We're onto our second skip bin of pre-move dumpage.
It's very confronting moving from a large house into a tiny cottage. You suddenly have the requirement to assess every item you own for functionality. We've culled considerably.
I've made some questionable choices. Do we need six smallish-but-unstackable plastic cauldrons for Halloween? Undoubtedly! But an exercise bike? Naaaaaahhh...
It's a very virtuous feeling to have a house free of clutter. I've scoured out all the "man-drawers". (Well, except two, a boy does need a dumping-ground, and one upstairs and one downstairs is actually a preventative measure. It gives defined limits to the spread of used batteries, old library cards from other states, locks without keys and keys without locks, and a web of ipod earphones.
Here, Michael McIntyre knows what I mean:
Meanwhile, the mass clear out has been confronting for the children, too.
We had to give away the trampoline. It would have taken up more than half the outside space of the cottage, and it wasn't even particularly large. Luckily we could offload it to a good friend who just moved into the neighbourhood. The gaining and losing daddies made quite the spectacle carrying it off down the middle of the road, and as the three year old watched it go, a little sob or two escaped...
I thought "here we go" (she hadn't reacted negatively to the move at all yet) and knelt down to comfort her. Her bottom lip was quivering, but she was trying to hold it all together. She looked at me searchingly: "Mama, but... I don't WANT to give Daddy away!" Poor kid! Once she realised Daddy would be home again in five minutes, she was totally fine, happily waved goodbye to the trampoline and headed inside to play.
So our house feels empty. We're rattling around inside it, and we're ready to move. Roll on Tuesday!
Good luck with the move! So exciting, a new home for Christmas.
ReplyDeleteThanks Tracey! And it's such a nice Christmassy house, too. Lots of spots for lights, mantle pieces, banisters... I'm stoked!
DeleteOh gosh I didn't realize you would be moving the week before Christmas! What a lovely feeling to de-clutter. Shame, no wonder your little girl was feeling anxious, glad you sorted that out.
ReplyDeleteI'm feeling ridiculous virtuous with the whole decluttering malarky! Although, I'm still not overly confident we'll fit regardless....
DeleteAnd I haven't really sorted the nervousness, she's still acting out a bit, but we're being as understanding as possible, without letting her play it up! She's a smart one. ;)
Oh man, you are moving a week before xmas.....did you write and tell Father Christmas that you would be at a new address?
ReplyDeleteYes! We've told him at the shops, told him at the play school Christmas party, written him a letter, and been given numerous bags of sparkly reindeer food for sprinkling on the front lawn as a backup... I'm pretty confident He'll come through with the goods ;)
DeleteWell, you know, as long as the removals truck is on time, lol!
What is it about this time of year that urges people to move house? When I was working in real estate we'd see it all the time, people moving right at Xmas. Heck, we did it! Some people want an iPhone, others a brand new abode: I understand.
ReplyDeleteThe best of luck with your move: Cottages are great fun! You'll love it, trust me: I have one. ;)
~S.
I can just imagine your cottage, Sorcha!
DeleteNew year, new start, I imagine... Or they were all Defence moves, like us?
Oh my word!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the packing and unpacking!How I remember his time of the year, moving, new house, new town, new schools, new friends...maybe that's why I just want to stick around now.
I can tell that the moving thing will grow older and older the more often we do it... but I'm glad I still love it now. I start to get itchy feet every few years or so. When the girls are bigger, however, I fully intend to stay put somewhere long enough to grow useful fruit trees, and hang my picture frames with reckless abandon!
DeleteWhat a shame to be moving out of a decluttered house - just think of the fun you could have had filling it up again. If the new cottage is a lot smaller than the current house, I suspect the culling will continue indefinitely. Been there, done that and have a drawersful of T shirts. My thoughts are with you. [Keep the kettle handy].
ReplyDeleteThe kettle is handy, and the Tardis teapot with it...
DeleteYou're dead right about the ongoing culling, I've already made a mental list of more I could have ditched. So I think I've earned my tshirt well and truly, this time, but I suspect it ended up somewhere in the second skip, as soon as it was delivered! ;)