We have moved out of our home into a temporary abode whilst renovations occur. The renovations have been a long time in the planning, it is good to finally have them going ahead, but my gosh, I miss our home!
Moving day was stressful with our poor car bearing permanent (until I can bear to part with it long enough to get it fixed) scars of my stressed, rushed decision to attempt the off-street parking at our new place. We have moved in with R’s parents who live (during the week) in the heart of Carlton on a narrow street. Fortunately R’s work, and more importantly, his work car park is a mere block and a half away so I need never repeat such foolishness again.
We do have to pass Readings, a gorgeous bookstore which holds great fascination and temptation for both Master Z and I, every time we want to go to the car. Or to the supermarket. Or bakery. Or cafe (I’m so splurging on Lygon St coffees right now!). Or pharmacy. Or anywhere really. I have new books. Master Z has new books. We have new books to give new babies who have come or are coming into the world. Finally, I started taking one of my books back in to the shop to read while Master Z played with the train set. I felt that I had paid for at least a week of him wanting to go in there every day, within the first three days, and so brought a book in to protect myself from seeing all the other books! I do acknowledge I that I have a problem. But it is an enjoyable problem. And harmful to none but my wallet. And many experts do go on about how important books are during the formative early years of childhood. So, I think we’ve got that side of things covered. Check and double check. Incidentally, we also utilise our library extensively. Just for the record.
Master Z has coped with move remarkably well. He had one breakdown a week into the new living arrangements, where it all got too much for him and he begged us to go home. There were tears, and such a sad, bereft face as we explained that we couldn’t go home right now, that this is our new home while our old home gets fixed – not really sure how else to explain a renovation to a 23 month old.
He also asked to go home again this morning. As R said, if there was ever a baby who needed a pick-me-up, it was Master Z this morning. Poor love.
We are extremely lucky in that the house is quite large, there is an open living space and an outside area in which he can play. However he cannot open the door to go outside by himself, and he cannot choose to go and play in his room whenever he wants. The bedrooms are upstairs so he must ask, and we must be willing, to take him upstairs (or downstairs) and spend some time on the same level. He has lost a decent amount of the independence and autonomy to which he is accustomed. This has to be rough, especially at a time when he is starting to assert his independence.
The courtyard is enclosed, and even to me the walls can close in if we spend too long just at home. I do enjoy taking him to play on the front steps and carport area and he has learnt the phrase “Watch people go past”, and will happily announce that that is what we are doing to the many people who do walk past the house.
In just two and a half weeks, I’m starting to feel the strong sense of community around here which I have never really experienced before. Not in all the time working on Lygon St, nor in the years of being with R and spending a lot of time around this area, due to his work, and mine, being so close. It was still not the same as living here, walking past the same cafes, shops and restaurants every day, multiple times a day. It helps that I have a little “Awwwww” magnet running along with me, taking either his Ducky or stroller for walks. Master Z is like a magical, blonde-haired blue-eyed passport, allowing me entry into people’s awareness which just wouldn’t happen otherwise. So many smiles for him, extend their warmth to me as well.
He has discovered the fun of chasing seagulls in the park two blocks away. This activity has us walking past the same places on a daily basis. Rather than wait staff spruiking their specials to me, they are waving to Master Z, trying to get a wave back from him. Such a different dynamic.
Today when we walked in to our favourite place for coffee, the barista almost told us off for ordering take away coffees, commenting that we never sat down for our coffees and that surely we could sit down on a Saturday. So we did. It was remarkably relaxing! I am enjoying such a strong sense of community.
There are lots of things that I’m struggling with, with this move. I guess it all boils down to feeling displaced from our home and being held in limbo, unable to settle until we move back to our home. The majority of our stuff is in storage, our systems and organisation is all kablooey, although we have managed to make S & J’s table look remarkably similar to ours, with almost no effort at all. ie. completely covered with stuff, papers, pens, laptops, clothes, drink bottles, random flotsam from our day-today lives. On Friday I did some organising, little things like finding a place to put the nappy bag and swim bag other than the middle of the floor. Today I got the fridge organised and the tupperware drawer organised and felt like I could breathe again. Tonight R cooked chilli con carne, and it was so comforting and homey to come home to the house smelling so good. The kitchen is small and challenging to cook in so we have avoided almost all food-related activities, apart from the actual eating of food. But I miss my veggies, and our cooking, and take-aways, even yummy healthy salads and sashimi, get old very quickly. This week will be our third week here, and I think we might be finally getting into a small semblance of normality.
Oh, and the cats did not react to the move at all well. In fact so badly did they react that we took them home again, set up the study with all possible comforts and are making daily trips to feed and pat them. They seem much happier with this arrangement, and our lives became immeasurably more sustainable. Spending my first whole day here cleaning cat spray, and R spending a night continuing with the clean-up, did not help anyone with the whole process of settling in. I never would have thought of leaving the cats at the house until someone else suggested it, but it seems to be working well for all, thank heaven.
Just three and a half months to go. Not that the cats are counting.
