Town Home

Okay, so last week was b-e-a-u-tiful weather, and the kids and I spent a lot of time outside. While our picturesque country yard was a perfect place (picturesque if you ignore Sadie's "gifts" that we need to clean up still) for the little tikes to expend a lot of energy, I found myself wanting to revert back to my life as a town kid.

We are so fortunate that my parents moved a mere five miles away, in town, and into a neighborhood that is full of kids, sidewalks, and a home for my double jogger that doesn't require a dust cover (thank you, crappy road). So, on a particularly lovely morning, I took the two little girls into town for a walk. As I was happily cruising, a friend yelled out her door to join us. We chatted and walked along the cute streets of Elmwood, and upon returning, and going into my parents' house, I truly realized how, while my husband has a lot of country in his blood, I have a lot of town in mine.

It probably didn't help that I was hanging out in my parents' brand new home, filled with nice furniture that hasn't been continuously run over with trucks and Barbies. A house that I didn't have to clean, nor did I feel like I had to, but was already tidy, filled with snacks and a full dishwasher that I didn't have to unload.

Anyway, I have heard a lot about how people who grew up in the country had it great, and are so lucky to have enjoyed a big yard, animals, fresh air, etc. However, I do not feel slighted in the least to have enjoyed my childhood amidst paved streets and sidewalks, bike rides around town that didn't require first a trip in the car, and friends just a few doors away. Town life was great for me. Country life is great for me, too, don't get me wrong, I just find myself wondering if my girls (and soon to be little guy) will miss out by not living in town.

I am learning to like to live this country life, but there will always be a little piece of me that will yearn to be able to head out for a run with the kids without having to drive to town. There is a part of me that longs for my girls to be able to ride their bikes to school, to walk out of their door and have a friend holler out to play with them. There's a lot of really special things about living in the country, but there are also really great aspects of living in town.

My hope is that because we are so fortunate to have a "town home" (aka my parents' house), my kids can grow up with both experiences. I just hope that my mom will continue to stock the mixed nuts and dried fruit like I like it, and my dad will keep the air in my stroller's tires.