Single Mom | Single Mom Blog | Ms. Single Mama » new house

No room for a man…literally.

mssinglemama — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 02:29:58 +0000

I locked myself out of my apartment this morning.

I had already dropped Benjamin at day care, but ran back home to grab some work stuff. Long story short, I got to work on time thanks to a nearby co-worker but Kris had to rescue me from the office later this afternoon so I could meet with the title attorney.

We sat down under the bright fluorescent lights. Decision time. Scary. I wasn’t expecting Kris to be there with me – but there he was and it was nice – to have someone there and someone who is also my best friend.

“So are you the taxi driver?” Attorney asked Kris.

“Yep.”

“And he’s my boyfriend.”

“Oh, so are you part of this decision?” Attorney was now prying a bit or being friendly to Kris. Not really sure.

“No, I haven’t even seen it.”

I jumped in, “Yeah. I’ve already explained to him that the house has no room for a man.”

Silence. Awkward. I’m always forgetting to leave my man jokes at the door if there aren’t any women in the room.

It’s true though. With just 1,000 square feet and no basement, I don’t even know where I would put a man!

We hammered out all of the offer details and then Kris drove me back home. Between frantic calls to re-assuring homeowner friends I was catatonic. Just still in the thought of making such a huge commitment. And making such a decision like this entirely on my own.

There isn’t another adult vested in the outcome of my decision. No one to stop me or to tell me I’m nuts. What if I am making a mistake?

To hell with it. You know what? I can live with that. If I do screw it up it will be my fault, not the dumbass I’m married to. And, because I’m a single mom and every success is on my shoulders, there’s a fat chance I’ll screw it up. Right? My worst fear – that the McCain gets elected and WWIII breaks out. Other than that – should be good to go.

Being one with thyself and no one else rocks!

And on that note – the funniest single mama post I’ve seen in quite some time – Mommy Pie’s engagement announcement. READ it immediately and have a magnificent weekend my happy single mamas and papas.

[Photo: I love MommyPie!]

OMG! I think I’m moving to the burbs!

mssinglemama — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 01:51:36 +0000

I am meeting with an attorney tomorrow … to put an offer on the house!

I went to see it on my lunch break today … was it just this afternoon? Yep. It was love at first sight. It’s so cozy, comfortable and safe. And the aura – is magnificent. Good vibes all around.

And guess who lives in it now? A single woman in her 40′s. No kids. But a strong single woman who’s kept the place absolutely pristine. And the view from the living room window? An old park. (The new park with the mountain climbing wall is down the block). But Benjamin will wake up every morning and see “his” park.

And the backyard…fenced with 1/4 of an acre, huge trees and a cute little shed. And there’s a door leading to the yard from the little dining room and the kitchen. So he can run around and play, completely safe while I watch from inside. I’ll have to buy a sand box, maybe a swing set….oh! And of course transfer my firepit blocks from my current yard. Must have fire pit. I’m SO excited.

The house is for sale by owner. I found it on Craiglist.com, where every single mama can find every single thing she needs – including men. Long live Craigslist! So I met her, we chatted and it just seems so much more personal. Realtors scare me.

And here’s the best part. My father grew up in this neighborhood. Cheesy. But I think his spirit is sending us there. Didn’t even know this until my mom told me this afternoon. (I miss you papa).

Okay. Wish me luck. Seems like a shoe in but you never know…

P.S. Buying a house SOLO without a husband to say – “No, I don’t like it because of ‘yada, yada.’” – Priceless. And dreams coming true – even better.

Can this city girl handle the burbs?

mssinglemama — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 02:34:12 +0000

I’ve officially launched my house hunt.

The neighborhood in my sights is a suburb. The houses are adorable. There are plenty in my price range (thanks to the housing bubble burst) and the schools are top-notch. It’s not a cookie-cutter suburb, it’s an old suburb, but a suburb nonetheless.

Tomorrow I am cramming three house viewings into my lunch break. So tonight I popped Benjamin in the car for a little trip … our mission to get a feel for the neighborhood in the evening.

First we stopped and looked at a few houses from the street, like this one!

Benjamin said, “House, house!” I looked back at him in his little carseat, “You want that one baby?”

“Ya!” he yelped.

“Okay, honey, we’ll see…whatever you want my little angel.” Then he threw his sippy cup at my head and shattered the moment entirely. But, hey, it was still cute.

We stopped at the park, just a quick walk away from the house. Unlike my downtown park this one was bursting with families, some rebel teens smoking cigarrettes and little girls climbing trees. Pleasantville. I asked a mom how she liked it here.

“Oh, it’s fantastic. We’ve been here for five years.”

“What about getting downtown, is that a pain?” I asked.

“Downtown! We never go downtown. We’re always here.” Always here. Here, in the suburbs, how is that possible? What about the coffee shops, the street musicians, the bars…the art galleries? But then I looked at her daughter and all of the other happy kids. They were safe. Cozy. Comfortable.

And then….Benjamin discovered the rock climbing wall. One you can only find in a super, duper fancy suburb neighborhood. And then he started climbing…

And climbing…

Until he reached the top. All by his little two-year-old self. The happy married couples were shocked. “That was pretty impressive!” Yep. That’s my kid. This is just SO funny because his day care ladies, my mom, his dad – everyone who knows him always jokes “This kid is going to be a mountain climber or something.”

So after relishing in the glow of the Pleasantville playground we jumped in the car for one more spin around the neighborhood. On one street I actually had to pull over because there were at least 20 kids outside playing – in the street! Just like when I was a kid. Amazing.

I called my older sister tonight. Told her how torn I am about the idea of moving to the burbs and she said, “You know what? The kids are happier. They just are. And sure the parents are kind of stuck out there but it’s so good for the kids.”

So what do you think… a hip single mama out in the suburbs? Can it happen? Will I go nuts out there? And isn’t that house adorable!!! [I'm seeing it on Thursday]