Monday, September 12, 2011

Welcome Home

It's good to be home.

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.

Pastie

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.

4 comments:

Emma Jo said...

I am speechless, and I miss you.

Brittany said...

That is hilarious! I wish we would have had a conversation about it and it's origin but unfortunately I wasn't there if that conversation did happen. I love you and miss you. Already can't wait to see you in three months. Thanks for taking the time to spend with us while we popped into Utah.

mo said...

Could we call that a found object malfunction? Okay, that was not funny but it was the best I could come up with. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when Grandma found that and asked her daughter what she thought it was!!! Enjoy your alone time!

Suzie Petunia said...

Looking forward to that illustration!

I miss you! I love thinking of you and Ollie.