As we pack up our belongings and make plans for our big move, I’ve been thinking a lot about home.  The concept of home has been an important theme in my adult life.  My Masters thesis (a collection of poems with a scholarly preface) considered the meaning of home.  I did an independent study in Children’s Literature on portrayals of home in novels for children.  As I pulled away from academia and saw my purpose in places other than the classroom, I embraced the contemplation and development of “home” in my own household as my work and my joy.

Now, we are preparing to make our home in a new physical place.  As we dismantle the structures of home–watching books and toys disappear into cardboard boxes–and notice our routines disppearing as we use our time differently in the face of preparations and baby care, I am realizing that home is a blend of people, things, and atmosphere.  It’s not enough to set up furniture and fill cupboards.  It also isn’t enough to just be with the people you love.  Of course, they are essential, but I’m learning about something else…a sense of normalcy and predictability.  I miss those things!  The “habitat” that makes me cozy combines my people, my stuff, and a rhythm that I crave.  While I’m dreading leaving behind our family, I am very much looking forward to finding a routine and a rhythm that nurtures this little clan.

Check out the slug habitat that the boys made!