Day 6

Today was an eventful day!

I started the day off at 7 am.  My son woke up at 6:30 and then played video games for a half hour before it was time for breakfast.

While I wasn’t so excited at 6:30, it was nice to get an early start on my day.  Today was the day for looking at houses.  I met with the guy I called yesterday (the house without the fridge) and saw his house.  It is a 3 bed/2 bath, but not too big for me & my son.  So I went home and mulled it over, looked at the other listings in town and decided to go for it.  Not only is this the best price for a house that size (3 bedroom and a 2 car garage), but I only have a landlord to deal with and not a property management company.  I put down my deposit tonight.  I explained that I didn’t have the money for rent until the first, but wanted to secure the place with the deposit.  We signed all the paperwork and I paid the deposit, then he gave me the keys and told me that I could start moving in right away on the condition that I put the utilities in my name for the rest of the month.  So Monday I will call and have the utilities switched over and I’ll start moving in.  This is perfect because I always like to clean places before I move in (places are never as clean as I think they should be) and then it will be a smoother transition for my son.

So, I have a place now!  I was frustrated and worried a few days ago and it’s perfectly fine.  I feel very confident and comfortable with my decision.  The best part is that the landlord knows the neighbors very well and said that they’re great people and always keep an eye on the place for him.  I met the one neighbor today… it’s nice to move into a place already knowing that my neighbors are good people and will look out for me too.  The neighbor offered to help me out if I needed anything done inside the house (clogged toilets, etc.).



After we looked at the house this afternoon my son went to a birthday party.  I’m trying to get him to be more social, but he almost backed out last minute and I told him it wasn’t very nice to promise his friends that he would be at their birthday party and then not go if you don’t have a good reason.  I told him it’s normal to feel nervous when you’re going to a party and you’re not sure who is going to be there, but that if you decide not to go you could be missing out on all sorts of fun.  He understood and went to the party and had a good time.
I also got a Skype-Date with my husband tonight.  It was such a treat!  Our son has enjoyed these chats in the past and tonight he seemed even more excited.  When he heard the Skype call from across the room he ran over yelling “SKYPE!” and climbed on my lap to chat with his dad.  Afterward I asked him if he had fun talking with his dad and he said “of course I did” and then sang “I got a feelin’, tonight’s gonna be a good night. Tonight’s gonna be a good good night.”

We read “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish” together at bed time.  We took turns reading the pages.  He does so well at reading, but he isn’t very confident in his reading skills.  The more he reads out loud the more confident he’ll become.  I try to get him to read one book to me each day.  We miss a day here and there, but we read every day.  And of course, at bedtime he had to press Daddy Bear’s voice box and hear “I love you. Be good.”  Then he snuggled up with his stuffed animals and went to sleep.

“Today is gone. Today was fun.
Tomorrow is another one.
Every day, from here to there,
funny things are everywhere.”

Today marks one year since my grandfather passed.  I wrote this last night:

I remember teaching you how to email and get online.  I remember summer walks and trips to the art gallery, staying up late watching America's Most Wanted.  I remember you keeping bees, killing snakes, and catching yellow jackets.  I remember 7-Up floats and buckets of rocks that were going to make me rich.  I remember your smile, your laugh, and your firm voice reminding us kids to be good.  I remember riding on the ATV and camping out in the RV.  I remember pinochle and cribbage games as passage to adulthood.  I remember visiting you in the hospital when you had surgery on your neck, and again when you passed.  I remember the way you looked at my Granny after 70 years, how that look of love was still in your eyes.  I love you Papa.  I miss you.  I'll always be your "Nerse Nicky," your Perpetual Motion (PM).