Observations

Chelsea has lived in an apartment for almost the past year. Her lease was up on the 30th, but she didn't get to move into her new apartment until today (which we'll help her do later after she's done with work). Therefore she's been living at home for the past several days, or as she puts in on facebook: "I'm homeless".

I have LOVED having her home, but I have made some interesting observations while she's been here:

1. It's evidently a little disappointing to find that moving home doesn't mean that mom is there to wait on you hand and foot, and saying "Mom, I'm hungry, can you fix me something to eat?" doesn't get the desired response.

2. Adding one person back into the house increases the amount of laundry by triplicate.

3. All 3 kids had their bedrooms in our finished basement. Austin moved upstairs when the girls moved out, and Chelsea didn't like sleeping downstairs all by herself, so she's sleeping on the couch. Having someone bunk on the couch is a pain when I have my battle with insomnia and can't go sit and watch tv to pass the time.

4. Listening to kids fight over the remote is something I have not missed.

5. Listening to kids fight over the computer is another thing I haven't missed.

6. Cooking for 4 instead of 3 really is more than just "adding another potato to the pot" as the saying goes. It's amazing how one skinny girl can add to the grocery list.

7. Helping with college homework has been fun (who'd have guessed that one? Not me!).

8. Biting my tongue when she leaves the house instead of asking where's she's going, who's she's going to be with, and what time she's getting home, hasn't come as naturally as I'd have hoped.

9. Having a bathroom to myself is a luxury I have enjoyed more than I realized.

10. I love having a daughter here to talk "girl stuff" with.