Speaking of doing what makes you happy, several people have asked what we are staying in and where we are living, so I thought I'd show you.
Quaint, right?
We downsized from a 7,000-ish sq. foot house where we lived with my dad, my baby sister, four dogs, and my small family of four. Even though there was a lot of us there, to say that we had elbow room would be a massive understatement! Our new digs offer a stellar 400-ish sq. feet of living space and a whole lot of outside. We have two bedrooms, a bathroom, and our family space is the true definition of an "open floorplan." Our dining room, kitchen, and living room are a tight fit as quite literally, they are all in one tiny room.... did I say "tight fit?" I meant "cozy." I'm sure that's what I meant! But I guess it's working out because Mason just saw this picture on my screen and said "Mama! It's home!"
Being in such a small space, there are some new rules we've been working on as a family.
1) Spend as much time outside as possible. We've done the beach, the pool, the playground, the library, etc. etc. just to get us all out of the house. Besides, we don't have a vacuum cleaner yet so I'm trying to keep the floors as clean as possible. ;)
2) Respect what little privacy each of us has. No bathroom-barging in (I'm extremely thankful for this one!), no group showering , and only one cook in the kitchen at a time.
3) Keep the toddler HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY! Whatever it takes! Dealing with a two-year-old meltdown in a camper is the least fun thing I can think of doing.
4) Don't use the ice machine. It floods the kitchen and the boys' bedroom. Awesome.
5) Don't close the doors to the master bedroom. One of the sliding doors will fall off the hinge and smack someone at any moment.
6) Don't turn off the A/C. This is the cardinal rule.
7) (Now this is a fun one!) Cook with as few materials as possible.
We went from a large, well-equipped kitchen with a full dishwasher, double oven, huge refrigerator, and a flattop range to.... this. While it isn't bad at all (Let's be honest here, it's better than eating around a fire on our haunches while gnawing on a raw rabbit leg, straight up Caveman-Style), but catering to us all here has it's own challenges! So, we use as few dishes as possible.
8) Become hyper organized. In case you've never been in a camper, there are about a thousand nooks and crannies in which you can place things. This is obviously for safety when traveling down the road. However, it can be problematic when you know a particular item is here but cannot remember where it was placed. #annoying #dontloseyourstuff
9) Grocery shop weekly. This B cannot store a stockpile worthy of a Sam's Club!
10) Last, but absolutely not least - have a sense of humor. We are living on top of each other and sometimes, what happens is just plain funny.
Like when you're living with three boys that pass enough gas to out-stink a herd of cattle and you have to detox the air in the camper.
Or when the toddler colors with pen on the carpet, his face, and his favorite giraffe.
Or when the toilet gets stopped up by an unsuspecting user. It's a four-inch hole in the floor of the camper. How, you ask? Ask my husband.
Or when someone falls down the steps or out of a bunk bed (No injuries, I promise. Those are not funny.)
Or when you nearly fall in the toilet because someone forgot to put the seat back down.
Or when your husband tries to be sweet and sets you on the dining room table for a kiss... but the tabletop breaks because there's only aluminum holding it up! It was clearly NOT designed to hold the weight of a full-grown woman. The table still functions, but it's a loud reminder to NOT sit on something that is not a seat.
In all honesty, we are having a blast. It gets hard at moments, but I know we are making memories to last us a lifetime. These next five months in this camper will be a period of time we look back to for many, many years.
But let's get back to how I started this post. For many of you, it's dinner time. Family members are pouring in the door, there's enough dirty laundry to clothe a football team (when it's clean, that is), and everyone is demanding food. You may have had a horrible day at work and felt like the dirt your superiors walk on. If I'm talking to you, I want you to ask yourself "Am I happy?" Is the empire you build every day when you walk away from your heart at home making you happy?
If you are happy, I am ecstatic for you. You are one of the few!
If you're not, decide to make a change. Start fitting the puzzle pieces together to get yourself to a better place. Please, please don't wake up when you're 87 and realize you've wasted your life. If you want to climb a mountain, go climb a mountain. If you want to live somewhere else, move. Own your decisions. Start dreaming your own blueprint.
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