Such a rough life...

P, having carried out half the house, lazed about "reading" his new piece of fabulousness, "The Dangerous Book for Boys."  So far, its lit a fire for origami...

Ethan asked me yesterday if I felt isolated here.  I mean, we know 1 family (a little:) and we aren't living on top of (and beside) people anymore.  And I had worried a few months back that walking less would mean more isolation.  But life here feels so full and sweet right now.  We do still walk a ton, and the friendly factor means that we're not just surrounded by people, but actually interacting with them, too (or, at least, the social kid is;)  And then, of course, we see E during the day for meals, which is such a treat its crazy.  And we no longer have him for a mere tired hour in the evening, but a good couple of hours (since he gets up before dawn to work East Coast hours and no longer commutes, we see him by.... FIVE o'clock everyday!!!!  That's over TWO extra hours of our favorite guy, everyday!!!!)

But I realized as we talked that, for me, its the access to outside that changes everything (ok, outdoor access and access to Ethan:).  The hassle of getting from the fourth floor to green space is minimized (to a crazy degree...) with a private yard.  Case in point, P's private picnic party the other day.  In his p.j.'s.  Not having to actually be presentable before we head out is a huge bonus ;)  And the fact that I can pop back in to start laundry or lunch (or pee for the millionth time) without neighbors freaking out that a kid is on the stoop by himself during school hours is such a perk I get giddy just walking through the back door.

I know we're, technically, isolated in the backyard...  but, for me, nature is typically enough.  Grass and trees and dirt and I feel connected and complete.  I'm sure having someone constantly kicking me from the inside out and someone else chatting at me on the outside completes my needs for interaction too ;)  But since I'm feeling so satisfied, I'm going to have to make sure that my newly minted socialite is still getting fulfilled, in a non-backyard, isolated, social sorta way ;)  Constant companions of Pink Monster and Mama or no:)