LIfe in a College Town

Sixteen years ago I was in the same place in my life...a small apartment, a college town, working, single. All the same holds true for me now, except one tiny detail...I have kids.

Raising two young children in a college town can be fun, but it can also be scary. Most people my age are settled with homes and backyards for their kids to play in. We are very fortunate in that where we are is not grossly crowded and there is a vacant lot behind the house, but the numbers of people who move about in a college town, including those from different states and sometimes countries, can make a mom nervous.

We live in a small but quiet unit that is next to a few residences and another rental complex that is also small. There are education majors who live around us who don't mind kids and help watch out for mine. There is a criminal justice major who lives next door who knows all the criminal activity in the area, which is great. There is a family nearby with a fairy hut made from a tree growing in their yard, and they have small kids, so that the kids can all play fun games together.

We are never out of entertainment. Games, church, sports, and birthday parties are going on all the time. Sometimes we just like to have pajama day!

Our upstairs neighbors are the most fun. We call them the Duke Boys because of the rual county they call home, the vehicles they drive, how they are related to each other and how they are loosely similar to the TV show.  They love to play video games, have friends over and play guitar and sing.  They are polite and mannerly. Although they make noise sometimes late at night, they are not unruly, and they always observe some sort of normal bedtime for kids their age. They are super sweet to my kids, and they call me ma'am, which makes me feel older than dirt. Last night the Duke Boys sat on their balcony and sang one song after another in near-perfect three-part harmony. It was very soothing. I don't know that they realize they have an audience, and being on the balcony with a guitar, I much think they don't care.



COCKY visits, while Meghan hides



The girls and I attend games when we can. One basketball game in particular was fun. There were drawings often during the night. We came so close to winning Duck Dynasty t-shirts, but close only counts in horseshoes and hand granades, as my friend Alfonze always says! The University Dancers were there and I remember thinking that back in my day I probably could have been one of them...alas and alack.  The band played Christmas songs, as it was near the Christmas holidays. The kids really got into the fast-paced action. It was so much fun!

Then there is the PARD. Never having lived in a town where there was a PARD, I didn't realize how much could be made available to us as a family. There is the walking track, which is indoors, the pool for the summer, hayrides, Zumba classes, tumbling classes and SOCCER. Erin was able to be a part of a District Champion team that represented the town in the State Tournament. Her team was even recognized by the Mayor at a council meeting...how often does that happen????

Award for team with best Sportsmanship

Despite the fact that we are country girls at heart, we are making the most of our city life and taking advantage of all this college town has to offer.