December 13, 2009

Building Tension

On Friday we moved into our house. Finally. The house has been two long years in the building, two years that seemed endless as they passed, but which - with time and hindsight - will no doubt seem even longer.

We have been living in a delightful apartment as we build. And when I say “delightful”, I mean “if you have no children, or perhaps just one who doesn’t move very much”. When you have three children, including a crazy toddler who believes that every flat surface is a runway for her launches into space, a two bedroom apartment is kind of small. And when I say “small”, I mean “like a prison cell”.

Now, I know I should be grateful just to have had a roof over my head. And I am. We could, of course, be living in a paddock, or in a house without a ceiling (although, knowing the council as well as I do now, I suspect it would not have passed building regulations). Indeed, the ceilings in this apartment are very high, which is quite a luxury, and may even have come in handy had my family been less numerous, and more tall.

However, it hasn’t been all bad. I’ve discovered that there are definitely advantages to living in a very small space with four other people. For one thing, games of Hide and Seek are always over mercifully quickly. For another thing…. no, that’s about it, really.

Still, I must say, Little Man and Pinkela will miss being in such close proximity to each other. They have thoroughly enjoyed sharing a tiny, tiny bedroom for two years. Of course, Little Man has occasionally expressed a desire to have his own room (using “occasionally” in the sense of “several times a day”), but he does seem to take tremendous pleasure from hurling assorted toys and socks at his sister from his top bunk position after lights out every night.

The Toddler, on the other hand, will probably experience some confusion after moving to a real house. For the past two years we have put her to sleep in our room every night, only to move her to the living room cot when we’re ready for bed. She no doubt thinks that every person in the world goes to sleep in one place, and wakes up in one totally different. My suspicion is that she will wake up in her cot in the new house, think “Oh no, this is where I was put to bed, clearly it cannot be daytime yet”, and lie back down again. It may take a period of adjustment, but I am personally looking forward to a full 24 hours of sleep before she figures it out.

As for my husband, well, it shall be odd being able to get away from him when we’re both at home. For the past two years, we’ve been stuck – I mean, snuggled – together in the same room every second we’re in the apartment. Still, I’m sure that with a bit of patience and persistence we will be able to move forward as separate beings. I, for one, plan to spend every spare second alone in my study – for the sake of assisting the transition, you understand.

And if we don’t enjoy the larger space, we can always move back to a tiny, tiny apartment again. In fact, I’ve got one picked out already. It’s in NOT street, in NEVERSVILLE, in the town of IN YOUR DREAMS.

Move again? Are you KIDDING?

13 comments:

  1. Pissing myself laughing at this post. Our house is small, very very small. After swearing we'd never move again, we are in fact, considering moving. Again.

    Where are the photos of the space? I would like to dream about space, if only for a 40 minute cat nap.

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  2. Aww you guys have done the hard yards, enjoy that house :) We are renovating a house that is 3 bed (meh not too bad) but 1 fucking bathroom. Meaning 1 toilet. Worst about this? My husband is a god damn plumber. I haven't done a shit in peace in over 2 years. It's like those kids have a homing device implanted in my arse. But your new house sounds devine. V. funny about the toddler and 24hrs sleep. x

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  3. When I was 18 my parents decided to build too. They moved my older brother and 2 younger sisters into a 3 bedroom house 1 bathroom. 4 teenagers, 1 bathroom. In the 2 years it took the house to be built 2 of us kids moved out, I can't help wondering whether this was part of their evil plan to get us to move out!!!!

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  4. I am currently on holiday in an apartment (and I use the term "holiday" loosely. More like relocating what I do on a daily basis to a more exotic-ish location). I thought my 7yr old was loud, but in an apartment? Like he has a megaphone with him. The toddler is excited that he can reach every light switch (bye, bye environment), and also thought he'd give climbing the balcony a go. And the 5yr old thinks playing in wardrobes with sliding doors fun. Yeah. Let's see how that goes when the fingers get jammed.

    We're planning a lot of time *out* of the apartment. A lot.

    So happy for you that you're in your new home. Enjoy.

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  5. oh yeah - we renovated this time last year and boy, do I have a story to tell. We ripped the back half of our house off - toilet, laundry, kitchen etc - which was ok cos we moved to the in-laws. Until my husband had a fight with his dad the next day and we had to move back 'home'. 9 months we lived liked that. I have only just recovered my sanity. Will post gory details on my blog one day... if I can stand the nostalgia.

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  6. So I'm thinking a giant block of premium dark chocolate, some Simon Baker dvds and a bottle of wine quitely snuck into the study whilst the kids blindly navigate the maze of all these new rooms, should help you settle in, no worries. Enjoy :)

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  7. Oh, God, the memories. We renovated our tiny 11 square home a few years back- we now live in triple that, but I swear to god that for the 6 months of the reno we lived in 5 squares. Five squares without a kitchen, and with a 3 and 5 year old, who slept on the floor of the lounge room for that time (to take your cue, I say lounge room in the sense of "plaster dust- filled space containing the TV"). It does make you enjoy your finished house all the more though- so enjoy!!

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  8. During the last two years, we've also been renovating our home. Except that we lived in the construction site while we built around our existing house.

    My hubby and I are now separated. the house is still not finished. I never want to see another sheet of gyprock as long as I live. And if I ever, ever become attached to a man ever again, the moment he mentions "house extension", "renovation" or "dream home" I shall be forced to kill him slowly.

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  9. I would be ecstatic to live in an apartment, as long as there was no one else there, and I could Tweet in peace, As it is , I keep getting interrupted by Mrs F to plant something, or prune something. I hate gardening. It interferes with my bludging in the study.........

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  10. ahaha great post! My family moved house when i was young so i don't really remember but we have renovated our house in an approximate consecutive 6 years. Back deck, bathroom, laundry, 1st and 2nd bathroom, front deck, garden, adding in an extra room, adding and rebuilding stairs - yeah you get the idea I. never. want. to see. another. builder!! And as an 18 yr old.. this makes me weird.

    We are starting the kitchen soon...

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  11. We are "in talks" about renovating our house. After reading this, I'm shelving them, indefinitely!!!! Hilarious post. And terrifying too :)

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  12. Apartment life, is my life - gets easier when they are both older - kind of. I often dream of a house, with a garden - oh a garden for my kids ....sigh...

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  13. ahaha great post! My family moved house when i was young so i don't really remember but we have renovated our house in an approximate consecutive 6 years. Back deck, bathroom, laundry, 1st and 2nd bathroom, front deck, garden, adding in an extra room, adding and rebuilding stairs - yeah you get the idea I. never. want. to see. another. builder!! And as an 18 yr old.. this makes me weird.

    We are starting the kitchen soon...

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