WOW this place is SMALL!

It's fascinating how relative space is. When we first moved to our huge 2500 square foot house in Charlotte, we were overwhelmed. All that square footage -- 2600 to be exact. We had room after room, closet after closet, cupboard after cupboard. We had so much space we didn't think we could possibly fill it up. We scoffed at neighbors who complained about the tight surroundings of their 4 bedroom homes, who were looking for more space for their family of 3 (two grown-ups, one baby).

Fast forward three years.

We had actually started shopping around our neighborhood for a larger house before Matt was laid off. We were bemoaning the lack of cupboards in our kitchen, thinking we needed a larger space for guests, wishing we could have a third story and a larger master bath and even a walk-in closet. We were looking for something around 3500 square feet, because, you know, anything else would be just too small. We were such idiots.

But God saved us from our own stupidity. And, seemingly to teach us a little lesson, four months later we now find ourselves living in 1000 square feet. As our movers repeatedly pointed out to us, this is really a one bedroom house. To give my loyal readers a "virtual tour" of sorts:

• The "master bedroom" upstairs is really nothing more than an attic. The movers actually laughed at us when we asked if our king-size bed would fit up the stairs. So goodbye, king size bed (which was purchased a mere six months ago). They managed to shove the queen bed upstairs only because a) we coincidentally had a split box spring from our Brooklyn walk-up days, and b) they folded the top mattress almost in half, like a taco. I'm pretty sure we voided that warranty.
• In sweetie's words, he has never in his life showered in a space so small. The shower stall is ridiculous. We can't turn around in the shower without popping the door open with our elbow. The only shower I've encountered that has been smaller has been in the camper my parents rent ever year in Myrtle Beach, which I can't fit into when I'm pregnant. Not sure what I'll do in this shower if I ever manage to get pregnant again.
• The boys' bedroom is 9x7.5. That is smaller than the walk-in closet I was dreaming of in Charlotte. We had to order them bunkbeds because there's no way two beds would have fit in there otherwise. There is a closet, but there's no door on it because there's not enough space to be able to open the door. We have to change Luke's diaper either on Noah's bed (sorry Noah) or the hardwood floors (sorry floors) because there's no room for a changing table anywhere.
• Do any of you who remember the bathroom we had in our walk-up in Brooklyn? That's about the size of the main-floor bath here. And if anyone ever needs proof of evolution, try to sit down on a toilet in a house built in 1921. People used to be a LOT shorter.
• The one room that our movers would say constitutes a bedroom is what we're using as the boys' playroom. We should actually call it a toy room, because there's no actual room in there to play. The toys line the walls and cover the floor. There's enough of a path for the boys to enter, retrieve a toy, and exit the room in search of a place to play with their selection. Right now they're in our closet upstairs.
  
• There's no dining room. We have a table on the front porch. The porch is heated, but not insulated. So we should be okay to eat in there for about another week and a half. The weather wizards here are calling for snow showers next Wednesday.
• We miraculously managed to fit the sectional into the living room, which means that as many as 6 people have someplace to sit in this house. There is literally only one spot it can possibly fit though, and even that leaves it hanging into the doorway to the kitchen by 4 inches. Eh.
  
• The kitchen is large, thank you Jesus. No room for a table, but there's a bar where the kids can eat or where, for example, I can sit with the computer and write a blog entry. Lots of cabinets, though all of our china and fancy stuff and several big kitchen items are still in boxes in the basement.
• Aah, the basement. The glory of the midwestern home. Ours is unfinished. You have to duck your head to walk up or down the stairs. But that's where most of our possessions are being stored. Everything except the stuff that wider than 28 inches. So our sofa bed, our leather couch, the chair and ottoman from Luke's room, etc., etc. are all in our garage right now. We haven't figured out what to do about that.
• The garage is detached. It's two-car, which is awesome for this neighborhood, and it has a two-spot car port, which is even more unusual. And you drive into it through an alley. All of these older neighborhoods throughout Minneapolis have the alley system. Kind of cool, until you're trying to haul two kids and a trunk full of groceries into the house in the pouring rain.

All of that for a mere $1500 per month. We've made it look great though, and it's charming and cozy and warm. And we truly feel so lucky to have a job and a place to call home. That being said, we ask you all to submit your request to God and the powers in the universe that our house in Charlotte sells soon.