We still aren’t totally sure if we are staying in Mississippi after Corey retires. He has been looking at a job opportunity in Kansas, but we aren’t sold on it yet. Corey loves what he does here (well, as much as one can “love” this kind of thing, it is working with soldiers going into theater and is pretty stressful) so we have been looking at houses around Hattiesburg that are on the market, as well as those in Oak Grove and Petal and some outlying areas.
Late last night we are lying in bed talking about “stuff”:
Corey: What time’s the party tomorrow? (he’s talking about Hannah’s birthday party)
Me: Noon.
Corey: Seriously? So there goes the whole day!
Me: No, Diddy Bops is a timed play area. Our time is from 12 to 2. We have to be out at 2.
Corey: That’s the whole day! *big long sigh*
Me: Oh shush, this is for our girl. Put a smile on your face!
Corey: Why can’t we just have a normal birthday party?
Me: This is a normal party.
Corey: You know what I mean.
Me: YOU know WHY.
Corey: Apparently I don’t.
Me: Because we live in the country and don’t have regular neighbors, because history has proven that when we – or anyone else- have a party at their house the outcome is miserable. People just don’t like to go to other people’s houses here.
Corey: (under his breath) This sucks.
Me: It will be different next year when we live in a neighborhood and we can do it our house and all the neighborhood kids can come.
Corey: I’m not sure I want to live in a neighborhood.
Me: (in total shock) WHAT???? That’s what we have talked about all along.
Corey: I’m starting to change my mind.
Me: No, no, no. We’ve talked about moving into a neighborhood like Susan and Derrick (that would be Chapel Hill, I love that neighborhood) and we would have neighbors and the kids would have friends to play with. This has been decided.
Corey: Nothing has ‘been decided’.
Me: Yes it has.
Corey: Besides I’m not sure I want neighbors to be right up on me.
Me: Look – the kids need to have friends to play with. Where they can just go out in the neighborhood and play; you need to think about them. You need to stop being so selfish.
Corey: The kids are gonna be gone in a couple of years anyway.
Me: What??? Where are they going? What do you mean ‘a couple of years’? You failed math, didn’t you? Hannah is just now turning 10. So she has another 8 years. Jon has 10 years until he’s 18 and KK has 12 years. And that’s IF they leave the house when they turn 18.
Corey: (another big sigh) Lisa, moving into a subdivision or a neighborhood isn’t decided yet.
Me: YES WE ARE.
Corey: Not necessarily.
Me: I’m putting my foot down on this! Period!
On a totally different note I am very thankful that our guest room’s bed is really comfy. I got a great night’s sleep. Now I’m back to searching for awesome houses in awesome neighborhoods.
