Home is Where ... the Children Are





Thirteen years ago when we bought our house I told DH it was a house that needed a baby. Perhaps because to our previous home I'd taken all five of our babies upon leaving the hospital I felt that this house also needed to be blessed by a baby.

I think it was Marilla in the "Anne of Green Gables" series that said that it took a death, a wedding and a birth to make a house a home. We've now had all three: the death of several pets, our eldest son's wedding, and now two beautiful granddaughters living in the house.

Whatever the cause, our house definitely feels like a home. It's certainly not "flash" by any means but it's filled with love and laughter and cuddles and family.

It feels like ...

Home: with the sounds of a baby sleeping in her basket in the living room as we carry on with our daily tasks.

Home: with board games that have not seen the light of day for many years now spread all over the living room floor.

Home: with cuddles and kisses at any time we want them (well almost any time we want them - The Most Adorable Granddaughter#1 can be reluctant to kiss or cuddle at times, and there's usually a queue of people wanting to cuddle The Most Adorable Granddaughter#2).

Home: with incessant chatter, and exasperating questions ("Why?", "What for?", "What you doing?") and quaint sayings ("Probably not" when a simple "No" would do, "I'm not beautiful. I'm [insert name]", "I woke the sun up" when she was awake early in the morning) and calling for her uncles as if they are her slaves (and they come willingly).

Home: with gummy smiles and baby sick.

Home: with running feet early in the morning.

Home: with food on the floor.

Home: with my whole supply of tea towels used up in one day.

Home: with baths in front of the fire.

Home: with everyone over the age of three hoping never to watch "Finding Nemo" (or "The fish movie" as she calls it) again in their lifetimes.

Home: with at least one person who loves doing the dishes even if she is only 2-1/2 years old and doesn't care whether she uses hot water or cold or even if there's any soap in the water.

Home: with DH and I complaining that our living room is too small when everyone crowds into it at night along with two clotheshorses of clothes drying, a baby basket, a baby capsule for the car, The Most Adorable Granddaughter#1's clothes, toys, books and bag, and, of course, board games all over the floor.

Comments

That was the sweetest thing I've heard in a long time!
Noel said…
Ah, it looks so pleasant and yes, we know about the nemo thing :)
java girl said…
That just made me so very happy reading about your home :O) with a house full of children and grandchildren!
Unknown said…
What a wonderful post Jules. Your home truly sounds like a home full of love.
SchnauzerMom said…
You have a wonderful, loving home! I love hearing about it.