NO SHAME

Yesterday afternoon a condo neighbor popped over for a visit.  She said she hadn't seen me for years ... wanted to be sure I was alive.

I have really backed away from the gossip social community here as well as the politics.  My focus is on being part of this thriving family, being neighborly (enough), and giving back to my community.

Having Sylvia visit did my heart good.  When I first moved in here, I was embarrassed to have anyone come inside.  Now I am not.  She is 80 and has no social filter (passive aggressive?).  She just blurts out whatever.

We have children's books everywhere.  Into a bookshelf each evening.  We have a large freezer in our dining room so we can shop the sales and Costco.  We have a huge monitor on the dining room table so they can watch educational shows (Mr. Nye the Science guy, PBS Kids or an age appropriate movie) while having a snack or a meal.  Mostly they watch the birds out the window as Kate has five bird feeders and a squirrel feeder.

Her first comment was "wow, I had to go through an obstacle course to get to your front door". 

My reply "Isn't it great that those boys can have fun with things other than toys?  Deacon got a book for his birthday called The Stick Book with ideas and directions to make things out of sticks.  Braeden reads it, they go stick hunting and then make things.

From Sylvia:  Are YOU sick too?
From Me:  Nope!
From Sylvia: Oh, you are still in your cute pajamas.
From Me:  Yes, and I may just stay in them all day!  No hot water this morning!  Jesse is trying to fix it to save calling a plumber.  (yes, mission accomplished!  AND, Judy, he drained it and cleaned it out as well)
From Judy:  Oh well ... could he do ours?
From Me:  Yes, if he is able!  $30/hour.

From Sylvia:  You let your dog on the furniture, there's a dog bed right beside him!
From Me:  He is a lucky boy.  He's old and prefers that love seat so we accommodate him by putting a blanket over it.

Deacon was home sick with a cold, so he decided to entertain us ... he brought out his small pop up tent, a tunnel, 101 stuffed animals and a few blankets.  He did a pretty good job of NOT interrupting us, but he did join in a few times.  I was listening to him with half an ear and he was playing school with them.

From Sylvia:  Aren't you supposed to play in your room?  Like a good boy?
From Me:  We let them play wherever their imagination takes them!  We are raising kids, not a museum or even "good boys"  We are raising critical thinking people.  They are professionals and put everything away before they start a new project.

From Sylvia:  I sure see them running around in all parts of the complex without an adult.  Isn't that dangerous?
From Me:  When I was growing up, we roamed all the time.  I'm so glad we live in a small community so they can do the same.  I'm sure any neighbor would give us a call if there was any kind of problem.

From Sylvia:  Well, they sure are noisy out there.
From Me:  Isn't that great that they know the difference between inside voices and outside voices?  I bet you noticed that in your children.  And I love how the parents get them outside EVERY day, rain or shine, to exercise their bodies.  If it's really rainy, they set up an obstacle course in the clubhouse room.  Or they have a nerf gun battle.  

After about an hour of "conversation", Deacon came up to Sylvia and touched her arm and said "it's time for you to go now, brubba is coming home and we have a special date with Momma"

She got the most startled look on her face, but did get up and go.

P.S.  The chaos WOULD bother a lot of people, but I have compromised and adapted to living in a small space with lots of people.  Freezer and fridge are covered in artwork.  The hallway has a narrow metal strip where they can attach special things with magnets.  Every horizontal surface has knick knacks that mean a lot to each of them.  My room is my serene sanctuary.