Archive for June, 2013


End of an Era

Wednesday, June 5th, 2013
(I wrote this back in May, before the house closed, but I’m a terrible blogger. The house closed on May 23, 2013. We celebrated by going to Jason’s Deli.)

Our first home, really second now, is finally closing. The short sale took around 4 months and is finally reaching an end. Any day now, it will no longer be ours.

I am so sad.

It was a small home, but it was our home for 7 1/2 years. We brought Eden home from the hospital there, and our children enjoyed their childhood within and outside the walls of that house on Cool Valley.  Mostly within, but we definitely had some fun times outside too.

Ironically, it feels like we’ve lived in this new house forever, though it’s only been 5 months.

I’ve been visiting the old house weekly to make sure no crazy person takes up residence, or steals all the copper from wherever they get copper from. It’s just a quick run into the house and out, with the occasional pulling of weeds out front to help it look less deserted and turning off or on the light outside, again to make sure people know it’s still being taken care of and watched closely. Eden had speech at the school over there, and so it worked out well to keep an eye on the place, and let her finish the year with the speech pathologist that she really enjoyed. Since the school year is ending, it’s perfect that the house is closing. I won’t be driving to that end of town regularly.

It really doesn’t feel like home there anymore. It’s empty, you can see the fireplace that my poor children never got to use because our desk was there, and it has a weird smell that empty homes get.

It’s just our old house now.
Our “new” home has all our stuff, and we’ve settled in. No pictures hang on the wall, but that’s more because I have commitment phobia when it comes to decorating and hanging things.
I don’t have to think as much to make sure I take the correct exit home, and the girls take over any space we let them. We’re making plans and preparing for the future at the new house, not at the old.
A weight will be lifted once we close and only have one home, but it was still sad to close the door one the last.

coolvalley02

Here we are in front of the fireplace that we never used. Our last picture, in our old home.

coolvalley

May Highlights

Wednesday, June 5th, 2013
Both:
You regularly eat breakfast close to 8:30 or 9 am, no matter what time you wake up. Of course the morning we have to wake you up and get out of the house at 7:15, you’re starving and won’t be able to wait till  8 to eat, once we’re back. I made you wait.
Being excited for the “courtesy shuttle” to get our car. It was in for a recall and the dealership will pick or drop you off. You had never ridden in a minivan before.
Lilah:

Passing off book one for Suzuki 0n your cello. You went through the book in less than one year. Way to go!

Making confetti to throw on Daddy for his arrival home on his birthday. You had to sweep it up, and we had to agree on a place that was easily cleanable.

Calling Origami,  A-rig-ah-me. You were taught at Achievement Days.
Eating and enjoying craw-fish.
Catching a grasshopper and making him your pet.
Auditioning for a youth orchestra and being OK when you didn’t make it. I think you felt somewhat relieved. It was  good experience, and next year you’ll be even more prepared.
Being disappointed  you couldn’t come to my 30th birthday party. It was just for grown-up women.

Eden:

For some reason you started doing a mindless thing, which is having some negative affects. I’m hoping we can stop this bad habit you’ve created. (It stopped after discussing the consequences and threatening to cut off your hair.)

Avoiding craw-fish.
Reading the Harry Potter books as fast as we get them.
Deciding to watch Return of the King, when you couldn’t find  the book to read.
Telling me you’ll be too big to cuddle and sit on my lap once you’re eight.  (I doubt you’ll stop though.)
All:
The closing of Cool Valley! Fortunately that short sale went much quicker than the one we purchased. So happy to close that chapter of our life, though a little sad.