SOLD!

Well, the house is SOLD and we are officially moving by June 15th. I am feeling mixed emotions right now - happiness, fear, sadness, anxiousness. I feel happy because this move will be good for our family. Steve will be able to see Mady more, being that he'll be working so much closer to home. Also we'll be closer to Steve's parents, ideal for last-minute babysitting and a nice home-cooked meal! I'm also happy because I think I'll enjoy living closer to Toronto again, or at least closer to some of the major highways to get me there quickly. Being near water will be nice again - maybe I can take up rowing again. And it will be nice to get away from Guelph's hard water issue - I am sick of my water softener, even though it's the best one on the market right now!

I am sad though, because I will miss Guelph and living so close to my work and my students. It was nice to run into them in the businesses around town, especially the student who worked at my local Starbucks who would give me his discount when he worked cash and I came in - a grande, skinny, caramel latte and a cookie for $1.98 can't be beat! I am also sad because I was started to make some real connections in Guelph through my mommy group here, and through just striking up random conversations with strangers. I'm going to really miss seeing my new friend Jennifer on a regular basis. She and I became friends one evening when I interrupted her conversation at Starbucks to ask about formula... she was feeding her son and I just wanted to know what she was feeding him, or something ridiculous like that. And we exchanged phone numbers and that was that - best of friends. She's so happy we've sold the house but very sad to see me go, and that makes me sad too. It's good to know that I'll be missed but it sucks to leave. I really hope we stay in touch because she's a really great girl. At least she teaches at the school right next to mine so we can make plans after work on some days. I'm also sad because I don't think we really got to know Guelph and all the wonderful stuff it has to offer. I've never walked along the river and stopped for ice cream, I've never gone to the park with the carousel, I've barely shopped at the downtown boutiques, I've not really eaten at all the great little restaurants... Like I said, I'm just starting to settle in, and now I'm moving again. I'm also sad because we just spent oodles of money on renovations to our house - new fence, deck, driveway, basement - and we won't get a chance to enjoy the fruits of our labour. Especially the basement. Steve finally got his office space and now we'll be hard-pressed to find a house with the same space for him. I mean, he spent $1000 on insulation alone to get the basment sound-proof and then spent more money and had it all wired for HD sound and image. It's a real shame that we're not going to get to enjoy our new basement and I haven't seen a house in the Waterdown market that has a basement that compares with ours.

I am also feeling fearful about how Eliot will handle the move. Beagles are very sensitive to changes in their environment and we're worried about how the move will affect him. Steve has a client that had a beagle, and the beagle died when they moved! And with Eliot's history of epilepsy, who knows what will happen when he finds himself in a new place. Does Waterdown use pesticides? I know that Eliot's seizures increase in places where pesticides are used. Also, finding a new vet might be an issue because I want one who will want to follow the same treatment pattern that my current vet uses. I called around and found one vet that seemed like a good fit for us, but I'll have to go in and see the place to make sure it'll work for us. For the time being, I'll just keep the vet in Guelph and hope that Eliot's health remains stable. I'm also afraid that I won't be able to find childcare for Mady. She's going to need childcare in September, and I know that's plenty of time to find something, but I don't just want to stick her anywhere! I should probably start looking now, but I don't want to start interviewing while I'm still living in Guelph. Is June 15th too late to start looking for September?

I'm feeling very anxious about the move because I know that the packing will be pretty much on me to do, and how will I manage with a baby and an epileptic dog? As soon as the buyers waive their condition of inspection, I'll have to start calling around to see what movers can give us the best rates. And then I'll have to buy some boxes and get packing! I am a meticulous packer - I make three piles: 1) PACK 2) TOSS 3) DONATE and then each room gets packed up individually and I make lists of each item in the boxes. It's a whole thing. I feel overwhelmed at the prospect of packing with a 7-month old that is not so content to just sit in her exersaucer and watch Mommy be frantic! I'm also feeling anxious because we have to move in just over a month - what house in Waterdown will want such a short closing? What if I have to live in a hotel? I guess Mady and I will spend our days swimming in the hotel pool and looking for daycare. Eliot will have to live with Steve's parents. But what if a hotel is too expensive and not an option? Then what? We will have to live with my in-laws. I can just imagine - 4 adults, and infant, and 3 dogs... chaos! And their house is not babyproofed! I am not thinking about it!

In the end though, I am more excited and optimistic about the move than I am anxious and fearful. I always try to make the best of a situation, and moving is no different. I have faith that this move is a good thing for our family and I look forward to putting down roots in Waterdown and making a new core group of friends. On the bright side, I get to host a host a housewarming party in the middle of the summer!! Yay!