home

About a week before we moved out of Brooklyn, I was carrying Luke up our stoop and he spontaneously said, “home.” It was the first time I’d heard him use that word and he said it with the same sweet voice he says “Nana”, “Mimi”, “Stell-eye” (Stella, Luke’s girlfriend in Brooklyn) or any of his many beloved people . And it took my breath away. Just as Luke was putting words to that big idea of “home” and all it entails, we were preparing to move almost 2,000 miles away.

As angst-filled as I was, however, Luke has more than adjusted to bungalow living. We did a lot of talking about and preparing for the move. I made a picture book that outlined our move (called “We are moving!”- clever, I know) using photos and simple text. I also made a board book through Pinhole Press that has pictures of all of Luke’s important people. It has quickly become a favorite for all of us and it would also make a great gift if anyone is looking for ideas! Check it out here.

Once again, thanks to Mimi, we unpacked in record speed. We only needed one mediocre Chinese food delivery with an over-tired toddler surrounded by boxes and paper to really light the fire under us to unpack fully. We were cooking (ahem, Mimi was cooking) three meals a day by the second day in the house. But it took a few more days for it to feel like our home and not some really cute Airbnb we had rented for the week.

 

Here are 7 things that have made the bungalow start to feel like home:

1. Luke sampling the dirt in our yard. You have to try everything once.

   

2. The afternoon sun and these two at play.
   
3. This guy so earnestly watering the garden, and also his pants.
4. Sunshine, house plants, and my dad’s glass buoys. 
5. Luke’s crayon drawings- found on this paper and also on floors and door jams. 
6. Our books have homes again- on shelves, in laps and sometimes in mouths.
7. Luke has learned the word “snuggle.”