Moving Home

Well let's just get it out there. I've started a new chapter in my life. I'm at a crossroads, a new beginning, yada yada yada, blah blah blah. As most of the readers of this blog know already, Buzz and I are getting divorced. I won't go into details regarding that matter but I can say that I moved back home on Monday. Let me correct that, me, my two large dogs, and Ella, moved back in with my parents. That same day, my sister and her three kids and dog drove up from Austin, TX to stay here for 5 weeks. Oh and my brother, Joe, moved back in too. Our timing could have been better...
First I have to thank my parents for taking us all in. They have been very supportive and gracious. They got a fence for my dogs and painted Ella's room the same color it was in the townhouse. They cleared drawers and closets and made room for us. I am very grateful.

Now back to the move-in. We are in a four-bedroom, two 1/2 bath, two-story home. There are currently two parents, three adult children, four grandchildren and three large dogs living in this house together. OMG. There are not even enough beds for all of us.

My sister is a fly by the seat of her pants kind of girl and I am a play by the rules kind of girl. We have a blast together and are always laughing but when it comes to day to day living we are polar opposites. If you read her blog too then you've read about some of our differences but if you don't, I'll give you some of the highlights.

• Kerry can sleep anywhere. She doesn't mind who's been in the bed before her or how dirty they wwere. I on the other hand need my own space, with sheets that have only seen my body. When I told her that we should each pick a pillow and stick to it since we'd be sharing a full-sized bed, she said, "Are you serious Kelly?" Hell to the yes I'm serious. Are you?


• Next comes the bathroom. We've got seven of us sharing the bathroom and all of our towels are in there. I put post-its above the hooks and instructed everyone to hang his/her towel below their name. Kerry put a post-it up that said, "Get over yourself Kelly." I'm sorry but I don't want to be wiping her kids' balls on my face! I even suggested we break the countertops into zones for each of us to have a seperate space but that didn't happen.

More on that on a later post. Now when Kerry is here, all we do is drive, drive, drive. We drive to see relatives all over the Chicagoland area. This is fun because I don't see some of these people that often so it's always a good time. We also hit fests like crazy. We were at the Bartlett fest last night and it was like the Twilight Zone. A bunch of the carnies were actually good-looking? When you go to a fest with Kerry and her kids it usually consists of getting some food and beer and trying to listen to the band while the kids start whining about rides and games. They ususally don't want to ride the same rides so Kerry and I divide and conquer. Then there's the games. One kid always wins something while the other is left prizeless and crying. Although a few nights ago we hit the Arlington Heights fest and both kids scored a goldfish because of my sweet-talking ways.

Now it seems as if I'm rambling, which I totally am but this blogging stuff is theraputic and I need some serious therapy right now. More to come on my major life changes and the chaos that is ensuing around me.