We Are No Longer Homeless

I wrote this Monday after our closing, but I never got around to posting it:
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It's not as though what I most wanted to do today was to take our four children along with us to the closing of our new house, but when no babysitting was available, that's what happened. I sat them down in a line against the wall and our realtor gave them books to look at. That kept them entertained while we were signing the 19 copies of the settlement statement. Bradford then noticed a pill bug on the floor, and it kept the 3 boys happily occupied for the rest of the time. The bribe of going to Starbucks for good behavior didn't hurt, either. :) Since I behaved very well, I got a Chai Frappacino. The kids got drinks and a donut, and Bradford got an extra cup for his bug.

Now that we own the house, the real fun begins. The carpet Mark chose is nice and should wear well with all of our children, and the close-out birch hardwood floor we bought is beautiful. Of course paint does wonders for a room, too, and most if not all of the painting should be done this week and weekend. There are perks for buying a house that you can afford rather than s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g to get a bigger or nicer house.

Mark may not agree that the real fun begins now, because this weekend he will be buying himself a new lawnmower.

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Since Monday, the siding guys have ripped off almost all the siding on the house, put up the house wrap, and installed three new windows and replaced one rotten door. The window in the living room was Mark's idea: I thought he was crazy. But when I went into the room and saw the difference it made in the lightness of the room, I became a believer. That is also when I discovered what I dislike most about the house: it is too dark.

I hate the sun, but I love light. I don't use blinds unless I must, and there are precious few curtains in my houses because of my love for light. My house in Florida was open and filled with light. My house in Georgia feels like a dungeon. Short of installing more windows in every room, I will be focused on getting the house lighter and brighter.