We moved out to the burbs 2 years ago September 1st! We have been out of the city for TWO years. First, that blows my mind. Time has really flown by. Sometimes I miss the city, but that part of our lives is 100% over. We finally sold our condo last month. Sure we can visit and do mini vacations downtown. But we won’t move back there. At least while Jack is living under our roof. If we don’t retire to Tahiti one day I am guessing we will retire downtown. But THAT is way off!

So we have been living on this lake for 2 years. For a while I thought, “how can I ever NOT live on a lake again?” The same as I thought “how can I NOT live in the city??” But much like my decision that I didn’t want the city life for Jack, I have started to feel this lake life is not right for us as he grows. At least not the house we are renting. We have been planning to move and buy in the spring. Initially I was clamoring to find a house on the lake we live on. I was desperate that we needed to find one. I can’t go from a life on the lake to a life without one as my back yard! I can’t do it.

I mean, look at the view…..

I know it was cloudy in this photo but it really is nice. Also, currently the lake has dried up THIRTY inches! We have had a severe drought here. But that is neither here nor there. I truly thought that I can’t live anywhere but the lake.

Then lately we have been in our “yard” which is shared with everyone, since it is a townhouse street. We have a board, an association, etc. Jason is constantly vetoing me getting Jack more outside toys because he is afraid one of our old bitter neighbors is going to complain. He doesn’t want us drawing with chalk too much because of the same reason. It drives me crazy. I don’t care what anyone has to say. I really don’t. I would tell them where to shove it too, no problem. Don’t mess with my kid’s happiness when he is being good.

That has been gnawing away at me for a little while. I want Jack to be able to have an outside play area that fosters creativity, imagination, fun, learning, growing, exploration, etc. I don’t want to have to worry about what some old guy or lady thinks.

Then there is the lake itself. There is luckily a line of shrubbery that loosely separates the grass from the beach/shore. But it is loosely. It is not a safe fence. Jack has NO freedom in the backyard. He is getting to an age where he deserves some freedom to explore, without me being his total shadow. That cannot happen here. I feel like a helicopter parent when we are outside, but it has to be done. It takes one second for him to bolt. I am afraid of drowning or kidnapping. Seriously. We don’t live in a “dangerous” neighborhood, but that hardly matters. Pedophiles, kidnappers, psychotic people are everywhere. And an open area like this makes it all the more easy for someone to snatch him. Then there is the fact that he could drown in that lake. He is constantly being coaxed back to our little area. I just hate it. I am ready for him to be able to have a little freedom in our yard, our fenced off yard.

Jack is a woof person. Woof is what he calls dogs. He loves our kitties, sure, but he tries to play with them like they are puppies. Two are elderly. The one that is younger is skittish and has recently scratched him. Don’t get me started on her. Anyway, I want to get him a puppy. That is not happening here. Especially because we don’t have a yard. That is the same reason we never got a dog earlier. Living downtown we thought it was unfair to have a dog. Some people do it, but Jason and I happen to agree we prefer our dog to have yard space.

All of those reasons have led to to the realization that I am ready to not live on a lake. I don’t think we have outgrown the house really. Although I would love a basement. But that isn’t really the reason. I just want us to have our own space we aren’t sharing with other people. To be able to enjoy our time outside, grow our furry family, and let my child foster some independence.

This was at my grandparent’s home. They have a huge yard, with a fence. He LOVED running around it on his own. I think this may have been a turning point for me. Seeing him play like this and enjoy exploring without me saying no jack, come back, over here, stop etc.

I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the future in this respect. How we will move in a few months and what adventure that will bring. I will miss this house. This is where we brought Jack home! His first bedroom. We painted it for him. He does love playing throughout the entire house. It will be strange to explain to him that we are moving, but it will have so many wonderful times. We won’t have to worry about signing a lease or feel like we can’t really settle in. It will be ours and we won’t be planning to move again for some time. I am just looking forward to being settled and done and be able to enjoy our HOME! Make changes if we want to. If something breaks or is running slowly or is old we can replace it without a middle man. WE can pick out what WE want as a family.

I never thought I would feel this way, 2 years ago. But I am glad that I am in this place. It will help the emotion of leaving the first home we had with Jack. I will focus on all the positive aspects. I hope the approaching holiday season helps speed up time. I say holiday season because we start celebrating in October, with Halloween. I think Jack and I are going to be pirates. He knows what a pirate is, calls pirates pirates.