We made an offer on a house last night.  Pretty cut and dried, nice and easy as we could make it for the sellers, but they won’t be able to look at it until tonight, so we won’t know if we have it until after dinner.  I’ve had a headache for days.

The kids have been so good about the whole thing.  They understand the idea that we’re dragging them around so that they have a say in picking their new home, but Audrey stayed home from school today, she’s so exhausted.  (Carolyn was determined not to stay home, insisted on finishing her homework at 11:00 at night.)  I’m hoping that at some point in this process, it’s going to be smooth sailing for a change.

We spent hours looking at real estate yesterday.  This one was in a neighborhood we didn’t like.  This one was too small.  This one was too unattractive.  All the houses we saw had things we would need to spend money on to fix (or fix to our liking.)  In a desperation measure, we’re going to look in a higher price bracket and see if there’s anything perfect.  My brain is nigh on exploding.

Back when we bought the house we’re in, we were all ready to take on a fixer-upper, and we fell in love with this one – putting money into restoring it was a labor of love.  Taking a newer house and just adapting it and putting up with what we can afford to do – without being in love – isn’t going to work for us.  I guess we’re old enough now to be curmudgeonly about it.

And boy, I love my ellipses!

We’re heading off today to look for a new house.  I think in the end it may be a war between practicality and aesthetics.  The largest house is the ugliest.  The one I like best needs a new kitchen and another bathroom.  There are two others that are pretty, one has no basement, the other has no backyard (well, it does, but it’s completely filled with deck and pool.)

I dreamed, when I did sleep, of houses, of things representing disappointment and settling for less.  I am very excited and positive about the whole moving thing during waking hours, but there’s still, obviously, underlying anxiety.  I just can’t wait for it to be over and done with.