I got the news tonight at 8:30pm! The couple chose us to buy. A surprise showing brought another offer out of the woodwork, and I was concerned that we were out of the running, as all it would take is the couple to offer MORE than I did, and the house would have been gone. That is exactly what happened however. The couple was shown the house by a different company, and the couple SAW my offer on the table, thumbed through it then made a similar offer to mine, to this owner. The owner noticed that the offers were almost identical, and GOT PISSED!
They chose me because I had been working with them all this time, instead of chosing this couple who looked at the offer on their table, and copied it. And also, this woman owns a fairly prominent hair salon in town, and all of her friends were excited that a massage therapist may be moving in and setting up business in the old shop. So not only are we (the kids and I) getting the house, but I will be getting a large clientele to increase my business!! These clients of hers are well to do women (and men) so I am very excited about this!
When the realtor told me that I got the house, she was expecting me to be so excited, but I had to explain that I was preparing myself to NOT get the house, so it would take some time to sink in! However, it took NO TIME for this to sink in for the kids, and they were whooping and hollering all around the house. For the first time in 9 (almost 10) years, I will be sleeping alone in my own bed, peeing in my own toilet (!) showering in my own tub, sharing my sink with no one, and still somehow I am feeling a little sad that the earlier mothering years are seemingly over. I am very excited to stretch out in my bed for the first time, but Lakshmi and Priya have already told me that they are sleeping with me! Well, all for my dreams. I do think that they will move over into their room once we are all settled, and they are feeling comfortable. I assume sleeping bags will be all over my bedroom floor! We have been living in a 500 sq ft space for the last 5 months, so I can manage to cope with the kids sleeping with me for a little longer.
Great things about this house: The girls will have room for their bed AND all their numerous toys, books ect. We have toys from Christmas time that still haven't been set up or opened, due to our space constrictions. Now, the new wooden doll house, the new wooden horse stables, the old wooden cradle, and all the dolls, all the dress up things and all the cool art supplies...all has a place. I am going to paint their room a nice warm creamy off white, and go for the little girl room with a pretty creamy/white bed and canopy, rugs on the floor, two dressers and a make up desk with a mirror. I can see them growing up in that room, from wearing their little high heels now, to dressing up for their first dates as teenagers.
Ravi has the smallest room in the house, and eventually that will have to give in to a larger room. However, at this point he is so happy to have his own room again, to have a space (literally looks like space) where he can hang out, read, have friends over, and the girls will not bother him.
For me, I can picture Saturday and Sunday mornings where the kids come into my room and pile up on my bed to watch a movie, or just cuddle. I never stopped doing this with my parents until I was married and a mom!
My room is spectacular! I have FOUR windows in my room (very tall ceilings) and then my room connects to this smaller room that has room for exercise equipment and my computer desk and notebook. From there, it goes to the bathroom, and to the outside back deck. Weekends will be fun (when I am not busy mowing almost 1 acre!) when we can leave the doors open to the deck and enjoy the breeze.
All of the windows in the house are brand new! All of them open!!!! In my old house, we could only get three windows open in the whole house, so when it was nice outside, we couldn't get the fresh air inside! Now, we will be able to leave the windows cracked, or all the way open. What a blessing to have these new windows.
The whole house (except the bathrooms, and bedrooms) is covered in Pergo. I hate that flooring. I plan to put either oak "tongue and grove", or white pine on the floors. The bedrooms have Berber carpet, and the bathrooms have Mexican tile.
The dining room has a custom made drape, which is staying, and matches my taste in decor. The kitchen has nice tile on the walls above the backdrop. All the appliances are staying so that means I don't have to buy new washer and dryer, or fridge. I am sure they will need to be replaced eventually, but for now, I will be happy with the way they are.
The biggest eyesore in the house (besides the Pergo) is the laundry/pantry. I think it needs paint or something. It was like a black hole that just sucked in negativity. Probably some energy work too.
Overall, the whole house is spectacular. It isn't a 1 million dollar house, but it is the quaint wood sided house from the 1950's (before Ranch style houses took over) that makes you feel like grandma is going to be standing in the kitchen with a half-apron on, making a pie!
I am sure I will make many pies, breads, birthday cakes, dinners, cookies, pitchers of juice and of course many, many memories, for my family.
Well, wish the kids and I luck as we travel to this newest destination on our journey called life!
And thank you for all your warm wishes too!
Jyotsna
P.S. be sure to look for a photo of the four of us yanking the real estate sign out of the ground. Our realtor is taking the photo for us! Coming soon.....
