A Novel Concept

"Freakin' Suburbia!" I shout after having a spider jump out from under a jewelry box that I was clearing off my dresser.

There are so many freaking bugs here. It's ridiculous. You can't even go through one room in this house without some moth, fly or spider that is flitting about or scurrying away. We're surrounded by so much greenery that it's just going to be something we will battle on a regular basis.

The neighbor hears my war-cry from her front stoop and starts laughing hysterically. So, I pop my head out the window and we start talking.

She is glad that she has normal neighbors now. A nice family. She finds it so refreshing to find one in this day and age. One where not just one but both parents are working toward the goal of raising a family and building a stable home. Not that she looks down on any of the new-style families. It's just that she has the utmost respect for people who bring kids into the world and who actually stick to it. I had to knock on wood when she made that comment. You never know what life is going to bring and as "they" say in Spanish, I don't want to throw salt on it - cause misfortune by agreeing (in essence, gloating) that life is good. It's one of those superstitious things like denying your kid is a beauty when complimented for fear that agreeing might invoke the evil eye...getting back on track...

Anyway, she said it was really nice to see a family where the parents are really involved with their kids. In her words, it takes a special kind of person to raise a child. It's a novel concept "in this day and age" when a person actually "goes the distance". Of course, before I could find out more, she had to step back inside to do some work.

Meanwhile, I went back to battling all the bugs. I'm not surprised that my toddler's first clear word is "BUG!".