I grew up in a small town in NY. We had the house with the huge backyard. Snowball fights in winter, skating on the pond, treks through the snow. In summer it was swimming in the lake or river, playing in the woods and walking the half mile to my best friend’s house. It was space galore.
As an adult I’ve spent most of my life overseas and most of them in apartments. Some Japanese apartments can be really small. The first place I lived, (pre marriage) was about the size of my dorm room with a kitchen attached. When I moved closer to Tokyo years later, the room got smaller and the kitchen was little more than an entryway with only one burner to cook. I paid $900 /mo rent for that. When we got married I moved up to a 2DK. Two stands for two rooms, d for dining room and k for kitchen. IOW, there was no living room. We watched TV at the dining table.
We moved to London and had this huge flat with three bedrooms, two and a half baths, a huge kitchen with American appliance and a counter that I didn’t have to bend low over, a large dining room and a comfortable living room. I was in heaven. Then the owner decided to sell and the only flat we found in the same area for a rent we could afford was about a third of the size. It was back to being cramped.
Then we moved back to Japan. And our family expanded from two to three–all boys. The place actually seemed spacious compared to the second London flat and there appeared to be enough room for the boys to play.
Funny, thing about boys, they grow and grow. I’m sure the apartment isn’t shrinking, but it sure feels that way. It’s worse when we come back from the US. We arrive back home and as soon as we walk in the door it’s like shrink wrap. I swear the walls are closing in on us.
I can’t tell the boys to stop growing. I can’t tell dh we have to move to some place bigger. Well, I could, but…;-) So I guess the only option is for me to go on a diet. If I lose weight maybe the house will seem bigger. What do you think? 
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*LOL* I know what you mean. My house has 5 rooms and 3 bathrooms. Since I’m single, I feel like the house is the perfect fit for me (and my many books). However, when my goddaughters show up, it’s like the house just gets smaller and there are not enough bathrooms.
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Oh, Tempest. No fair. Five rooms! Three bathrooms!
We have one bathroom for five people. Since the boys have discovered the fun of bringing manga into the bathroom, the wait has dramatically shot up. Of course, you knock on the door and they deny they’re reading. They say they’re pooing.:roll: I tell them they better get their butts out of there or their going to be getting a high fiber diet or a trip to the doctor for an enema. Amazing how fast they exit. Just imagine if I had three girls. LOL!
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Just wait a little and they will all be gone and then you are feeling like a pea in a shoebox ! Even a big house seems small with 3 boys ! I experienced it with only one, lol !