Yes, I owe a second part to the story of the Civil War at Sligo. The folder with the information has been sitting next to the bed for the past month and all I’ve done with it is move it to various other places next to the bed. First, though, I wanted to say a little something about 2019 and the hopes for 2020.
This past year has been one big stress ball for us. I have no qualms with sharing any of this because for me, writing about it is therapeutic. So, where to begin? I’m pretty sure I’ve gained at least 10 pounds due to an insatiable sweet tooth that appeared out of nowhere, not to mention I’ve changed my hair more times than I can count and I’m pretty sure both of those things are coping mechanisms. We have two little girls who barely know how to brush their teeth let alone express their emotions appropriately which causes stress and as a result Marcus’s and my relationship experiences it’s own stress (though I haven’t drafted up those divorce papers yet so we’re good).
I won’t even go into the financial stress of a project like this because I am sure you can assume what it might take to bring a 130 year old home up to current standards but we have high hopes that once we move-in and are able to start generating an income from the basement apartment and the Cottage that it won’t be too bad. Although I keep telling folks that we’ll be living in a gorgeous house sitting on bean bags and everyone laughs but I’m being quite serious. Actually, I take that back. Bean bags and milk crates will be what we use.
Another big stressor is the amount of time we’ve not been in our own place. Two Christmases have come and gone as we occupy two rooms and in an attempt to not completely overtake my mom’s house Marcus’s and my bedroom is, well, stressful especially for someone like me who can’t stand clutter and disorganization. Marcus hasn’t helped that situation much because somehow two giant TVs have appeared along with a few more cardboard boxes that I don’t recognize nor understand their purpose. He would probably tell you about my oh so slight furniture hoarding problem that has taken over my mom’s garage but in my defense I got those things at a bargain.
In the end though we’re doing OK. We’re all looking forward to being able to move into the house (although I still go to bed with random worries like whether or not my girls will be too scared to use the potty in the middle of the night because I know I will be). For the year 2020 I can only hope that we are able to make the transition out of my mom’s house without having left too much of a mark on her belongings (because we’ve caused a little bit of damage here and there). I hope the girls will be able to settle-in to their new home and enjoy the property. As it stands they’ve already been having a grand time running around the 1.5 acres plus the adjoining park. I hope Marcus will be less stressed and we can get back to our random Sundays of accidentally getting drunk while working on a project. I hope I can make the transition of not living with my mom and having her help for the days when the girls have after-school activities and Marcus is on travel. Most importantly, I hope the house herself is ready for us because we bring two active and creative children, an especially active dog, an especially lazy cat, and of course, Marcus and I.
Rey on the left and Princess Leia on the right (in case you couldn’t tell). I think Sligo will be happy to keep these two entertained.
