I have no choice.

Abby has, for a while now... wanted a new house, a fancy house with stairs (go ahead try to argue with her that her CURRENT house has stairs and see how far it gets you).

Last night on the way home from Gramma's birthday dinner our conversation went something like this (prompted by our talk about Samantha moving across country)

"Momma, when is our house going to get old enough to be too old so we can move into a new one?"

"It's going to be a long long time baby, moving is a seriously big big big deal." (this goes back and forth a bit as I go on and on about money and escrow and packing up houses)

"But I'm not happy in our house, I'm sad all the time in it and I don't sleep too good in it either!"

*insert Mommy taking a deep breath and trying to do active listening since RESPONDING isn't doing any good "You're sad in this house and you don't sleep good?"

"Yeah, and I want something new."

"You want something new?"

"Yes."

*pause as I think, hey this active listening thing does make the responses easier... then Abby cuts in

"So, what's your decision?"

"My decision?"

"Are we moving or not?"

"No, we are not moving."

"Then I guess you have no choice"

"I have no choice?"

"I have no choice... I'm just going to be sad."

"Aww."

"Momma" (big sigh here), "Do you WANT me to be sad all the days of my life in this house?"

"NO I DON"T WANT YOU TO BE SAD ALL THE DAYS of your LIFE" (insert Momma blowing a gasket here) "You know some people work really really really hard to stay in one house their whole lives because they love it so much."

"Yeah, but Momma, we are NOT those people. I am not one of those people. I want something new, that's why I look out a different window every morning. I want a new view, I want new paint, SOMETHING, I want it so bad."

*Momma has a new angle, "Do you ever miss our old house?"

"No, but sometimes I miss Gramma's old house."

"There, see, what if we moved and you missed this house - it would be too late, we couldn't go back."

"Yeah, I might, but then I'd remember how SAD I was in it and I wouldn't care."