Saturday, August 16, 2008

Living with the Parents

We are finally settled to life in Texas, even though we haven't sold our home in Carlsbad or figured out yet what we're going to do with it. But I'm not too stressed. We are here for a good cause, after all.

And besides, I mostly like it here. Living with my parents has huge advantages.

There are only a couple of disadvantages. Namely: 1) the water tastes exactly like dirt 2) Claire keeps climbing up (and falling down) the stairs and 3) I keep getting locked out of the house whenever I take out a diaper.

My dad keeps the exterior door handles locked ALL the time because he is concerned about home invasion. And rightly so, since one of his partners was held hostage in his own home for money. Very scary. Oh, so, yeah, 4) I am now worried about home invasion.

Anyway, aside from these very minor cons, life here is pretty good. The best part is that the food budget is no longer limited to $100 a month. Wahoo.

And I haven't even felt the need to hang my head in shame or anything.

Except for once.

Last week one of my mom's friends picked us up for Enrichment. We had a fun talk on the way there, and then somehow we started talking about our living arrangements--how long Brad and I were planning on staying with my family and so on. And then this woman remarked:

"Betsy, I don't know how you are doing it! I am doing everything I can to insure my children never move in with me again. They would drive me crazy. They know not to come home after they move out."

This is where I tried to shrink, shrink, shrink in the back seat of the car.

A little bit awkward.

So, maybe this lady doesn't want to be friends with me. But... I'm sure glad my mom likes me. And that they asked us to move in with them. And that we haven't driven them crazy.

Yet...

8 comments:

  1. That is hillarious! Some people just take their foot and shove it in their mouth up to the thigh bone! I'm sure she is a little clueless and didn't mean any harm.

    Someday the roles will reverse; your parents will age
    and you'll be in the position of caring for them and possibly hosting them in your house. Isn't that kind of what family is all about?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Woah Nelly! That was the fastest move ever! Was I not just talking to you in Utah before heading back to Carlsbad. What the heck? Food budget $100? You must look like Ghandi! Oh, and the paints were just crayola washable finger paints. The shirts went through the washer once and look brand new white again. good stuff. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I hope you starve me to death on a 100 dollar budget before I depend upon my kids. I cringe to think about it. And weI more than enjoy having you guys around

    ReplyDelete
  4. You are my hero. I still cannot believe that you actually had (and stuck to) a food budget of $100!! Amazing... you are such a great mom...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yeah, like your mom's friend's kids are sooooooooo perfect. Puh-leaze. Get a grip, lady.

    Loved this post and the picture of Brad's stomach with the staples and tubing. I wanted to see them because I'm just twisted like that.

    Love you. Glad you guys are "home" and getting back to normal-ish.

    My guess on the hospital stay and the surgery cost: $27,500.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Just because she is not friends with her kids doesn't mean that the rest of us wouldn't love to have our kids around full time. Not to mention our adorable little grand-girls. Love you, miss you.

    ReplyDelete
  7. You know what? We were going to move back in with my folks if we went back to Kansas. It's so much easier to get on your feet that way. And besides, if you can, why not? Nobody wants to make it a permanent living arrangement, but sheesh, I can't believe that lady said that. I hope she doesn't want to move in with her kids when she is old and decrepid....cause that's the same thing, right? Family helping each other?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Elise,
    We have Sarah, Trent, Audrey, Carson and (new one on the way) and your father-in-law here at our house.

    "We are a hap-py-fam-i-ly"

    ReplyDelete