realcondolife

It was a fairly restful sleep last night and we all seemed more “adjusted” this morning. The little one who is usually up the earliest, slept the latest. It was strange however, to open my eyes during the night, and see my dog sleeping on the floor beside me. He usually sleeps on the main floor in the house. I’m sure he’s loving the close quarters as well. We trimmed his nails today though, as the clicking of his nails on the floor as he paced during the night was a little bit annoying. (We’re light sleepers.) It’s interesting how you sweat some of the small stuff when you’re in a condo. Also an extra touch of consideration for the people below, just in case.  I do have to stress though, I feel as though we’re the only ones there. I still don’t hear anyone above, below or beside us.

The view is still captivating.  This morning it inspired a discussion on how far we’re physically able to see into the distance.  Surprisingly, my son taught me that eagles can see a rabbit from two miles away. “That’s why we say Eagle Eyes Mom.” A human can only see a rabbit from one quarter of a mile away.

Two of the boys started to play I-spy, out the window. It’s amazing (and challenging) from the 14th floor. Meanwhile, the littlest one was busy counting cranes in the sky. He loves watching the construction and ironically, the world outside his window in constant motion, is the only thing that manages to keep him still.

The boys have figured out a rotation system for the bunks that seems fair. The first plan was to position themselves according to birth order, which clearly didn’t work for the youngest.

The abundance of toys are still not being missed. We seemed to have chosen well in what we brought with us.

Being seven minutes away from our ‘old’ place has its advantages. My husband went home to take out the garbage. Another chore you don’t have to sweat in condo life, with the tri-sorter chute just steps down the corridor. 🙂

Nonetheless, it didn’t go as smoothly as it could have. I received a text from him 15 minutes later that he had a small “emergency.” His transponder (that gives access to the parking garage) had slid down in between the car seats and he couldn’t get back into the parking garage. Just another glitch in the morning routine.

Mornings are always the toughest part of the day for families.  Getting three kids and yourselves out the door is a challenge. We now had the added challenge of working out small details such as when we should head down to the lobby for the school bus. While logistically we knew we should add on an five extra minutes to allow for the elevator, it didn’t happen.  Speaking of  elevators – we are wondering about the one that’s been out of service since we arrived.  Understandably, these things happen. But a best practice would probably be to have a sign with some indication as to when they expect it to be repaired. Fortunately, there were enough lifts put in the building in the first place, that we’ve never had to wait longer than 3 – 5 minutes.  And we did make the bus on time.

After returning home from work late that evening, I had to walk the dog. (It’s our unwritten rule that whoever’s home last takes on the task). I’ll be honest, I wasn’t thrilled. The back yard was ever so much more convenient when it was late.  I headed out and actually ended up doing a longer walk than I’d have done in our old neighbourhood. I actually felt safer walking around at night amidst the hustle and bustle of a vibrant neighbourhood.  There were more streetlights, more people…. and the added bonus of more garbage cans. As I walked in the lobby, I stopped by the concierge to request a reservation for the party room this Sunday evening. Unfortunately both the party room and the dining room were booked. Looking forward, I’ll clearly have to tame my spontaneity and plan ahead.  The realities of living in a shared space. The bbq fortunately, was available.

While waiting for the elevator there were a couple of other friendly dog owners that arrived and we had the chance to get acquainted (all of us).