From the Mouths of Babes

The search for a house continues...

This weekend we toured a house in a lovely neighbourhood, close to the Catholic school campus (high school, elementary school, and French Immersion school all on one great big property), and on a lot that has clearly had people who loved their home living there.

We pulled into the drive and got out.  The shingles on the roof were in excellent shape (+), the siding, although mint green (-), was also in excellent shape.  The front walkway had a welcoming curve towards the front door.

Standing on the porch our realtor commented, "The last year has been hard on the house."

As you entered the house there was no knotty pine to be seen (+++).  The floors were carpet free (+).  The walls were all dusty pink (-).  But paint is really easy to change.  The house was solid and had been well cared for during most of its life.  As I pondered the comment made on the porch my nose caught something.

As we absorbed the space our realtor said, "Do you notice that smell?"

It was familiar, but I couldn't quite place it.  LK said, "Cat pee."

Oh dear (---).

The house has so much going for it.  But since the last owners moved out a cat seems to have taken up residence.  And marked the basement as her turf.

We finished our tour which included a garage, a big back deck, and enough storage for triple the shoes I currently have (plus everyone else in the family's stuff).

But we had to chat outside because of the smell.  And our realtor didn't have strong ideas about how to deal with the smell.

I came home and did some research.  Looks like removing floors, drywall, and serious cleaning-sealing is in order to deal with it.

So we are not jumping all over this one at its current price.

Jo stated at supper, "If we buy the cat pee house all our stuff will smell like cat pee.  We don't want that."

From the mouths of babes.

Stone Fox

Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner is the very best early chapter book ever written.  I have read it more than ten times in my parenting/teaching career and I still am affected by the struggles of the characters each time I read it.

When Fi was younger we read it together.  This past week and a half Jo and I have been reading it together.

Tonight we read the last two chapters at bedtime.

At the beginning of the last chapter, just when you think the protagonist has triumphed over his struggles, something terrible happens.  When I read that sentence and looked over at Jo he had a look of shocked disbelief like I have never seen on his face.  I think my little man just had his heart broken by a book for the first time.

I asked if he was okay.  His face crumpled and he shook his head.  He dove in for a snuggle and said, "Let's keep reading."

I held him tight as we finished the chapter.

At the end we talked briefly about how Little Willy won even though it was at a cost.  And I was so thankful for my little man who has a heart that isn't callused towards the hurt of even a fictional character.

We are going to read somthing happier for our next bedtime book because hope is imporant too.