But Mommy, I don't wanna live in the shelter!

We love our neighborhood. As a matter of fact, my hubby used to ride his bike through our neighborhood when he was a kid and wish that he lived here. We live exactly eight blocks from the hospital where the old guy was born. We will likely never move from here.

I grew up moving all over the place. My parents are part gypsy, I believe, don't like their blonde and red hair fool you -- the people just love to move. As a result, I moved 12 times by the time I was sixteen, and went to four different high schools. Hubby, on the other hand, lived in the same house that he was brought home from the hospital to, and his parents lived there for about five more years after he moved out. The man is ROOTED.

I told hubby that once we had kids, I didn't want to ever move, because I wanted the kids to know where home is. I even have a clipping from an old Oprah magazine that says "the most important gift in life is roots." And I firmly believe that.

So, I was a little unnerved a couple of summers ago when we had three -- count 'em, three, offers to buy our house. Mind you, it was not for sale. No sign, no mention of a sale, nothing. But yeah, three people seriously wanted us to sell them our house. One couple went so far as to send their agent over to look it over, and when we told her no, we love our house and don't want to sell, she ended up calling back a couple of weeks later saying that the couple said we could name a price, and they'd buy it. (We met that couple last year -- she really was serious, they really wanted it, but had to buy a block over when we wouldn't sell.)

Hubby said "let's just name a crazy, exhorbitant price, and see what happens." I just looked at him and asked "where exactly are we going to live? In the shelter? Homey don't play dat." ::whapped hubby firmly on the head::

About that time, one of the kids walked in and quite firmly announced "Mommy, I do NOT want to live in the shelter." Alrighty then.

Fortunately, he wasn't serious, and neither was I, so here we are, thirteen years after we moved in. I'll probably be taken outta this house feet first, but that's ok with me. We all know where home is.