We went on a family walk this evening, trying to find a new "loop" (but the "loop" we found was a full mile (and then some), which was a little long for some of our smaller walkers, whereas our old loop was only a half-mile and just about the right distance for a quick post-dinner, pre-bedtime stroll, so we'll have to try something different). We've gone on a number of family walks since moving in and every time we do we can't help but imagine how moving into any given house would be.
"Oh! That driveway is even worse than ours! So steep! So long! I would hate to move in there!"
"That house looks doable."
"Oh, but look how many stairs are leading to the front door!"
"You're right! Never mind. That looks dreadful!"
We're definitely not even shopping for houses anymore, but we can't help doing a little window shopping as we peruse our neighbourhood.
"Why does that balcony have a railing on it?" Rachel asked about one house. "There isn't even a door leading out to it. I guess they could climb out the window, as long as the window doesn't have one of those things. What is it? Do they even have them in the south? I haven't seen any. That's weird because there are so many bugs here. What are they called? ... A bug filter!"
"A...bug filter??" I asked.
"Yeah! On the windows."
"You mean...a screen?"
She felt pretty silly for having forgotten such an ordinary word but, honestly, bug filter is a pretty descriptive term for a screen. I mean, what else are we trying to keep out? We technically have screens for our house, too (I found them in the basement) but we won't be putting them in the windows any time soon because it's so hot and humid right now (okay, so currently it's only 76°F outside (which happens to be the very same temperature in Spanish Fork/Provo, Utah (where my mom is) and in Kalmata, Greece (where Patrick is) right now, so...samesies!) which isn't terribly hot, but that's with 90% humidity which is...well...humid).
Speaking of descriptive phrases for things, Alexander has coined a few phrases himself. We've taken several trips to hardware stores the past few days and on one trip we wandered down an aisle filled with glowing lightbulbs, showcasing their luminosity and colour and so forth (I guess).
"Oooh!" Alexander crowed. "Hot bubbles!"
And when we walked by the fan aisle he got super excited and started kicking his legs and reaching up and chanting, "Fly, birdie! Fly!"
He knows the word "fan," but he likes to imagine they're birdies, I guess. Even at home he still gets excited about the ceiling fans and calls them "birdie!" But when we ask him what they are he'll typically tell us "fan."
I find it adorably fascinating when children are so apt at circumlocution that they invent such wonderful little phrases. I'm glad that my (almost) twelve-year-old is still doing it alongside her baby brother!
"Oh! That driveway is even worse than ours! So steep! So long! I would hate to move in there!"
"That house looks doable."
"Oh, but look how many stairs are leading to the front door!"
"You're right! Never mind. That looks dreadful!"
We're definitely not even shopping for houses anymore, but we can't help doing a little window shopping as we peruse our neighbourhood.
"Why does that balcony have a railing on it?" Rachel asked about one house. "There isn't even a door leading out to it. I guess they could climb out the window, as long as the window doesn't have one of those things. What is it? Do they even have them in the south? I haven't seen any. That's weird because there are so many bugs here. What are they called? ... A bug filter!"
"A...bug filter??" I asked.
"Yeah! On the windows."
"You mean...a screen?"
She felt pretty silly for having forgotten such an ordinary word but, honestly, bug filter is a pretty descriptive term for a screen. I mean, what else are we trying to keep out? We technically have screens for our house, too (I found them in the basement) but we won't be putting them in the windows any time soon because it's so hot and humid right now (okay, so currently it's only 76°F outside (which happens to be the very same temperature in Spanish Fork/Provo, Utah (where my mom is) and in Kalmata, Greece (where Patrick is) right now, so...samesies!) which isn't terribly hot, but that's with 90% humidity which is...well...humid).
Speaking of descriptive phrases for things, Alexander has coined a few phrases himself. We've taken several trips to hardware stores the past few days and on one trip we wandered down an aisle filled with glowing lightbulbs, showcasing their luminosity and colour and so forth (I guess).
"Oooh!" Alexander crowed. "Hot bubbles!"
And when we walked by the fan aisle he got super excited and started kicking his legs and reaching up and chanting, "Fly, birdie! Fly!"
He knows the word "fan," but he likes to imagine they're birdies, I guess. Even at home he still gets excited about the ceiling fans and calls them "birdie!" But when we ask him what they are he'll typically tell us "fan."
I find it adorably fascinating when children are so apt at circumlocution that they invent such wonderful little phrases. I'm glad that my (almost) twelve-year-old is still doing it alongside her baby brother!
We put bug filters on our windows when we bought our new (to us) house nearly 5 years ago. It didn't have any! And on nice days, I enjoy opening the windows - without letting bugs, lizards, and birds in! I remember my Syrian friend mention this when he moved to Germany. It was a novelty to him that the windows in his German apartment didn't have screens in the windows.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you are settling in nicely. I hope you find some good neighborhood friends in coming days or weeks.