The Boy Who Cried Wolf

You know that story? Where the boy keeps saying "WOLF!!!" and at first people care and stuff, but then eventually they stop because he was always full of shit and then when there is really NO ONE who gives a f*ck anymore, a WOLF appears out of nowhere. That kid probably died a gruesome death, and absent that part, I sort of feel like the boy who cried wolf. I'm the girl who cried "move."

The move to suburbia has been momentarily/temporarily/maybe permanently(?) tabled. Once we realized it would be a very poor financial decision for us to buy a starter home, the allure was greatly diminished. We stepped back and asked why were moving to rent a place that we would most likely move out of in a year and would result in a 3 1/2 hour daily commute for me. Timmy is not in school yet, so things like great schools and lots of families just don't matter as much right now as they will in a few years. It would be nice to be closer to family, but they're only an hour away.

PJO still likes the resume builder and experience that his job provides, so he is going to keep doing his commute for as long as he can. It's not pleasant, but it's not terrible either (at least not by LA standards). My commute will be 30-45 minutes each way, much more doable given my unpredictable hours.

There is also the fact that I wasn't feeling quite ready to leave this place. I've started building some great friendships here and have really grown to love the mom's group in my neighborhood. We recently set up a babysitting swap, which is pretty much the best thing I've ever thought of. How long would it take me to make new friends that I trust enough to get free babysitting out of the deal?! (mostly joking). I didn't feel ready to leave behind my favorite farmers' markets and restaurants or find new doctors and grocery stores.

The plan now is to send Timmy to a daycare close by (the first one I ever toured and loved), then have a babysitter who will pick him up and bring him home most days. Hopefully one or both of us can make it home by 7 to give him dinner and a bath and put him to bed. If and when my firm decides to transfer me to the office in suburbia, we'll decide whether to make the big move or do something else.

The way things have been going, this could all change in a month. But I'm excited about this for a few reasons: 1) I don't have to pack and move this summer. 2) I don't have to worry about taking the train to work/being stranded in downtown LA after a late night or being too far away from Timmy to get to him in an emergency. 3) I can finally finish decorating our apartment now that I know we'll be here for at least a little bit longer to enjoy it. I had a blissful day Wednesday throwing out old stuff, organizing things to put in storage and containing Timmy's little toys in cubicle bins so I won't keep tripping on matchbox cars everywhere.

To quote one of my favorite commercials: "Things are looking up!"