The Abode

Well, we got our place. Phew! A little 4 bedroom, ground floor, 2 story apartment in a wonderfully vibrant community, right by the river, not far from the school. It has 3 bedrooms upstairs - the boys desperately want to bunk in with each other so the third will be their study/chill out room - and the fourth downstairs will be hubby's study. My study will be the kitchen bench or the couch! Requires a total change in mindset (yes you are right Jane, that's all it is).

Our only living space is 4 x 4m. It opens out onto a decent sized covered courtyard, which conveniently has the most perfect spot for Nigel and Brian to sun themselves in real UV rays and not those from a lamp (we've already worked out the angle of the sun). There is even a powerpoint for us to plug their heat rock into.... the real important things. The courtyard opens out onto the pool area and resident's herb garden but as we are the end apartment, we are tucked away..... so the apartment is nice and private.

Straight through the pool area and you're at the river and the one continuous park and bike track that takes you right into the CBD. There's also a soccer field at the end of our street... scooter distance... which the boys are hyperventilating over. Yes, despite our current decent sized back yard, we are always losing balls to neighbours... often 2-3 doors up!

So everything goes into storage (thankfully the new owners have relieved us of about 50% of our furniture), except what we need... oh and a few essential vignettes (life doesn't stop, even with storage)... and yes, I am already thinking vertically (as suggested by 'other Jayne' reader - thank you Jayne!). Oh...and don't laugh... but the baby grand comes with us. We have a piano exam coming up in 2 months time! I'll make it work.... you'll see. My tape measure has had a good work out and my construction maths has come in very handy... especially 'area of odd shapes'.

So to me, this will be like a holiday..... but with all our stuff around us. No housework! The complex is totally brand new and very modern....lots of new residents, moving in when we are. The property managers have already given us a run down on the kids in the complex, including the very lonely little 12 year old girl who goes to the sister school of my boys... big one's eyes lit up as soon as she was mentioned. There are farmers markets every Saturday, on the river bank in front of us, and coffee shops around every corner. I think we'll cope for a while.

Once I received the good news of our application, I had to reassess all my 'essential vs non-essential' packing efforts. I had to seriously unpack and repack the kitchen boxes. I had packed for a 'kitchen in a house' and not an 'apartment kitchen'... my 'kitchen essentials' box is now a box and not 'boxes'. While I was repacking, I was asking myself, "when I open this box, in 18 mths to 2 years time, am I really going to still want this stuff?" Yes, I will need decorative pieces to fill up shelves and bookcases.... but nothing like a move into storage to make you really assess what belongings are really essential in life. William Morris, you were right - "beautiful or useful".... 'or the salvos' (well he didn't say 'or the salvos'... but they're coming around again this week, for another visit and cup of tea, as I have culled further... very liberating).

Right, so 'house is in order'... literally.. every item accounted for and packed (or turfed). Time for us to regroup. We're all very excited about living in our little space. Just as well we love each other to death... we're going to be seeing a lot of each other!
A-M xx
PS. My new laundry is in a cupboard... literally.