Hi there!  Welcome to my new house as of June 1.  I’m calling it the Brady house; we are the dysfunctional version of them.  And there’s no Alice doing the cookin’ and cleanin’, unless you count Nikki.  And I don’t think she’s very Alice like, thank god - nor is she dating a butcher named Sam.  (that would be kind of cool, I admit) 

Nikki took a bunch of pictures while I was signing a lease.  I’m going to give you some comparisons below before you get to see the whole glorious set, but keep in mind:

1.  The renters in the house are older, and they have a TON of furniture.  Grandma furniture.  They have twice the amount of furniture the house can really hold.  And two dogs.
2.  There is some work that needs to be done before we move in.  Like peeling paint on the bathroom ceiling.
3.  Look beyond the clutter to the potential that is this sprawling brick rancher on a fabulously calm and unpretentious street, in a fabulous school district.  That’s what I’ve been doing.

My current master bathroom:

My new master bathroom:

My current kitchen:

My new kitchen:

My current dining room:

My new dining room:

My current family room:

My new family room:

I kind of love the house.  I love that it’s smaller and I can clean the whole thing, from top to bottom, in less than an hour. I love the big garage with the storage space, the huge yard, the porch and the patio.  I do not love the master bathroom or any of the closets, but Sara will tell you that downsizing can be a great way to get rid of stuff you don’t need.  I will miss my sunroom and I will miss the pond, but I will not miss the mortgage, the majority of the neighbors, or the 4th graders being told to bring smoked salmon in for a Thanksgiving feast in the local neighborhood school.  I will miss the kitchen - a little bit. I won’t miss seeing the granite that every other West End mom has in their stainless steel kitchen.  I like that my friends will come to my house and be comfortable, and won’t feel like they are stuck with someone who is stuck up.  I like that my house will be cozy instead of sprawling, and best of all, I like that my new home will have character.

The girls seemed to like it, though they don’t really get it.  They spent most of the time on the screen porch jumping on a mini trampoline.  On the way over, Lily asked again about schools. I broached the subject of her changing schools next year - the school near the house is within walking distance and excellent.  She immediately started crying.  I told her we hadn’t made any decisions yet, but personally I think it would be easier for them to switch schools now instead of waiting. That way, Arden can start at her new school and not have to switch in first grade, and Lily can get her feet settled in 2nd grade.  It makes me sad that Arden won’t have the same Kindergarten teacher Lily did, but there are more - way more - traumatic experiences in life than that one.

The house is a big change for me.  Hopefully it will less for them.  They are excited about having bunk beds and sharing a room. I’ll put their pretty beds into storage, and repeat the mantra that this is a temporary thing for me.  I’m going to enjoy the ride.