After living in our all-white apartment in Norwalk, Connecticut I feel surrounded by color and comfort. I had no idea we had so many THINGS! I appreciate my furniture more, my kitchen, my multiple bathrooms. But I am also ready to get rid of a lot; I can live with less.
Our Connecticut digs were great. We lived in a lovey, clean apartment, and it was a great find thanks to some awesome ladies at Todd's office. We lived in SoNo (South Norwalk) which is a hip section of town full of cool bars and restaurants. It is also a historical part of town so the buildings were brick and colonial and charming and on the river front. Historically, this part of town was for oyster farming and fishing.
When I came home, Amy picked me up from the airport and we went to dinner and had some really nice sister time. I missed my family this summer. Todd's mom and grandma were at my house having spent a mother/daughter/genealogy week in Salt Lake. It was fun to NOT come home to an empty house that first night. We had some time the next morning to chat and I showed them ultrasound photos and baby clothes. I really enjoyed their company.
Now I am alone. And it's fine. I really like my alone time. I LOVE being with Todd the best, but I am REALLY alright being by myself. These are the last days of alone time for a LONG time. Soon I will have a baby with me 24/7, which will be great, but I will still love my alone time. I was talking with my grandma last night and she loves alone time, as does my own Mo. So maybe it's hereditary.
I came back early to start school, both teaching and taking a class. I am taking a humanities class at BYU to get back into the academic side of things in preparation for further education. And I am teaching three courses (in four classes) at LDS Business College this semester. It will be a busy Fall, but what a nice way to pass the time until Oliver comes!
I miss Todd, a lot. He won't be home for a few more weeks. I will go visit him and do some last minute sightseeing, and pretend for one more weekend that I have no responsibilities other than being with my best friend and having a good time.
I did find one interesting surprise the day after Grandma and Chris left. During July, the whole Rhodes clan was in Utah for a little family reunion and our home played "hotel" to 5 adults and three cute boys. I tired to prepare the house for their arrival and have things ready and available or "child-proofed" as much as possible (I will need to make more changes before Ollie gets here, the Rhodes boys were a good test run). I have found a couple of cars behind doors and plastic jets under couches, but my favorite find was laying beside the tower of headbands and the thank-you card from Grandma Rhodes.
Yes, it is a red-sequined, black-tasseled pasty of the "burlesque" variety. Some dusty remnant of a decade-old wedding shower. I found its partner in the back of a bedside table. I don't know who found it, but they obviously did not know where it went, and there is no way of knowing if they really knew what it was. A fez? So I am left with the image of the whole family surrounding the discovery and discussing its origin. A lovely, if hilarious, image. I may illustrate it.
