My parents decided it was time to buy a bigger house in a good public school district. The kid math wasn’t working out in our little ranch with 3 beds & 1 bath for our 3 boys & 1 girl household.

I was in third grade when we started house hunting. Mom and I would go alone sometimes. She would ask us which house we liked best. I would answer whichever one had a pretty girls bedroom. The boys came sometimes, but their extra energy probably made Mom nervous, so she would suggest they check out the back yard.

As a professional, I see firsthand that it’s not easy to entertain kids while touring a house. I naturally engage with them and sometimes ask them to help me take pictures and selfies 🙂 It’s not uncommon to meet kids that grew up on HGTV and they always impress me when I quiz them on flooring and windows & siding. I was not that smart at their age, however I thought I was when we walked into the two-story colonial with black shutters that would become our next home.

That day my 3rd grade self walked into the house and spotted a box of snack sized Fritos on the counter. My eyes lit up! The kitchen was divided in two by a set of swinging shutters one part- a breakfast room and the other a small working kitchen. I thought that there was a designated spot to keep the Fritos on the counter, similar to a bread box. As we headed upstairs, I kept thinking, “Who invented that?”

Mom gave me the choice of bedrooms-encouraging me to consider the one with the built-in window seat. She popped it open to show me the toy chest aka storage area. I’m embarrassed to say that, in my head, I was plotting how I could hide those Fritos in my new secret spot 🙂

Move in Day is tough for all ages. The house is now bare, nail holes in the wall, paint colors look different, rooms look smaller…and for me I couldn’t find the snack pack holder that was supposed to be on the counter??? Frito dreams were crushed that day. Thankfully, I met my new best friend Lydia who introduced me to Doritos. We would walk to 7Eleven to buy a big bag and sneak into my brothers definitely unpermitted with safety issues Tree House.

Maybe today is a good day to ask your children or remember your younger self moving into a new house! I’ll be waiting to read them:)