Wiggle out of it
We are still negotiating to buy the house. Unfortunately it seems a frivolous exercise because what we can pay is awfully low as compared to what they originally asked. So perhaps this one will be one that got away but at least we gave it a good shot and are having a quick lesson in real estate negotiation strategies in the meantime. We should know in the next day or two and then we have a few conditions we need to clear up such as surveying etc.
My very wise and amazing sister-in-law called last night (who also has a toddler) and said that she had suddenly had a thought a couple of nights ago that perhaps Amelia’s waking in the night due to her picking up on the stresses in the house. It is true that Amelia would definitely know that something is going on due to all these intense discussions we keep having about houses and kitchens and bedrooms using words she understands but in strange contexts. My sister-in-law suggested that Amelia might even understand that there is a move imminent but not be sure what that means and if she’s coming with us or not or how her beloved Nanan and Pappous fit into it all. She might be waking up and needing just a little bit of extra comfort. I know it’s hard to tell but it really does seem to me a possibility. The waking at night for comfort definitely started when we started looking for houses a couple of months back. It stuck me in the heart to realise that this might be what’s going on. Poor little girl! When I am feeling calm I am going to have a little chat to her about what it all means. I am looking forward to actually having a house in mind so I can talk to her about the exciting possibilities of what we might plant in vegetable patches and how we might paint her bedroom, how far away from Pappous and Nanan we will actually be and what kind of life we might have.
And in other news, thanks to the Wiggles CD we have on high rotation, Amelia has decided that her name is now Jeff. Quite often she will refuse to answer to anything but Jeff. I am yet to have to say “Come on Jeff! It’s time to go home!” in front of other mums at the park or in a crowded supermarket but it’s only a matter of time. It’s interesting to note that Jeff is the Wiggle who likes to sleep! Perhaps she is playing some cruel joke on us.
eli will regularly only answer to batman. i dont worry about what the other mums think of this, they’ve already seen me chasing my naked 3 year old through the school yard to worry about me calling him a super hero.we’re going through a awiggles only moment too. everyday i wake up to ‘wiggles big wed car bwoken down??’ with the little face and the little hands and sooner or later im pointing my fingers and doing the twist with him.
As a parent of a small child who has endured two moves (one when Z was 15 months, and one when he was two-and-a-bit), I’d reckon that kids can pick up on housemoving uncertainty. We find that a simple explanation of what’s going on, in a soothing tone of voice, works wonders. It might be a placebo for the parents, but it’s worked to calm frayed nerves in our household more than once.
I dont have any children, but i feel like if i did i would be reading loobylu daily to reassure me just what is normal and not….And good for her for being a Jeff….Good strong name, spunky!
With all the house and eral estate issues – come live in Thailand. The land here is cheaper and keeps quadrupling in price. Not that you can afford it on a teacher’s salary! Hope the fam is well!
Hi, Claire… just a few thoughts from across the pond: here in the states, there are specialty lenders that offer lease-to-own arrangements for first-time and credit-challenged buyers. This may be an option for you.
Here’s a very basic description of how it works: a lender determines that you’re income and credit-worthy for at least an 85% mortgage, then arranges things on the back end with the seller (there’s a lot to this, but this is supposed to be basic) such that you can move in and start _renting_ the home. The rent is higher than market level, and it’s normally for a 6 mos to a year. During this time, you’re proving to the lender that they can trust extending you a loan for the full 100% of the value of the home. The extra amount on the rent is going into an escrow account that will be put to your down payment, or in the event of a financial melt-down, that extra amount will go to the parties involved for their troubles.
Anyway, just a thought.
Good luck with everything!
Oh! And on the sleeping: there’s a book called Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child that a mother in my neighborhood swears by (and another mother swears by the concepts in the book, though she hasn’t read it, FWIW)… sorry it’s an Amazon link, but it’s all I could think of.
We’re going through the same house-buying troubles as you are. We’ve bid on one and have been rejected. I’m pretty calm about losing the house, but I don’t like the fact that we have to start looking all over again. I’m waiting for my fairy godmother to point THE ONE out to me…do you know where she is?
We are on the opposite end of things…we are trying to find a place for my 91-yr-old mother-in-law to live here in Oregon (she lives in Florida, now) and finding a care facility that is right for her and close enough to us is a challenge.
Hope the housebuying is a success and that you can quickly settle in to your own place.
Best, Diane
Hee.. when my older sister was a wee one she would only respond to “Fred”. As in, Flinstone. I wish I was old enough to remember that.
Re: your daughter Jeff (!) For about 3 months my son refused to respond to anything but Dumbo (after seeing the movie). I felt dreadful being overheard calling him that in supermarkets etc.
so true! kids are really paying attention to grown-ups’ conversations all the time! even the little ones! good luck with the house :)P.S. thanks for the cool links of the month!
Hi Claire,good luck with the house. I just bought this year and it definitely is a change in lifestyle. Anyway, the Home Loan Advisory Service in Melbourne (St Kilda Rd) was brilliant, and free. Ask them anything and they can answer in layman’s language. It’s thanks to them I got enough money together to buy.
LMAO!! Thanks to both you and Jeff for making me laugh at the end of a crappy day!
Good luck with sleeping and househunting!!
Auggh! I love it when little kids re-name themselves.
My nephew of 5 years old recently spent a whole week walkng around in a Batman cape and red cowboy boots under the assumed monicker “Jennifer Cantaloupe.”
BAHH HAA HAA!! I LOVE this post. Made me laugh so much. Thanks Loobylu and a big thanks to Jeff, Batman, Fred, Dumbo and Jennifer Cantaloupe! Awesome!!