I gotta say, it’s been nearly a week since I’ve had roommates come in, the family that came to live with me for a little while, and a ton of things have happened. At the same time, not so much.

But there’s a few little lessons I’ve learned over the days:

1. When the neighbor volun-tells her kids to help you out, take her up on it. Better to keep kids–no matter their ages–going and working on something because boredom is to be fought tooth and nail. At least, publicly bored. Be bored in private all you want. And it helps put the main guest at ease that they’re not mooching. Some things are easier to do alone, but simple things that could use a few more hands, that I was good with.
2. Cooking is easier when you have others to share it with you. I got my new fridge yesterday and as I was cleaning out the food, I checked expiration dates and started throwing a lot away. I did go to the store and get plenty of replacement items, but yikes. I found something simple and fun to put together and we all ate. And I was more than happy to let someone else to take over bread baking duties. I made one loaf successfully last summer and that’s about it. I’ve got plenty of recipes I’m gonna give it a shot in the next few weeks, and if they’ve got any faves, let them take over the kitchen.
3. A girls night with wine is a great thing when you’ve never really tried it before. I gotta admit, it was a super-truthful evening and very cathartic for the both of us. We’ve both been in crap situations the past few years (and decades in some respects) so it’s nice to be able to hang and listen to someone again. Better if you can reciprocate.
4. Boys are prone to three particular noises, all of which are close cousins to “Thud,” “Bang,” or “Pow.” I’ve babysat this kid before and mostly just dealt with him sleeping the morning away or watching TV. Now I’ve seen some creature that froths at the mouth (at least in my head) while yelling into his headset during gaming and makes all kinds of noises prone to the most hypercompetitive gamers. Sheesh. I laugh and grumble when I play. I can’t recall ever yelling every 3-5 minutes, that’s for sure.
5. Conversations can happen at random times, and can be tricky to maneuver when you’re used to silence.
6. It’s easier to remember to keep your house in order when other people would have to move around your mess. I’ve had to remind myself to clean up and keep my mess to myself in most circumstances. Yes, it’s my house, but I wouldn’t want to make anyone feel boxed in or perturbed because I just HAD to take over all the communal spaces. I’ve got a few things out because I’d been working on ’em, and they’re in areas I’m typically in all the time, but that’s about it. I’ve gotten far better at getting basic chores done in a timely manner and out of the way of others.
7. They’re not gonna hang out with you all the time because they have their own lives, and that can be excellent. Well, kiddos went to their dad’s this past weekend, and mi amiga went to hang with a friend of hers she hadn’t seen in forever and spent the night over there. After three and a half days of others in the house, it was weirdly quiet and I almost didn’t know what to do. But it worked out well. I was able to relax and take my time doing stuff and just chill with the dogs. The dogs were confused, but really happy when everyone started coming back.

I’m sure there will be more to come eventually. More to think about and learn as time goes on. I still need to focus on what I’m gonna do next when I’m finally out the door of my day job completely, but I’m spending this week (when not cleaning or waiting for the plumber or repair services on my laptop) cleaning and seeing what else I can do for us all. It’s interesting to be a hostess, and far better than when my mom came down last summer.

Well, an early start’s needed in the morning. I’ve gotta clear cabinets before the plumber gets here so he can reach the water line, and start tackling the last few in house messes.