1. You have great cross ventilation even when the windows are closed.
2. The oven may be the size of a toaster but the exchange is linen closets that could hold a semi.
3. Your water may sometimes come out in neat colors like brown or yellow.
4. If you forget what you ate for dinner last night you can run the disposal and it will probably bring it back up for you on the other side of the sink.
5. Because the kitchen was origionally built without a dishwasher you cannot stand at the sink and load the dishwasher at the same time (try rinsing and loading...it doesn't work unless you're a member of Cirque du Soleil).
6. Instead of drawers to aid in organization in the kitchen you have bottomless black holes filled with utensils.
7. They may have only built two bedrooms but the coat closet is big enough to pass for a third which also assists in swallowing your vaccuum cleaner and anything else you try to store in there.
8. The kitchen only has one outlet, so you can keep the local hardware store in business buying extension cords.
9. You don't have to buy or install infant safety plug covers because all your plugs are being used (some 3 or 4 times).
10. Because the building has had so much time to settle the linen closets will randomly pop open in the middle of the night, which is great if you need a sheet or towel at 3am.
11. You may not get great cell phone service inside but all the lead in the walls will protect you in a nuclear attack.
12. If you run out of cottage cheese for breakfast have no fear, there is plenty on the ceiling (and asbestos probably too).
13. In the Summertime if you leave all the windows open it creates such a wind tunnel so that you can have your very own air conditioning by the wind slamming the bedroom doors closed, then open, then closed, then open.
14. When it rains the walk to the pool is much shorter...you just have to open your front door.
15. If you get cold in the Wintertime they have these great electric heaters installed in the bathroom walls, which also help if you want to hear every little thing going on in your neighbor's bathroom too.
16. If you have a difficult time waking up in the morning just hop into the shower and the water extremes from scalding to freezing will perk you right up.
17. The master bathroom may not have a shower head but then you get to use all that space in the tub for storage.
18. You may think you're having an earthquake and dive under your table every time your neighbor opens their sliding glass door but at least you'll be ready when the big one comes.
19. You have a great grass play area and lots of beautiful trees that provide great shade and great homes for all sorts of little rodents that scurry around and poop on your porch at night.
20. You can put your trash outside your door before you go to bed and by the morning all the edible trash will be gone (and some of the non-edible trash too).
At least the rent is cheap (and we have awesome neighbors)! Hey, anyone want to come for a visit?
Tonight we celebrated Christmas with the Johnsons (my sister & her husband). Deidre, Jesse & my parents came over for dinner and we opened presents (again) then played and played and played! Auntie Deedees gave Charis some new books and read a few of them to her near the end of the evening. Auntie Deedee & Uncle Jesjes also gave Charis a trip to the zoo and a new "tap, tap" movie to watch. Everytime Deidre left the room Charis would ask, "Where my Deedee go?" Jesse also got in on the action and read Charis "Goldilocks and the Three Cats."
Charis really enjoyed the candy canes that the neighbors were passing out. 
Some of the neighbors really went all out! These snowmen were dancing and singing. The girls really weren't too sure about them. One house even hired a band to come play. They cleaned out their garage and this band set up and was playing live music for us.
Then it was time to go home. Maybe we'll go back another time. It was really fun! (And I didn't even have any contractions doing it!)
