Moving Blues

Last updated on: June 20, 2016 at 2:37 pm by Calah Alexander

Moving Blues 2016-06-20T14:37:53-04:00 Calah Alexander

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Oh man, I realize now that the picture in my last post is less humorous and more alarming, given that it was followed by an extended absence with no explanation. I promise I did not drink myself under the table. We just moved.

Actually, we moved twice. We moved to a temporary place and then to a new house, and we’re still settling in, and I deactivated (then reactivated) my facebook account, so I’ve kind of been….in a transitional state. Some people might call it a midlife crisis, but I haven’t yet had enough disposable income to dye my hair an exciting color and get an exciting new piercing, so I think I don’t think it’s earned that moniker yet.

Let’s talk about moving, instead of my mid-life-crisis.

Moving is the worst. I know we all know this, and I’ve moved enough times to have experienced it, but this time it was a new kind of worst, and here’s why.

We could not find a place to rent in Ave that we could afford, and shockingly, the landlords did not accept blond children in lieu of rent. (I thought this was supposed to be a family-friendly town, too. smh.) Luckily, my parents did not choose academia as a road to financial instability, so they offered to buy a house as an investment, and allow us to rent it from them. This was incredibly generous of them, obviously, and since our only other viable plan was “sell a kidney (or two) in Mexico”, we gratefully accepted. (sidenote: they are the best)

This is where it gets cool/weird. At the exact same time, our next door neighbors (you might know them as the Shakespeare savant and my Ave bff, the kindest domestic goddess ever) decided to upsize to a house more suited for teenagers, and began talking about selling their house. Their house with 4 bedrooms, a red living room, and a backyard with a fence and playset. Their magical kingdom of order and cappuccinos and saltimbocca so good it kills you dead.

So my parents bought their house, and after a 2-week mini vacation in Naples (because we had 2 weeks after we had to be out of our old house but before we could move into theirs), we moved in.

But here’s the thing — even though we moved into their house, we remained the same people. No one cleaned or picked up after themselves any more than they did in our old house, including me. Our pictures were still hung haphazardly without much sense. We still had crappy Goodwill furniture and children with unbrushed hair. Our cappuccinos did not miraculously improve, and killer saltimbocca did not magically appear on our plates. Our paper, paper plates.

So I got serious moving blues.

After trying to fix our things with just the things we had failed, and trying to make things cleaner just by yelling failed harder, I retreated into facebook. I spent my days rocking Isaac (who remains a magical squish, thank God) and trolling online yard sales, weeping for what might have been had I learned how to trade stocks instead of scan poetry. Eventually I let the ick of the internet drag me under and drown me alive, full fathom five and coral bones and everything. Sadly my life is still not a Shakespearean tragedy, so nothing became rich and strange. It just became pathetic and questionably hygienic. Toward the end, Charlotte began walking around the house, sniffing and saying, “something stinks” until she made her way to me. Then she would look up at me solemnly and say, “don’t you want to take a shower, Mommy?”

I gave up giving up after that, because giving up is weirdly exhausting and pretty gross. I deactivated facebook for a week, resumed exercising and showering, and rejoined the living. I ordered chore charts for the kids, mopped the dang floor like a grown-up, made stock, and sent my husband to buy groceries instead of frozen pizza. And now I’m here, dusting off my typing-fingers and oversharing into the void.

Last night, after a bewildering game of Pathfinder, the Ogre and I curled up on the couch to watch a movie. Afterward, I checked on all my sleeping minions and then headed to our room. Just as I was about to climb into bed, I noticed some toys on my pillow. Swallowing my annoyance, (because didn’t I say no Pathfinder until all the toys were put away?) I picked up a box made out of magna tiles. Inside it were two carefully placed race cars and a bubble-gum wrapper.

My irritation vanished. Knowing the currency in the land of minions, I knew this was a priceless gift. My family might not do all the things I want them to and our home might not look the way I think it should, but I’ve got a pretty awesome family going on here — and I love them just the way they are.

I mean, maybe they could put clothes in the hamper instead of next to the hamper, though. Just saying.

Uncategorized

moving blues

Previous Post

April 11, 2016

If You're Wondering How My Whole 30 Is Going

Next Post

July 14, 2016 How Pokemon Go Saved My Summer

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 April 2016 March 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz