Good-bye, Old House!

Well, the old house that we lived in when this blog was first created is no longer in existence.  I witnessed its tear-down just the other day:

I am surprised by how sad I was to see this house, which is kind of an icon for the Rowe family, getting the heave-ho.  I truly think the house is best off getting torn down and re-built, because the conversion from old 1900's house to 4-family house left a lot of really kooky and impractical architectural issues in each unit.  However, I was still not ready to see the home that created so many family memories disappear. 

Madeleine was way less understanding of the inevitable need to tear the place down than I was.

ME: (as we drove by) Look, honey, that's where our old house used to be!
MADELEINE: (gasping) Why couldn't they just have FIXED it UP?
ME: Well, I think they want to build something new.
MADELEINE: But it was a NICE HOUSE!
ME: Erm...
MADELEINE: And we KNOW what's gonna go there instead.  A McMansion. 
ME: Actually, I think it's going to be townhomes.
MADELEINE: Oh.  Yay!

Oh.  Well then.  I guess she doesn't care that much about what a nice house it was, as long as it's not turning into a McMansion.  Because I'm sure the luxury townhomes that are inevitably built there are NOTHING like the McMansions that are built on single family lots. 

Julia is also bummed out about the disappearance of our old home.

JULIA: It's sad, because, like, I *lived* there for seven years, and it's not there anymore!

And Julia is much more savvy about what will be built there.  As she put it, she expects to see "luxury townhouse monstrosities" built on the lot.

I like how the kids have all kinds of ideals about money not being everything and appreciating our modest sized home over the "monstrosities," but then they're willing to shell over their own money on - or, worse, beg for their parents to buy - ridiculously expensive toys that they'll hardly ever use.  At the moment, Madeleine is planning to use the entirety of her savings to buy a swimmable mermaid tail with a monofin so she can pretend she's a mermaid.  So, yeah, diss the big houses, kids, but then use every penny you've saved for eight+ years on this:

Totally logical, right?

Farewell, old red house, former home of the Rowe household!