Whoa!
We’ve lived here two weeks and five days.
The kitchen was a shit-show.
Oh, who am I kidding, the whole damn house was a shit-show!
How it started.
and
How it’s going.
Sunset bubbly on the roof!
I’ve been working so hard and feeling super overwhelmed. But I’m creating a home and that takes hard work and a great deal of patience.
I’ve got loads of hard work in me. I seem to be a bit short on patience…
I’m eager to feel settled here in our beautiful ’empty nest’!
This is where I stand when it comes to packing.
This is our dining room. Everything in here will be handled by the movers. This is in addition to the furniture. And the handful of wardrobe boxes up in our bedroom.
I’ve packed most everything that may not be necessary in the next week. This includes pantry staples and the majority of daily use dishes. The dishwasher was two thirds of the way full yesterday, so I just packed everything that wasn’t in there hoping for success in the next week.
Of course, all these kitchen things are simply in shopping bags in the front room. So, they’re easily accessible if we have some sort of ‘kitchen-things emergency’.
This is what will go our cars.
It didn’t start out looking like too much…but then I did the kitchen.
I finally ran out of boxes. I was able to get all the dishes/glassware into boxes for the movers, but not the foodstuffs and other things.
I’m not concerned, because Thing 1 made the plan I know will work.
And with two trips in my vehicle and one each in YBW’s and Thing 1’s, we’ll have that front room cleaned out in no time!
I look at the rooms in this house and realize, it’s not all that much that needs to move.
We’ve got this.
I did all the organizing.
We did the majority of the work.
One week from today will be the last time we sleep in this house.
We’re ready.
I felt anxious Monday.
Literal low-level thrumming in my body.
This list is enormous!
Three weeks sounds like a long time, but it’s not.
How will I get this done?
How will I be ready for the movers?
My logical brain knew all that was straight up bullshit.
My logical brain knew I’d planned everything out to the nth degree.
My logical brain knew I was prepared.
But my feels were actively attempting to run the show.
That physical vibration was convincing as hell.
To thwart the feels, I over-functioned my ass off.
So much so that I crossed off everything for the week of July 11-17 on my moving list that very day.
But that wasn’t good enough.
I had to do stuff scheduled for the following week too.
I had to get more done.
On Monday.
Of the second week.
This is where I was when I went to bed Monday night.
Monday July 12.
What you don’t see crossed off are two things I actually started working on.
pack bathroom and linen closet
pack clothes
I was chatting with Thing 1 about how I was feeling. She was loving and encouraging. But I simply couldn’t shake the feels.
She was quite clear that I shouldn’t overwhelm myself right before the finish line.
(it’s like she knows me)
I assured her I knew it wasn’t real. That logically I was even more on target than my prep work suggested I be. But I sure as hell felt a way about it.
We talked later in the day when I finally stopped and sat down.
In this conversation I was finally able to verbalize what I was feeling anxious about. I wasn’t sure how to pack all the random things so the movers would take them. I didn’t want to waste boxes I might need for dishes on laundry room things, etc.
It was then I began to realize my panic wasn’t only about being ready on time, it was also about being properly packed so the movers could be successful.
Thing 1 was like, “Uh…Momma. You can put stuff in your car and take it over there.”
(but actually kinder than that sounds)
Her words created an instantaneous shift in me.
My body was still even though my brain was thrumming – with realization!
I didn’t have to pack up anything awkward. I could simply put it in the car.
Y’all! My girl saved the day!
I often tease her that she’s smarter than me. She doesn’t see it that way. She calls it ‘compounded smartness’. That she’s as smart as she is because I’m as smart as I am and she simply built upon it.
(something like that, I think she explains it better)
Either way, she saved the day.
The container we packed in March is being delivered Wednesday of that last week and being unloaded first thing Thursday morning.
Thing 1 offered to meet me at this house after they’re finished at the new house. We’ll each load up a vehicle and take it to the new house.
Then anything that doesn’t really go into a proper box, or anything we’ll need straight away will be there ready for us.
YBW is staying at the new house because the smart home guys will be there working their magic. So he’ll pack up his car the night before instead of coming back home with me.
Those three loads will carry all the awkward things, and the movers can do the rest.
I’m still properly planned.
I’m ahead of schedule.
I’m perfectly still inside.
Like some sort of organizational ninja, this move won’t even see me coming.
This is an excellent example of why we must talk about feeling a way. Just because our logical and emotional selves are at odds, doesn’t mean there isn’t a solution.
In my case, the solution was someone looking at it from a different perspective.
Someone who knows and loves me, and had the patience to listen even though she knew I wasn’t making any kind of sense.
Grown children know what’s up.
It’s all that compounded smartness.
We’re now twenty days out from closing on the new house. Twenty-two days until we lock the door to this house behind us for the last time.
I created a color coded list broken down by week to ensure we’re ready to roll when the time comes.
.blue for me
.red for YBW
.purple for both
This week is already proving to be successful. I’ve crossed off the majority of my list.
Go me!
Yesterday was particularly productive, not only did I pack six boxes, I packaged and shipped Thing 2’s birthday box. Played Chinese checkers with Meredith and Beau for three hours, video chatted with Baby K, and made a quick Target run.
I have some larger items that won’t fit into any of the boxes I have, so I’ll make another quick Target run this morning for some bigger bins.
I’ve got the new car insurance sorted, but having trouble finding appropriate home owners insurance. After working on insurance for two days straight, I’m ready to get that checked off my list too.
This is the end game, y’all.
I’m ready!
We’ve finally finished getting this house prepped for sale.
YBW and I looked at each other and asked why we waited so long. There’s no real way to know, but it’s done now and that’s all that matters.
New hardwood floors on the main living level where everything but the entry and kitchen were always carpeted.
family room
These new stained-to-match stair treads are ridiculously beautiful.
LVP upstairs in all the bedrooms is even better than we imagined.
Baby K’s room
dressing area of main bedrrom
House goes live on the MLS May fourteenth and we’re ready!
I moved my boxes into the dining room this week.
I say this week…it was really just the last couple of days.
I only packed while Baby K slept. The first day I got three boxes packed. She (uncharacteristically) only slept for an hour. The second day our tiny human slept for about three hours and I got five boxes packed.
Thing 1 decided we needed to pop some bubbly while I packed my grandmother’s china.
Packing up one’s life should be a celebration, and we treated it as such!
All the books are packed.
All the journals are packed.
Most of the decorative storage boxes of office supplies are packed.
Most of the photos and smaller wall art is packed.
YBW’s office is packed.
All the boxes are in the back bedroom.
(don’t yet have a box long enough for my sugar mold gel pen holder but one will appear, I’m sure of it)
The bookshelf, tall dresser, vanity table and bench came out of our bedroom and are currently in the middle bedroom awaiting a trip into storage.
The dresser in front of the window lives in that room, but will also go to storage.
My plan for the upstairs bedrooms is to leave only the beds for staging when the house is on the market. The exception is the room Baby K is in now, it’ll return to an office-type space with one of my three work tables and one small shelving unit.
In our bedroom, I’ve packed things and moved furniture to show off the space potential to prospective buyers.
On the bookshelf is my TBR, journals and my planner, other things I actually need, like pens and pencils and sharpies.
The Marylin Monroe doll obviously still needs to be packed, as well as my pomander.
Next to the bookshelf are boxes for Thing 2. The bottom two are music and media, the next one is comics and books. The one on top is a box I haven’t finished packing but wanted out of the way.
In our bedroom, all that needs to happen now is paint and new flooring. In the other upstairs bedrooms, just new flooring, as they’ve all been painted in the last year or two.
On the main living level, music and media is all done, and there is literally nothing on the walls. The back living room and YBW’s office are ready to go. A few pieces of furniture will got into storage. The front room (formal living room) needs to have one thing packed and then three pieces will go to storage.
I’ll start packing the dining room this week.
Once everything is packed, it’ll go to storage and we can paint.
Then flooring.
I was worried about time…will I have enough? Can I get everything done?
Y’all! I’m not trying to jinx myself or anything, but I’m kicking this process right in its ass!
Timing is currently going according to our plan…
I’m grateful that it doesn’t feel too chaotic. I’m grateful I feel like I’m in charge of the situation and it’s not eating me alive.
One step at a time, yo.
I’ve got this!
I packed books the other day.
Thing 1 came to help.
In a matter of a couple of hours we managed to clear one of the two bookshelves.
I use both sides of these shelves, so we packed twelve boxes.
The books left on the other side are my TBRs I’m leaving them not only to have access to them for actual reading, but for staging when the time comes.
Stephen King said: Books are uniquely portable magic and I’m with him every step of the way. Though I find them less uniquely portable when they’re packed in heavy boxes.
When she woke from her nap, Baby K came to help.
Help is a fluid word when you’re a toddler.
I specifically built this box so she and her dolly (also called Birdie) could play in it.
Though that didn’t last long because she was much less helpful after she climbed out of the box. And we stopped packing all together when she discovered the drawer of highlighters.
I’m about to get after the rest of the other shelf, then I’ll pack all my journals.
I’ll move to the dining room next. The china cabinet and buffet won’t pack themselves. Then I can work on removing the rest of the art and photos from the walls.
We’ve got a plan to store some things going to the new house or to Thing 1’s (future) house to make it simpler for us when the painters come, and when the guys come to do the flooring. Then we’ll be minimally staged and ready when it comes time to put the house on the market.
One step at a time, y’all.
I ordered boxes and packing material.
They’re scheduled to arrive today.
YBW and I did a little dance around quantity and pricing when it came to what I wanted to order from Uline. He asked for half an hour to do some research to see what he could find.
He found packing paper cheaper. But he had to go get it. But it saved on shipping.
I wanted to have everything brought to me so I could begin working straight away.
We talked about how the lion’s share of the work packing this house and getting it ready will fall to me. I’m cool with that. I was clear about wanting to have enough of the proper tools to do the job.
He agreed completely.
He wanted me to have enough of the proper tools at the best price.
I agreed completely.
I’m not in a huge hurry to get this process started. What I mean is, I’m not eager to create chaos in the form of boxes and packing paper. I’m not eager to empty certain things from certain spaces in our house.
I’m not eager to live in chaos.
Even if it was just YBW and me, and not our daughter’s family, I’d not be eager to live in the chaos, but I hate to think I’m creating chaos for them too.
Yeah, yeah, they knew what they were getting into and all that…but still…
Anyway, I’ll begin with books, dishes and glassware. I’ll sort out all the music and media requested by our kids and pack what little we’ve decided to keep. I’ll remove art and photos from the walls.
This will make it easier to have the house painted in the next month or so. Even if I end up doing some of it myself.
I’m feeling a bit anxious, but I’m also feeling motivated.
I do love a project.
And though this one is huge, I can break it down into manageable portions.
I’ve moved twelve times in my life. And thrice before I was old enough to remember. I’m an excellent organizer. I’m an excellent packer.
My sense of adventure is tingling. My concept of how we’ll live in the new house inspires.
I’ll be leaning heavily on that as I prepare this house for our departure.
Leaving this house will be hard for YBW. He’s lived here nearly twenty three years. He raised his babies in this house. Saying goodbye will hurt his soul a bit. Moving from here will take a different kind of organization and packing for my husband. If I can take the pressure of organizing and packing the physical things off him, perhaps it will ease his emotional pressure.
He always says to me, “Your life would be boring without me.” Oftentimes this is after a particularly bad joke/pun, or when he’s being especially annoying with intent.
But he’s not wrong about it as it applies to moving house.
The new house was his idea. His dream. I was enthusiastic about getting on board and it became a shared dream.
As I begin the packing up of this house, I’ll hear his words. Sometimes when I hear them I’ll chuckle, others I’ll grumble. But I’ll always agree.
Please send all good vibes for efficient packing and prep.
I’ll be so very grateful.
YBW and I are planning to move.
We have chosen the perfect home in the perfect spot.
These townhomes are within walking distance to YBW’s office. Literally right across the street from our favorite grocery store. And closer to the university where I’ll be spending so much time in the next two years.
We’ve been tracking this neighborhood since the first rumors of building in the area began.
We’ve become rather friendly with the sales staff. They know exactly which unit in which building we want. They know we’re unwilling to settle for anything else.
Of course as with all building everything happens in phases.
The unit we want is in the far end of the fourth building, which is the end of the second building phase. The builder opened the first two buildings for deposits before construction even started, but put sales on hold for a while until building really gets going. Of the first fifteen units, there are only four or five that remain.
The latest information we have is deposits for the third building will open in the spring, and for the fourth building in the late summer or early fall. Each with delivery approximately a year after.
Saturday afternoon the sales office hosted a ‘hard hat tour’.
An invitation to come ask questions, have nibbles, and check out construction.
Also in this new neighborhood there are smaller townhomes and multi level condos. These units were open for touring in their initial state of construction. The larger townhomes (the ones we’re interested in) only have preliminary building started.
After chatting with the sales staff and getting an updated deposit date, YBW and I bundled up to brave snow, sleet, and cold winds to check out the new construction and walk the property to where our building will be.
This snow covered pile of rocks and semi-frozen mud upon which YBW stands is where we plan to live in late summer/early fall 2021.
It’s an interesting bit of living and retail space in a larger office and (light) industrial area. But none of it feels out of place. The development of the area makes sense for the way people in Northern Virginia live.
We’re looking forward to being in a less suburban area. We like the idea of being able to walk more and drive less. And YBW is all about walking to and from work every day!
There are walking trails and an adorable creek down the hill behind the building site.
Of course it’ll be prettier in the spring, summer, and fall than it is now, but even now, it’s not too bad.
While we’re excited about the prospect of making this our home, we’re keeping in the back of our mind that it may not go the way we plan.
But, we’re doing everything we can to make sure it goes our way.
I am hopeful our plans will become reality.
I have faith that this is meant for us.
I can be mindful and excited at the same time.
(...and some I have)
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