But I need to back up and tell you the whole story. For over three years we have lived next door to my mom and step dad. Two cute downtown bungalows with a shared driveway. Grandparents next door (and other grandparents six blocks away). Pedro walked to work. We walked everywhere. I hated driving to activities. I based a lot of weekend plans on whether or not we could walk to them. We walked to the library, out to eat, to the children's museum. And we had several friends who's houses we could walk to.
But back in November my moms house went on the market. And a week later our landlord told us he might sell as well. We thought of every way we could try and buy the house but it just wasn't feasible. So.......an end to the family compound. And with that idea, a great and intense sadness. I was grieving terribly and trying to tell myself to appreciate what we had had, to think of others who's situations were harder. But I was still sad.
And we were priced out of the town I grew up in. Rich college students and retired people, and the friggin "happiest town in America". I was feeling a little bitter.
Lupe checking our mail at the post office for the first time. Just bills. See, for now we are considering our rental a sublet. We need a San Luis address because we want our kids to stay in the bilingual dual immersion school Lupe is in. Our community is there. Most of our friends. We are "famous in first grade" because of the teacher who promotes the Spanish story hour we have been doing for five years at our local library. The one we used to be able to walk to.
We have moved to Atascadero. For those who are not from here it is 15 minutes north on the 101. Same county (unfortunately different school district). It is more affordable here. We had looked at a house a few months ago because it has a studio out back and it was close to downtown. The studio was too small for my parents (the idea is to look for a place for all of us, plus P and I don't qualify to buy anything on our own). Turns out, said house appeared as a rental. Three month lease with month to month after that if the house hasn't sold. We have to keep it tidy and be willing to have it be shown. It has been on the market a few months.
Positives: it is walking distance to the surprisingly cute little downtown. Across the street pretty much from Colony Park and community center. A somewhat quiet and flat street (this town has a lot of hills and a lot of houses on steep slopes). White picket fence and grass out front and two big trees starting to bud. Big lot with zoning in place for building two more units. Back yard has a pebbled area that is like a built in sand box, or rather, pebble box. This has already proved to provide hours of fun.
Negatives: the two bedroom house, which was later listed as a one bedroom with bonus room, is rather small, almost feels like a trailer/mobile home, long and narrow. Bathroom is off the bedroom, not in a neutral spot. The commute to SLO is proving to be quite expensive with gas. And that issue of school districts. No garage, so very little storage space.
First morning in our new dining room. It is full of light.
Malibu coffee shop. Lupe practiced counting her change and asking the prices of the muffins. The owner Paul was very impressed and we started to talk about manners before I got a chance to order my coffee. Good stuff. How is it we are in this culture where so many young people have lost any idea of what manners are? But now Lupe talks every day about going to Paul's.
It's also a drive thru. Like the kind you see in Oregon.
In the park in the center of town. It's very pretty. Though I don't exactly know why it's called Sunken Gardens. Grass and fountains. No gardens. A mom arrived with her four year old on a tricycle. I started talking to her. "I just moved here" she said. Last month, from Florida. Said the moms in the mom club seemed young. Said she drove to slo a lot.
We exchanged numbers. Mommy, I made a friend on my first day in my new town!
The tiny play structure at colony park. A block from our house. There is a community center there and I'm excited to start up yoga again, in an affordable way thank goodness.
It's growing on me. Pedro and Lupe love it here already. I am liking it a lot. When I am in slo though I feel a bit sad, surprised actually that I don't live there.
But in this house I can always find a parking spot. The yard is big. We eat breakfast and watch the squirrels in the tree, and with the recent rain, we are actually watching new leaves bud.
Window display. This town has character. And I don't just mean the regulars at my great uncle's dive bar on El Camino real.
There you go. The changes that have been going on for the Arias McGrath family in the last few months. Learning to let go. Learning to accept change.
Phew!
