still looking for a home

This afternoon (Monday, August 4) will mark our one week tenure at the Fairfield Inn. We're staying in a King suite with a pull out queen. Wesley seems to like his bed. Every morning when we fold the bed back into the couch he says, "Hey, where'd the bed go?" and then looks at us for a laugh. And in the evening when we pull out the bed he says, "Hey, where's the couch?"

Patrick and I share the king bed with Boden. Boden, of course, sleeps cuddled up in a pile of cuteness right next to me.

I am enjoying being a mother of two children as I live the life of a "housewife" dream -- no dinners to cook, no toilets to clean, hardly any laundry to wash. Basically, I entertain Wesley and stare at Boden all day. Sure, I change quite a few diapers and mange a few tantrums in the process, but even that is enjoyable.

In the process of looking for a home we've learned a lot about our values. For instance, we're not very willing to consider homes without trees. What good is a backyard if our children can't enjoy it until November and if our dogs won't even consider going out to pee until 10 p.m.? Can you imagine Wesley not playing outside just because it's 100 degrees? No, he'd want to be right out there sweat and all, which means Bo and I would have to deal or Wesley would have to quell his natural fascination with all things outdoors.

Neighborhood vibe is important too.

There's a lot wrapped up in a community. For one, every time we move somewhere, we have a chance to extend our "family" network of friends and loved ones. A community structure offers a certain life rhythm: where are we going to play, when are we going to play, when will we walk the dogs? Are there other children outside? Do the women and men get together? These are all questions that we are considering as we choose our next home.

UPDATE:

Choice made. We found a nice house with a great backyard in a friendly community. I walk the dogs after 9 p.m. every night and notice people out talking, walking, etc. I'll share more as I learn more about this area, for now, it seems like a good choice. The house itself is far from ideal for what we need. For instance, we don't need a formal dining room, but we could use a fourth bedroom and I certainly wold prefer a home without carpet in the bathroom -- yuck! *Sigh* The backyard, however, is worth putting up with the minor inconveniences posed by carpeted bathrooms.