For one, it's not possible to live an isolated life and ignore your neighbors - you just can't do it. Like it or not, your neighbors are going to know some of your 'business'. Sometimes, I miss the freedom to be a little bit unknown and anonymous. But, all in all, I think it's a good thing... this "being forced to be social" aspect.
Another undeniable is that other people's business will interfere with your own. Their noise, their stuff, whatever. One of my current pet peeves is all the bikes parked in the entrance to our stairwell. I mean, seriously, can't these people understand that I need to park my stroller? Why don't they just move their bikes out of my way??!!?? What a helpful, daily reminder that I am not the center of the universe!
Here's another one: No outdoor living space. No garage, no backyard, no front yard, no front porch, no patio, no nothing that links your house to the outdoors. Well, except the windows. I really hate this part. Oh how I wish I had a backyard my girls could play in. Or a front porch we could sit on after dinner. Or a garage where I could park my stroller and not worry about all the neighbors' bikes clogging up my parking space!
If I had a backyard, I would hang a swing for my girls. But I don't. But what I do have is an incredibly resourceful, engineering-minded, willing-to-entertain-my-crazy-ideas husband. And this is the result:
Now, before you (grandparents) panic, let me tell you two important things about this little set-up. First, Matt himself hung from ONE of the hooks, so we trust that TWO hooks will certainly be adequate to hold the girls in the swing. And second, YES, we realize it's a tad bit too high. Matt is going to try to find a link of chain that we can use to lower the swing to a more normal height.
It's rigged up so that the hooks in the ceiling are (obviously) permanent, but I can attach and remove the swing in about 5 seconds (thanks to the good ole kitchen chair, which boosts me up high enough to reach!).
The moral of the story: A backyard would be nice. But this has got to be a pretty good compromise.
7 comments:
Wow, talk about having a baby at eye level! Lydia is definitely up there in the air but I have all confidence that Matt has engineered the swing for safety. Way to go, Matt! You get the ingenious father of the year award! Love to all, Patt/Mom/Grandmama
Wow, now that's something to write about.
That looks like fun. I wonder what other uses you will find for those hooks. Maybe you'll soon have hooks in every doorway.
Looks awesome. Caroline and Will would have fun in that as I am sure Julianna and Lydia are as well.
Love Julie
Ingenious! Hope the girls have fun swinging! We have a small patio with 2 tomato plants, but I miss our backyard and garden we had in NY. One day we will have a real yard!
Love,
Susan
That is so cool! What a man you have there Laura!:)
That's awesome! I can only imagine how you might miss an outdoor space. We that have outdoor space (of any size) certainly take it for granted. Love the swing and I am sure the girls will too!
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