Mom's New House

January 23
I found it kind of special that my mom took her first huge step without my Dad on the fourth anniversary of his death.  Sunday we talked about Dad and how crazy it is that he has been gone four years already.  It still feels like forever and yesterday all at the same time.  My mom has been juggling a lot in those years, and I'm glad she is doing something for herself.  It is a big step for her, but I think it will be good for her.  It feels weird to think about leaving this house though, like we'll leave my Dad and our family memories behind somehow, but I know that isn't the case.  Those will come with us.  The plan right now is for my brother James to rent the house, which will make the transition a little easier for both of them.  It is downsizing quite a bit for the yard, and a little on the house size, both of which she is looking forward to.  The main draw is that it is a retirement community (not the kind that they feed you meals in a big common area!!!), just a community of 55+.  They have a fishing pond, miniature golf, workout rooms, indoor and outdoor pools, spas, clubhouse, sports (she's excited about the softball team), and lots of clubs and outings you can be a part of if interested.  I think she's excited about meeting new people, having the sense of community, having some new things to do, and most of all for the new beginning.  It's a big bonus that it isn't too far away so she can still be close to all her great friends and family here.  The house will be ready in March, and she wasn't planning to move until around August or September.  To get the location she wanted she had to get a spec home instead of building from scratch.  She'll probably still wait until then to move.   I'm excited to see how it goes!

 

Matisyn Funnies:

We had dinner with my sister Diane and her husband Reed last night.  It was a really nice visit.  I was even able to enjoy dinner because Ems went to bed early.  Matisyn became a super performer again with a waiting, involved audience.  I couldn't believe the things she was coming up with; where does she get this stuff?  I wish I had a camera recording her.  She was talking about planets, cowgirls, sport girl, and she was dancing and singing.  Her singing ranged from "All the Single Ladies" to a country cowgirl hit written by her on the fly, and a song about her favorite planet Earth!  I wish I could remember more, but these are a few things I do remember. 

• Inky Pinky and the Purple Planet
• Sport Girl is "glueitized", and the "super hero that is even better than Sport Girl" is magnetized.  She demonstrated the difference for us.
• Earth is the best planet with the moons and Mongolia.  (Seriously, Mongolia, what?)
• A whole monologue about how she lives in a haunted house with a cave and "ghostes" and a big hawk.  There are lions and bears and scary, scary bats.  "I can't trust the bats because they fly away so I have to put them in a bird cage.  Then they got out of the bird cage so I had to put them in a box.  Then I gave them to Sport Girl and she wasn't scared."
• My personal favorite was a song about. . . "The U.S. and Africa all drink from the same big pond of water."  How very deep of her!

Then also last night Chunk brought a live mouse home for his snake Morton Norton.  Matisyn really wanted to watch him eat.  I was trying to prep her and help her to understand that his food was alive, and that the food was a little white mouse.  I thought she'd be crushed.  She was so into the whole thing.  My favorite things she said were, "Mommy, he's up to his legs.  Mommy, he's up to his tail.  He ate the whole mouse.  Can he eat two mice today Chunk?"  I had no idea she would enjoy the circle of life so much, I'm not a big fan.

Then earlier in the day she brought me an empty envelope. 
Me:  Oh Thanks, but aren't you going to write a note to put inside?
Matisyn:  I already did Mommy.  I'm giving you Jesus.
Me:  Wow, thanks, but I don't know if you can give Jesus away.
Matisyn:  Don't worry Mommy Jesus likes to be prizes!