We have a house!

In Boulder.

Come August, we will be found at 215 30th Street (Our current address is 202a 30th street. Confusing, I know, but also comforting, as if we're moving just down the block instead of across the country.) After a slightly disheartening search for a big-enough rental on a pretty small budget (so far, no one really has any income planned for next year), and checking out lots of places with stained carpet or hollow doors or exposed wardrobe "closets," I came across these photos in an ad on craigslist:



Adorable, no? And the ad was clearly written by a regular, intelligent, maybe even caring person. My heart did a little dance: we COULD have something cute without breaking the bank! There WERE rentals in Boulder with hardwood floors! Some landlords WERE real people!

I met said landlords and their 8-year old daughter on site and was sold. It's a great 1950s ranch with a nice big yard for the kids, in a neighborhood called Martin Acres. It reminds me of the sleepy little neighborhood between the house I grew up in and the one we moved to when I was in High School, called Friendly Hills. While I know I said I would never live in an old ranch house, I'm actually looking forward to trying out what I have taken to calling "horizontal living": you know, living all on one floor. While the house is small (overall square footage probably less than we have now- though that was true of every rental we saw), I think it will live larger because the girls will be able to wander to their room(s) - not sure if they'll be sharing- and just as easily go outside. It's an experiment- one that will hopefully be helpful once we're ready for our "forever" house (which I put in quotes partly because Dave, the serial monogomist, seems to fear commitment if he looks it in the eye, and partly because I really just mean our next longer-term living situation, whatever that might look like.)

So, we'll see if I can live without A/C (in a climate with not a lot of humidity- should be fine.) If a linen closet is everything I've dreamed of. If we can all share one bathroom. If lots of outdoor space really does make up for less indoor space. If a separate kitchen (as opposed to open plan living) is a plus or a minus. It's a process. Because our current house has no front hall closet, our next long-term one will likely have a whole mudroom with all the bells and whistles.

We'll likely put some things in storage, and I look forward to living with less stuff. (Dave and I have a LOT of it. There's a whole other post coming on that, so get ready.) I like the idea of enjoying our kids, enjoying this funny little interim life, directly, not through so many filters. I like the idea of trying on some new good habits. Like bike riding to work (or to get Clio to school.) A healthier, outdoorsier life. We'll see.