I’m going to be working past my bedtime tonight because I took time off to take Noah and some of his friends to a homeschool nature class at the Metro Parks. The class was really really crowded (the Central Ohio homeschool community is pretty big) so I didn’t stick around to watch — not that I would have anyway, honestly. I mean, the kid is twelve. But other parents stayed, which I totally don’t get. For one it was sunny if cold and for two even when Noah was little, I brought a book with me and sat in another room if he’d let me as long as some other grown-up was going to be paying attention to him for awhile. Anyway! I sat outside in the sun with Kristen while Madison and Ginger ran around adorably. Because at this age, there is no other way for them to run around.
So that ate up some work time. And feeding kids and cleaning the kitchen ate up work time. And then Kristen hooked us up (us being the homeschooling potluck people) with free pizza at the new Dewey’s in Grandview. The pizza, my friends, was wicked good. So good that I’m too busy digesting to look up all the links to really make this entry all web 2.0 dynamic. Plus my non-digestive energy is going to catching up on the work I missed with all of my gallivanting around.
Abby is thisclose to moving thisclose to Kristen (perhaps — we all have our fingers crossed) and I’m disappointed because my pipe dream of having her down the street has been crushed. But I knew she’d never move here. In my heart of hearts (she types dramatically) I knew it was never meant to be.
The neighborhood we live in is great great great — nice people, lots of families, a terrific library, two plus parks (one with tennis courts) all in easy walking distance. Noah doesn’t have to cross any busy streets to get to them and there’s only one busy street apiece between us and the rec center, the community pool as well as several restaurants, two ice cream stores, a wine shop, a locally-owned coffee shop, a little hardware store, an old-fashioned candy shop and a CVS where they don’t blink when a homeschooled kid shows up clutching a couple of dollars to buy his frazzled mother a Diet Coke. Also we live in a district with a great alternative high school that we keep eyeing for Noah (because the idea of dealing with high school transcripts as a homeschooled kid to get him into college makes me tired and lately he says he wants to go to high school so he might but he might not but whatever — it’s good to have options). That’s what really keeps us here.
Still I don’t blame Abby one bit.
The area where Kristen and Abby live and where most of our homeschool activities happen feels more like our kind of neighborhood. I don’t know why — it just does. A lot of it probably has to do with the homeschooling. People move to this district because the schools are excellent and when people find out we live here yet homeschool, they are always surprised. Especially because the taxes are higher. Now to me, paying more taxes for good schools is a thing I feel a-ok about even if my family isn’t using the schools because I’m all for good schools. And I like that our higher taxes pay for those great parks and the well run library programs and the free recycling and the kept-up street repair. Still — whenever we head to Clintonville to hang out at a park, we feel a little tug that we’re here instead of there. Homeschoolers tend to hang out with other homeschoolers because we’re doing stuff with our kids and then, too, you never have to argue about this major lifestyle choice or make someone feel defensive accidentally or be made to feel defensive yourself. So the bulk of our family social life? It happens in Clintonville.
Brett said, “We could think about moving in a couple of years. We could always move over there.” And as soon as he said it, I knew I didn’t want to go. Because of our location and because of the alternative high school and (shallow) because I like 50s/60s ranch homes more than pre-WWII homes. Blasphemy, I know, especially now that I work for a preservation organization (although my boss tells me that “recent past” has become a preservation watchword).
There’s a house down the road from us that has a sprawling kitchen with its original aquamarine formica countertops, pink tub and bathroom tiles and avocado green carpet and I covet that house so so much! Especially knowing the people who buy it are likely to pull out everything I love and replace it with some inappropriate granite countertops.
If we move again — and it is doubtful — it’ll have to be to save some endangered formica and linoleum. So here we are to stay. Meanwhile it’ll be nice not to have to drive quite as far to see Abby (one earlier freeway exit if I take the freeway, which I rarely do) and also nice to be able to kill two birds with one stone meaning that my friends are birds and my visits to them are a stone but a lovely precious gem stone. Like a sapphire. Or maybe a topaz all nice and sunny! Because I’m busy these days and the more I can see them with less trouble, the better off we’ll all be!
Now cross your fingers that Abby gets that house!
Re: moving and kids and schools … I don’t ever envision a time where my husband and I won’t be continuously considering moving. Everyone I know is considering moving, even those who love their house and local schools (like you). Does this constant state of considering end when your kids are out of the house? Because it’s exhausting, all this considering.
Eliz, I hope and pray that everything is less exhausting when the kids are grown because I am TIRED. Also, I google shared your last post re., your husband’s restaurant. Hope he makes it through the current storm ok!!!!
I feel that way too – that most of our life happens in Clintonville b/c people we hang out w/ are Clintonville people. But I’m not sure I want to live there. (This was the topic of hours long discussion tonight. Exhausting.)
Ooh, if you decide to start looking for houses, let me know.I would be happy to troll the real estate listings for you. I think I was a realtor or something in a previous life. I would be one now, if the hours weren’t so crappy.
I was just discussing my love of house-shopping with Mr.A tonight. I don’t really want to move, but I keep finding houses that offer something my house doesn’t and I get excited about the possibilities they offer, even though my house meets all our needs right now.
I will cross my fingers for Abby, even though it means I have no one to house-shop for here. It sounds like this house would be a great fit for her!
I can think of several other neighborhoods that fit my house-style better than this one, but now we are so embedded here and have so many connections, I can’t imagine living anywhere else.
We’re not looking for houses but also we wouldn’t tell people if we were because we’ve driven Abby crazy by sending her house listings and I wouldn’t want anyone to do that to me!! Besides, watching her anxiety over this? Has brought back cold cold memories and she doesn’t even have another house to sell!
My cousin lives in Clintonville. I think she likes it. Perhaps you will see her jogging by while you are hanging out with Abby and Kirsten. Her runs are usually miles and miles (like 18). If you meet a smallish blonde runner with a name you’ve never heard before as a first name, that’s her!
Well, unless Jamie gets into the K-8 school of our dreams, my big wish is to move to YOUR neighborhood! Not just because of the schools, but the other city services that Columbus refuses to think about ways to pay for. I’d prefer NOT to have to haul my own yard waste, thanks so much.
Ally, I know to be a good person I need to hope Jamie gets into the school but Amber says our local elementary — the one across the street from me — is becoming a hippie school. Just so you know! And there are now two houses for sale on our street and one has a kitchen that is pretty amazing!
Heh, I was going to respond to your reply and say that if you don’t look for a house, I can always help Ally! I would be happy to talk to anyone about our local school, I am surprised by how happy I am with it. If we move (in however many years) I would very seriously consider doing open enrollment and driving every day to keep our girls in this one.
Yes! Yes! Let’s officially make Allyo your new project!!!!
The 40′s to 60′s design is totally making a come-back, and even has a name: mid-century modern. So your tastes have become positively trendy! If you hang on long enough, what goes around always comes back around.
Marta, I give credit to Target for bringing it all back. They have the same “art for everyone” design principles working and obviously retro mod is their inspiration!! Oh and Ikea. Ikea has done a lot for it. And now with Mad Men? It may be that those formica countertops will live to support a whole new family in that house of our dreams!! (Our current kitchen looks just like Betty’s in Mad Men. We are very proud.)
Ooh, another show with good house porn is Swingtown. It is set in the 70s, but the houses are the ages of the houses here. It has give me a new appreciation for wallpaper.
Aw, this was a wonderful post about me!
My fingers are crossed and I slept, like, 10 whole minutes last night. We’ll see. I’m just glad you’re right up the road at least; you’re introverted self would end up stabbing me if we were neighbors. For realz.
@cherylc One of my fantasies about this house is that it is so near the running trail that I want to put out a great big jug of ice water and dixie cups on Saturdays and Sundays in the summer. Such a dumb reason to buy a house, but when I do my long runs (not 18 miles) in the summer, sometimes there’s a jug of water for a local running group on the trail, and I just want to put one out for any ol’ body.
Even though I’m in a 100+-year-old home I do love (in parts), I hear you on what you like too. I’ve always thought of my style as basically commie chic, a kind of spartan Eastern European aesthetic with plenty of washed-out colors. And your neighborhood sounds like a nicer version of ours, too, maybe more like the neighborhood in the next town where we’d prefer to live. But at least I’m within walking distance of a Dewey’s, lest I get too jealous!
(I do envy the number of awesome bloggers in your area, though. What’s up with that?)