Wuthering Hyders

Not-So-Happy Hunting

So we've been house hunting for just over a week now...
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Where do I begin? I honestly thought I knew exactly what I wanted in ( and outside of ) a house before all of this started. I suppose part of me thought it would be similar to purchasing a car. You know; you decide what you want, go look at a few, pay for your choice, and it becomes yours. The only thing I don't think really registered, was that there is no "perfect" house out there. There will always be something we need/want to change. Things like paint are a simple, and rather inexpensive fix, but ugly bathroom tile or a backyard with no fence? Part of me feels horrible for going through someone else's home and commenting on the less desirable aspects of it. The people who live there might actually like it, after all. ( Oh, my... ) I feel especially poor about it all when their realtor calls and wants to know what we didn't like about the house. I know it's probably standard procedure ( constructive criticism and whatnot ), but for goodness' sake! You don't truly want me to be honest, do you? I mean, you want me to give you a vauge idea, but not an itemized list, correct? Years of living with myself have shown me that you don't really want to get me started on what I don't like. How long do you have? I'm sure these homeowners are all really great people and who am I to judge their homes? I'm positive I'm taking this FAR too seriously. At least I recognize that.

I've lost track of how many houses we've driven by and even the ones we've walked through. I feel like we're right on the cusp as far as cost goes. We're right where we could get a really decent house or we could get stuck with less than stellar possibilities. I'm not a soccer mom and I don't want to be. I don't like feeling like I have to keep up with the rest of the people my age like everything is some kind of juvenile contest about whose is better. I just want a little room to spread out so I can breathe. I don't want my neighbors peeking into my windows to see what I'm fixing for dinner or watching me hang my unmentionables to dry. I wish we could have enough yard for me to have squirrels, chipmunks, chickens, and such ( the chickens would not be wild chickens, naturally ) but being in a good school district is important, as well. As much as I dislike people in general, I want to be reasonably close to civilization. I want all of the bedrooms to be on the same floor, but I need a space away from that where the kids and I can play while Heath sleeps.

Nigel has been good about all this. Very patient. Well... Except for that bit about shoving me into the closet under the stairs. ( Do ALL real estate agents accost their clients? ) I try to keep from pestering him with questions, yet I can just imagine his eyes rolling when he receives another email from me. Thank heaven he has a similar sense of humor or we might not have got on at all. I don't think I could have handled this whole process were it not for humor. I'm glad our family has it. Heath, Abby, and Perrin all make me laugh even when I don't much feel like laughing. For instance, Perrin keeps bring different articles of clothing to me as I write this and asking me if they're "way cool" before he puts them on. He's now wearing Abby's snow boots and flower-shaped sunglasses with his red footie pajamas. He's "way cool" alright :)

I know that eventually this whole house thing will come together, but I hope it's soon. I will feel much safer walking barefoot in my own yard than the bare scrap of grass we have here with all its charm. We're ready to move out of "The Ghetto of Johnston" and on to a better place. I want to believe we deserve a better place. At least, better than this.