realcondolife

I woke up and like most people, checked my phone within less than five minutes. I had the most amazing email from my lifeline. He was worried about me after last night and reassured me of his unwavering support during this journey.   He highlighted the positive. Firstly, the view.  He shared that it reminds him of all of  the amazing views we’ve shared as a couple… and as a family. They’ve usually been something we’ve only treasured during holidays, when we’ve had a moment to pause from the chaos of everyday life. It’s now something we have available  to us every day and we should savour it.

He pointed out that we are all actually spending more time together. And that  the closer we are physically, the closer we seem, period. The boys seem really well settled and happy, he assured me.  He’s also loved all of our family time on the field together,  whether it be bikes, rollerblades or frisbee. It’s been quality time.

He ended the email with a suggestion for a new evening ritual. He proposed that each night we spend some time together on the balcony, sharing stories about each other’s day (sounds simple enough, but doesn’t always happen), breathing in the night air, listening to the sounds of the city and admiring the view. Done deal.

At breakfast, he shared that his friends and colleagues following realcondolife have some comments and suggestions . (1) More negative feedback to keep it real. Hey, when and if there is some, I’ll continue to share it. So far, we’ve moved into an awesome condo in North Toronto where our gripes are few and far between (2) It seems from the posts, that  I do most of the work around the house. Not true. He does quite a bit. I think the perceived imbalance is simply a result of things being seen through my lens. Which leads me to his final point. (3) There have been requests to have him and the kids write some posts too, to share their perspective. I think that’s a great idea and I’ll see what I can do.

Mornings are getting easier and we seem to have worked out the details and are managing to get out the door on time. We’re also getting excellent at practicing elevator etiquette.

We know not everyone wants to hear fighting, crying or whining.

After the school bus came, I went down to parking level 3 to get into the car and much to my surprise, or should I say shock, it wasn’t there. I panicked. I had a flashback to the night before. The tantrum.  The ultimatum. No wifi. And P2. I had left my car in visitor parking. Overnight. I knew security could issue parking tickets for cars left in visitor parking that didn’t register for an overnight pass. Fortunately, I didn’t get one. I think they must have searched the license plate and cut me some slack.

The few extra minutes of panic caused me to be a bit late for my early a.m. pedi. Fortunately, my aesthetician is also a mother, and understands morning logistics.  She was curious about how things were going in our condo. She’s been in a condo for over 10 years with her two kids, one just finishing high school and the other in university.  She contemplated moving into a house, outside of the city as they got older but no one really wanted to. They loved the accessibility of transit, entertainment and restaurants in their urban setting. She also shared the opinion that being physically closer, brings you closer together.

The day was a long one. I had a night class and was looking forward to getting home and starting our new ritual.  Unfortunately, by the time I got home, I missed the opportunity.  Everyone was asleep. Only the dog was awake, waiting for me, wagging his tail.  Fortunately,  a spectacular view is still spectacular on your own. (Fully admitting though, that it’s a million times better when it’s shared). And so I sat on the balcony alone (yet not feeling lonely) and started the ritual on our behalf.