Settled

Tomorrow we will have lived in this house for three weeks. I think everyone is pretty settled in at this point (I was settled the first night ~ actually I had more trouble with the displacement when my husband moved our bed than I did switching from sleeping at Farfa Yccono to here); even my two reluctant kids have told me this place now feels like home.

I have been feeling a love for this house, new as it is, that I haven't felt for the past four places I've lived in (pretty much every place since I moved to Illinois from California). Maybe because it's mine and I'm paying to own it, maybe because it's a real house with real floors and real walls (which I haven't had since California). My husband often complains about the comments (and dreams, and Sims houses I made to duplicate) I make about "The La Mesa House." He feels like no house we've ever had can "compare" to what I believe is the fabulousness of that near-mansion. Well he's right. No house CAN compare....but I didn't love it because it was fabulous. I loved it because it was mine. The entire downstairs (with the exception of bedrooms) and the entire backyard (with POOL!) was basically mine to maintain. I was responsible for all the animals, cleaning the ENORMOUS bathroom that basically I was the only one who used on a regular basis, cleaning the hallway and bookshelves, trimming the rosebushes (that my grandpa taught me how to take care of), and cleaning the pool and it's filters. It was all mine and I loved it. So maybe, even though this shabby little house doesn't have the grandeur of the La Mesa House, I'll grow to love it in the same way because it's all mine, and so far I am the only person taking care of it :).

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I have been slowly compiling a "Rule List" as we go ~ and I make sure to note the person or persons who can be blamed for having such a rule in the house. I hardly believe what my own kids do LOL. Here's what we have so far:

"NOT ALLOWED TO USE THE TRASH CAN IF THERE ISN'T A BAG IN IT!! EVER!!!!" (unknown)

"No skipping stairs when going DOWN the stairs. You can skip going up as long as you do not touch the walls" - Star (middle child)

"NO ONE is allowed to leave the house when [parents] aren't here unless we specifically said you could" - Star

"NO ONE is allowed to come over when [parents] are not home" - The two oldest (15 & 14)

"If you are in Illinois you HAVE to have a sweater in the vehicle NO MATTER WHAT THE WEATHER from September to May. NO EXCUSES!!" - me (mom [I am not above making rules to learn from my own dumbassery])

"You are NOT allowed to play outside or do anything that might get you dirty (i.e. climb trees) right before school!" - the two oldest

Seeeee? What normal people consider to be common sense we have to make rules over LOL.