Saturday, January 17, 2009

Dreaming Big

So, I've been getting a terrible Itch. One that I just had to write about. All our conversations lately usually have the phrases, "when we move", or "in our next house". Don't get me wrong. I love our house, we built it, and we've been very happy here. We love our neighborhood. But when we built, there was an empty field in our backyard, and it was supposed to be public land, NEXT to a pond. What we got, after coming back from our 2 years in California...was the pond.
We can't build a fence in our backyard. It didn't matter so much that we couldn't have a fence with Fina. She's so obedient she goes out, does her business, and comes back. We don't have her on a leash. (It's AMAZING the speed and efficiency with which her business has been conducted given the cold of the last couple days.) Chris can't play in our backyard. The slope into the pond is so steep, we can't trust him out there without being close enough to snag him.
Over Christmas break, before Chris got "whooping cough", we got a wild hair and went house shopping. We drove through a couple of new neighborhoods that are going up, and we've been eyeing. We even stopped in and looked at floorplans. That was when I discovered something.

I have expensive taste.

If we build a new house, we're going to need certain things, like a basement, a family room and a living room, so the living room can double as a piano room. My Dad's piano (an antique Steinway baby grand) has our name on it, and it's so nice, and downright neglected at my Dad's. We need only find room for it. Don't get me started on the wants: a 2 1/2-3 car garage, with a work area for Eric in the garage, 4 bedrooms...at least, a yard big enough for me to plant various fruit bushes (strawberry, blueberry, and raspberry) so I can Can my ever loving heart out. Oh and veggies too. Wouldn't mind one of those big loft areas that could be a playroom, or an extra bedroom to be a playroom. Oh, or how about a bathroom and bedroom on the main floor so that if I go all gimpy or we end up with some grandparents living with us someday, we can live without going upstairs. It gets so tempting, the list just starts to snowball. And get me into trouble.
When we were at one neighborhood after Christmas, we liked a floorplan, and the saleslady called this weekend to let us know they have one available to see, (it's a new plan that hadn't been built or available previously) and somehow I can't stop thinking about it. I can't stop thinking about building a new house. Some friends of ours just broke ground last week, and I'm so jealous.
It's a pickle really, I want what I want, but I want us to be able to afford ALL that we want, or I don't want to move. I'm not unhappy here. If we could find something bigger with a basement right here, I'd stay put. We're just already at capacity, and QT kicks everything up a notch. I told Eric I'd be fine not going anywhere until QT was mobile, but now that it's nearing his time.

Well, I have a terrible itch.

An itch to move.

An itch for a new house.

Right now.

4 comments:

Tina said...

I have that same itch! I like our house and it basically has what we need right now. But, I REALLY want a basement, and a kitchen where I can actually put out all my ingredients at once when I cook, and a 3rd bathroom, and an office, etc. etc. etc. Wish the market was better here and that we could actually affod to move!

Suellen said...

Bigger house and second baby are the ONLY reasons I am back at work. I feel your pain. I am actually quite jealous that you can even dream your dream on one income.....

Cathy said...

Ay. There's the rub.

Anonymous said...

Ah yes, I believe that Itch is also called "Nesting." :) Apparently it's a thing that happens (yes, it even happened to ME of all non-maternal people, but then again, people WERE being mugged at gunpoint in the building where I lived :) Anyway, your expensive taste isn't exactly News or anything, but I find it PERFECTLY understandable that you want what you want or you don't want to move at all - I was exactly the same way when we were leaving the Dorch - I had "deal-breakers" when house-shopping and pretty much decided that (new baby and all) I was NOT going to settle or I was NOT going anywhere. Apparently, new motherhood (whether it's your first time or fifth I'd wager) makes you militant as hell, whatever your tastes may be. :)