh?

But if feels really good here. This house wants us. This is why I went to 19,000 bleeping open houses. So I can sit on my deck with coffee and a bagel while my kids run screeching around the yard and that squirrel sits over there sharpening this pocket knife and waiting for me to set my bagel down.

Overheard:

Audrey: Why do walruses have tusks?

Kristen: I don’t know.

Audrey: Because you’re not a scientist who studies walruses.”

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Heard from outside the third floor linen closet:

Audrey: This is the secret member club. The rules are: no pillow fighting—check-- no cardboard fighting—check-- and no bad fighting-- check.

Calvin: That check is not a good idea.

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Calvin (whispering in my ear a little after 6:00 am) Mommy, you get me a bottle of soy milk and I be nice to Audrey.

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Audrey (picking up a pair of my underwear, while I am putting away clean laundry) Whoa, these are HUGE!

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On a poster created by Calvin’s preschool class, each student named their favorite animal. Cows, bunnies, dogs. Calvin’s favorite animal is “daddy.”