This past week has flown by and it's hard to believe that tomorrow we will be in our new home. We're all feeling a bit out of sorts and it's hard to really enjoy the last night in our home as we're surrounded by boxes and empty walls.
We've gotten rid of just about everything we needed to. We are fully packed, thanks to my wonderful mother in law, Barb. She has been amazing this past week and I'm so grateful for her help.
I spent the day with my good friend Susan painting the walls of our new living room. Thank you Susan! Fortunately we both love to paint and we'll be doing it again soon since the color wasn't quite what I had in mind.
I'm hoping for a good nights rest ready to move this family bright and early tomorrow morning.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
Life Lesson - Change can be hard, sad and very uncomfortable.
I'm finding myself using my work experience and training in the area of change management to help my kids (and myself) through this change.
With only four days before our move date the reality is setting in for all of us. Last night as I was putting the kids to bed I noticed our bedtime discussion topics were beginning to change. Owen, my sensitive, sweet 10 year old, was excited to be sleeping on the floor (we sold his bedroom furniture to a neighbor yesterday, including his bed frame). As I was tucking him in and we were giving our big hugs he commented on how empty his room was. He very quietly then said, "I don't like it." I realized he's really not finding "joy with less" at this particular moment as much of his stuff and stuff within our house begins to disappear. I acknowledged how different his room looked and felt and then we began to talk about his new room. What colors will we paint the walls? What posters will he hang up? Where will all of his Bobble Heads go?
I then moved onto my talkative and gutsy 8 year old, Nora. As I was tucking her in she looked at me and said, "I will be able to come back into this house after we move, right?" I explained that another family will be living here and we won't be able to just walk in like we do today. We'll need to be invited. Her lip began to quiver and she explained how excited she was about moving but also how sad it is to leave our house and neighborhood. Ah, the dreaded mixed emotions. Bittersweetness. I explained that change can be both exciting and sad at the same time and assured her that what she was feeling was very normal. I too felt the same way.
My kids did a great job of reminding me that we'll each deal with this change differently, in our own way, at our own pace and that's OK.
With only four days before our move date the reality is setting in for all of us. Last night as I was putting the kids to bed I noticed our bedtime discussion topics were beginning to change. Owen, my sensitive, sweet 10 year old, was excited to be sleeping on the floor (we sold his bedroom furniture to a neighbor yesterday, including his bed frame). As I was tucking him in and we were giving our big hugs he commented on how empty his room was. He very quietly then said, "I don't like it." I realized he's really not finding "joy with less" at this particular moment as much of his stuff and stuff within our house begins to disappear. I acknowledged how different his room looked and felt and then we began to talk about his new room. What colors will we paint the walls? What posters will he hang up? Where will all of his Bobble Heads go?
I then moved onto my talkative and gutsy 8 year old, Nora. As I was tucking her in she looked at me and said, "I will be able to come back into this house after we move, right?" I explained that another family will be living here and we won't be able to just walk in like we do today. We'll need to be invited. Her lip began to quiver and she explained how excited she was about moving but also how sad it is to leave our house and neighborhood. Ah, the dreaded mixed emotions. Bittersweetness. I explained that change can be both exciting and sad at the same time and assured her that what she was feeling was very normal. I too felt the same way.
My kids did a great job of reminding me that we'll each deal with this change differently, in our own way, at our own pace and that's OK.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
SOLD!
Honestly, we didn't think this day would ever come. Steve and I (and our Realtor Susan) are still in a bit of shock. What started as an innocent bike ride on a beautiful Saturday morning with my husband last Fall turned into a grand scheme of putting our house on the market, moving into the city and transitioning from a 2100 sq. ft. house to a 1466 sq. ft. condo. After 7 months of cleaning my house like an obsessed freak, being very crabby with my kids and husband, getting lost for open houses and more showings than I care to remember, in a still terrible housing market, we sold our house! The perfect house we never planned to leave. The house we paid too much for. Our house in the wonderful city of St. Louis Park, on the rockin "south-side" of Alabama Ave, surrounded by beautiful neighbors and "blue ribbon" schools. I'll explain more behind our seemingly crazy decision later.
For now, we have exactly two weeks and two days to sell most of our stuff, pack and move. Follow our journey as we downsize and transition into a smaller space in the heart of Minneapolis. We'll share the good, the bad and the ugly.
For now, we have exactly two weeks and two days to sell most of our stuff, pack and move. Follow our journey as we downsize and transition into a smaller space in the heart of Minneapolis. We'll share the good, the bad and the ugly.
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