No Longer Next Door Neighbors

We have had "next door neighbors" for almost two-and-a-half years now.  They haven't been literally next door, because they were about fifteen lots and two roads away, but they were the closest thing we had to real next-door-neighbors for a long time.

When we started building our house in our neighborhood, we were the eighth house of close to one hundred lots, so there was a lot of empty space between houses.  Today, every lot on our street, which is frightfully misnamed a "trail" as it's a stubby road with only eleven lots, is either under construction or has new owners.  And this is a good thing, because it's nice to have neighbors.

But so far, as you look out on our house to the left, there isn't a single inhabited home until you get to our original, "next-door-neighbors" until today.  Yesterday I was taking a break for a few minutes out on the swing set when I saw their son on their porch.  He said, "Hi, new neighbor."  And I replied, "Are you moving in now?  Congratulations!"  Last night they slept on the floors and today four moving trucks brought in load after load of their things. 

We stopped in to say hello and their mother, Brina, had lollipops for our children.  Imagine being in the middle of a move-in and having the organization to have candy for the neighbors children!

As happy as I am to have new neighbors, I'm sad to be less-next-door to our original neighbors, even though we were never technically next-door and there have been houses under construction for some time between our two lots.  Times change. 

The Big Boy Update:  ChickenFries with Mickey.  I saw my son's teachers at school today.  One of his teachers and I got to talking and I mentioned that "ChickenFries" meant "McDonalds" and she said, "Oh, did he have McDonalds in Florida?"  I told her he had.  She said that made more sense now because he had told her he had had, "ChickenFries with Mickey Mouse."

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  Talk all day.  It's been confirmed by her teachers, she talks all day at school.  I suspected as much, but it's nice to get confirmation.  The only mystery is, what is she saying?

Someone Once Said:   I had thought—I had been told—that a ‘funny’ thing is a thing of goodness. It isn’t. Not ever is it funny to the person it happens to. The goodness is in the laughing, I grok it is a bravery…and a sharing…against pain and sorrow and defeat.