A Week and a Day

We've been in the  new house a week and a day. The sheet rocking is nearly complete in the living room, so in the meantime, after we wake up, Reese and I sit on the TV room couch that is currently in the dining room next to the kitchen table. The washing machine went out so I bought a new washer and dryer that was delivered yesterday. All I can say about that was at least I'll get a chunk of miles out of it.

It has been hot in Seattle. This weekend the temperatures are near 90 degrees. Last night, we went to family swim at Coleman Pool. We would go last summer as a family. It used to stress me out, mostly because I resisted the work to get to the pool and then worried about Reese.The stress, preparation and worry overruled any enjoyment in swimming. Being a single parent has forced me to enjoy the times, however small, that are available. So, despite the preparation, the long walk to the pool, the reality that I would be holding Reese the entire time and not able to swim own my own, we went swimming and it was lovely. We went to friends after for dinner, and when we got home, the house was stifling.  It was 9:30, but still in the 80s. We watched the Olympics in the cool basement while I caught up on the laundry and even though I was spent, there is a shift in comfort. I like being here, in my house.

In a lot of ways, the house reminds me of our house in Boston. The hard wood floors (oak?) are old; likely the originals from when the house was built in 1946 and they are unevenly stained. When it's hot, there's a feeling that I can't ever get all the dirt off the floor and my feet are sore, cracked and filthy. I meet the end of the day with a steaming hot wash cloth to wrap my feet and take away some of the day's wear and tear. This single act represents my summers of 2005 and 2006 in our house in Roslindale. I have flashbacks to weighing the costs of my feet with the costs of putting small rugs in the hallways and bedrooms. There is also crown molding around the doors, doorways and windows that is very similar. Boston was an amazing place, an experience that is now out of place and time. I relish that I am able to have some of it here with me, now, in Seattle, without Ed, because it keeps him and that magical time more present in my day to day life.

Last night, driving home, Reese asked if we could go to the new house. When I tucked him in, Jack said he is liking the back yard more than he thought. This was a good move for us.