This is Home

A swing hanging from a fancy ceiling—because kids playing for hours beats a picture-perfect living room. Playing on Mom’s old piano, lined with books, facing the big windows in the living room, where the frosty landscape stretches across the field to the trees dusted with snow. A slide, built by Dad, leading down to the basement—because sliding is always better than walking. An under-the-stairs playhouse instead of a closet—because they say we are only kids for so long. A handmade harvest table, marked with paint splatters and surrounded by cushion-stained chairs—living proof of time spent together. A kitchen cupboard stocked with plastic plates and kid-sized cups - unloading the dishwasher is nothing new to us. A snack drawer, always within reach—because snacks shouldn’t come with rules. Spotty bananas on the counter, caught somewhere between a quick breakfast and tomorrow’s banana muffins. A bathtub lined with soaps and bath toys—a balance of relaxation and play. A bedroom left behind because even when sisters fight, together feels better. A Christmas tree bursting with personality—decorated more at the bottom than the top, colourful and homemade. Dogs on the couch, because who doesn’t love a cuddly companion? This, all of this, together - this is home.