The 5 Things My Girls Like Most About Wichita

As we contemplated moving to Wichita, the girls were our primary concern. Would they adjust OK? Was it fair to take them away from their grandparents who they saw every day? Would moving them from the South keep them from ever truly understanding the vital importance of bacon grease and conversations that linger a bit longer than necessary?

Ultimately, we decided we wanted the girls have a more varied experience by living in different parts of the country. Our hope is that the girls will emerge with increased confidence and the courage to do hard things.

And for the most part, the girls are doing fine. Ellie is, well, Ellie. She still refuses to wear clothes, won't sleep an entire night in her own bed, fights against potty training like an angry wolverine and struggles to talk. So not much as changed. She's basically feral.

Harper is taking more time to adjust. Ninety percent of the time, she's seems OK. But her appetite has been off for the past month, and she makes frequent comments about missing her friends in Tennessee. Mrs. Hubbard, her awesome kindergarten teacher in Kingsport, gave Harper a picture album of her classmates, and we catch her gazing longingly at it from time to time. Talk about guilt inducing.

Since we knew the girls would need some help with the change, we wanted to provide them with some amenities to keep them occupied. So we bought a house in a neighborhood with a community pool, playground, fishing pond and tons of kids. We take them on fun outings on the weekends - the zoo, the children's museum, the boundless playground. We're visiting churches, and we joined the YMCA where the girls take gymnastics and adaptive recreation.

Playing at the playground. It rivals the one at Warrior's Path.

Boat ride at the zoo.

Eating popcorn at the children's museum.

Point is, we've tried to give them distractions to help with the transition. And while I think it's been helpful, these haven't been the girls' favorites aspects of living in Wichita. They've made no secret about what they like most about our life here in Kansas.

1. The refrigerator

Now we had a refrigerator in Kingsport. It was your basic, 25-year-old model that I kept hoping would die so I could justify buying a new one. Never did though.

The fridge in our house here is all fancy pants, complete with water and ice dispensers in the door. And as far as my girls are concerned, this fridge is mankind's greatest invention. I'm in no way exaggerating when I tell you they get at least two dozen drinks of water every day before the clock strikes noon. I'm not complaining - I'm glad they're drinking more water and less chocolate milk. But I am tired of finding little plastic cups half filled with water hidden all over the house.

Naked Ellie getting a drink.

2. The sink in their bathroom

We also had a sink in the girls' bathroom in Kingsport, but the one here is apparently much more awesome. (It's not really. It's just a sink.) Harper and Ellie come up with countless reasons to use it. They brush their teeth several times a day - again, not a bad thing. They wash their hands constantly. We've gone through two bottles of hand soap in the five weeks we've lived here. And they want to wash EVERYTHING.

Harper: "Mom, do you have any dishes that need washing?"

Me: "Harper, we always have dishes that need washing. Want to wash some dishes in your bathroom?"

Harper, with a huge smile: "Yes, yes, yes!"

And off she goes to wash her plastic water cups.
  

First toothbrushing of the day.

3. The bathtub

The girls really like the corner tub in the master bathroom. Truth is, I do too.

The girls have yet to take a bath in the tub in their own bathroom.

4. The dog's pink leash

I bought Annabelle a new leash before we left for Kansas. It's pink, and the girls love it. There's got to be at least 7,000 toys in their playroom, and they've played with this stupid dog leash more than anything.

5. Opie's tail

Not only have I tried to find ways to make the transition easier on the kids, I've also tried to make the change easier on our pets. Annabelle hasn't suffered much. She sleeps on our bed all day and occasionally gets up to scavenge food the girls have left around. She's good.

Charlie was used to going outside, but I won't let her do that here. The neighborhood is different, and I'm afraid she'll get lost. She's not a happy cat.

In a failed attempt to help, I decided she needed a playmate. So a couple of weeks ago, the girls and I headed to the Kansas Humane Society where we adopted a six-month-old kitten. He's orange, so we named him Opie. Seemed appropriate.

Opie

Charlie is less than pleased. She's an unhappier cat. So my plan backfired. But hey, I meant well and everyone, except Charlie, likes Opie. He's rambunctious and makes us all laugh. Actually, he's swatting at my hands as I'm typing this. Harper's cackling.

But it's his tail that the girls like most. Our other two pets have nubs, not tails. So Opie's tail has been a constant source of amusement. Fortunately, Opie is patient and has accepted the girls' fascination with as much grace as a cat can muster. Let's hope that trend continues.