My Little House

So.  Decisions, decisions.  I'm using this blog in place of my journal on this one, so bear with me as I "think out loud."  I love my little house.  It's comfy and cozy with nice neighbors in a great neighborhood for walking with a little park down the street to run the dog and stroll and slide and swing the baby and watch the ducks in the pond.  It's really just been a great house that has truly served us well.  And I don't want to leave it.  That said, the reality is, is that it is indeed a small house.  Which has been fine in teaching us to keep things simple and to continuously get rid of what we don't need, etc, etc.  We have plenty of living space up front and in the kitchen, for now still, but alas, the bedroom thing is that lingering problem that we've known we were going to have to address sooner or later.  Is it finally that "sooner" time or can we continue to put it off until "later"...who knows.  We're resourceful people.  

The thought of moving is exhausting.  The thought of putting the house on the market (and keeping it nice and clean during that time:P ) turns my stomach.  The idea of spending more money on a mortgage than we already do is overwhelming.  But.  Change is looming...

Have you seen the attic lately...too bad we couldn't just remove the top portion of this house and move it to the next one.  ugh.  Between the wall of teacher-stuff, which has been downsized twice already in the past year, and the boxes and bins of baby clothes and related paraphernalia, on top of the section of "for the next house" goods from the wedding shower, the outdoor recreation department (backpacking gear, tents, sleeping bags, snowboards/boots, etc.) odds and ends of relics from our pasts, and possible tag sale merchandise...ugh!  It's a lot of crap!  

Then there's the basement.  Furniture odds and ends, a bed frame, my childhood bedroom set, bookshelves, random antique-like pieces, garage-related goods, soap-making bins, air conditioners, and plenty more tag-sale junk...and it's not even the Stuff down there that's overwhelming, it's the idea of cleaning up the basement a  little for putting on the market.  I mean, it's kind of spooky down there with all kinds of webs and such---could use a good sweeping, but the thought of the dusty air that would be produced...another ugh!!  

So really, we should just keep staying here.  Right?  We could stick another kid somewhere for awhile, right?  I mean, "in the event" that another child were to join the family, it would spend at least the first few weeks in me and Trav's room anyway.  We could stick a pack n' play up front somewhere...Heck, Trav's sister's baby only just got her room/crib at 6 months I think!  So anything is possible.  The thing that stinks is that eventually, yes, we will have to move.  It's really just a matter of figuring out the WHEN of that.  Maybe next fall.  That would give us the spring/summer months to have a few tag sales and to try to get rid of stuff.  and to clean out the basement.  and stain the porches.  By then, maybe the economy would be in a little of a better position and we'd be able to get even just a little more than what we originally paid for the house.  Who knows.  The other side of that is that if we buy by April (I think) we'd qualify for the $6500 upgrading tax credit.  That could be looked at as balancing out any loss we might take be selling now.  So much to think about.  I know the answer will come.  But not until we explore our options and get a better understanding of what our needs will be over the next few years, what we can honestly afford, where we'd like to be to officially raise our family, where Trav will be working, and all that good stuff.  In the meantime, if you know anyone that might be interested in buying a cute little yellow house, we would entertain a for sale by owner opportunity prior to "going on the market."  We'll figure it out eventually.  In the meantime, I'll just continue to enjoy my little house and continue to prepare for the next tag sales, the biggest of which will include the little house.  Boo hoo!