So are you settled yet?

I'm getting this question a lot lately, understandably, because it has been just over a month since we moved in.

Yes, we are settled, I tell people, but I'll feel a lot more settled once the other house is sold.

On being settled...

I have a list of about 10 things for the handyman to do, and actually, it just occurred to me that I need to print one of my pages from the Amazing Life workbook because I made a list of 33 for the old house at the end of last year and knocked off 20 in 3 months. And then we bought this house :)

I know where everything is in this house now which is a big deal but all photos are not yet up because I need tons of hooks. Or lots of nails banged in my walls :o

Head settled is another matter altogether.

I chatted to the estate agent and we're going to reduce the price of our house so this thing can sell.

On the bright side, my savings account is looking slightly healthier every month as I add to my savings, and we get bonuses end Sept.

Big talk around work about how the pool is half of what it was last year, blah blah blah, I don't care I just want some money!

I think it's the first year ever I actually can't wait for that money :) Normally I pretend to not have it so it can stay in my account as long as possible without "plans" (after the tithe, of course).

Anyway, enough chit-chat. I have a list to get to - I want to review my year of 41, start thinking about some goals for 42, and other such exciting (to me) things.

Over to you.

How settled are you? Do you plan to move anytime soon? Do you plan to stay forever? Move to another country (the current trend)?

PS I was chatting to a work colleague who has THREE sets of friends moving back to South Africa from Australia. Life was much better in South Africa. It's true - we do have a great quality of life here.

Six on Saturday, the housing edition

So much to say, where do I start?


I've just finished morning gym class and I think I smiled throughout the class - I forgot how much I love the rhythm of my normal life.

 

Anyway, we were late and both D and Connor insist on a full hour so here I am, blogging.

 

I also realised that some of what has been putting me off blogging recently is the thought of crafting a post and selecting the "perfect" beautiful pic to accompany it. I'm usually only in the mood to play with photos at certain times when my energy is higher, and let's face it, lately I've had almost zero energy.

 

So, a post without photos about the housing situation:

1. We moved house last Friday. I know I said this before but now I really mean it and I am writing it down for posterity's sake. I am not moving again for at least 10 years. I find everything painful - directing movers, having people not read the sides of the boxes, seeing all the boxes, unpacking, figuring out new configurations, etc. Painful. If I were wealthy, I'd pay people to do everything and move in 3 days later (from a hotel) to a house beautifully set up.
2. I truly do hate having things out of place. The first two nights I woke up at 6 am one day (I'm an 8 am riser) and 3:29 the next day. These are clear signals that my environment is not working, so obviously I was working like a slave to restore order, because I really do like my sleep. Things have been "normal" since then except for one night of 4 hours of sleep - partially a book and partially unpacking til midnight....
3. The kids have been both happy and unsettled. I feel strange even writing that sentence. Why do we feel that things have to be one way or the other? They can be one thing and the other. K & C love that they can go exploring, playing and adventuring outside for literally hours without getting bored. They also have only slept in their own rooms two times in the eight nights we've been living there. They tell me there are bad people in the house whenever they hear a sound. These are new house sounds but I said to D we need more lights outside (which the old owner left us, she just didn't have time to put them up).
4. I have already scratched the side of my car reversing down the (very steep) hill so I feel very accomplished every time I drive into my garage without incident. I recognised years ago that I have many talents but parking is not one of them, yet the poor neighbours have to endure me revving that car to get up the hill to straighten out again and again, before going down safely. I can't wait til muscle memory kicks in and I don't have to think or concentrate so hard to just park or reverse my car.
5. I've kicked into Weird Bond Lady gear already. I go a bit mental when I have any debt. The bond was just registered in July so first payment 1 Aug but of course, I can't wait so I was nagging them to attach to my profile so we can start paying it off. Successfully paid first payment (which I'd budgeted for in case the bond went through a little earlier - the lawyers were scarily efficient) a week later, so now my goal is 59 months left :)
6. We still own the other (beautiful!) house as the other deal fell through. I'm debating between getting in a short-term rental because the thought of no income or current deal happening makes me a lot twitchy. Pray, send good vibes, send buyers my way, etc.

And that's it - time to get the kids.


What's happening with you? Housing situations? Life? Good and bad things simultaneously, etc?
By the way, are you good with moving, or like me?


(I honestly can't fathom how people move often. I think of my good friend who intentionally moved to a house to move again a year later. My sweet Lord!)