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The good news is I may never again buy myself a new pair of shoes.  The even better news is that as we sat in stunned silence looking at each other Monday night, it hit us that it’s over.  Our search is over. It actually happened in a 36-hour period of time.  After seeing roughly 5.2 million homes in all different areas, including the suburbs, we actually got what we wanted in the first place.  A home in the City of Chicago.  If all goes well with the inspection and rest of the business, we will have a new home.

WE WILL HAVE A NEW HOME.  

Please pause for squealing.

It’s darling.  It’s a 1940’s Cape Cod house that has been completely rehabbed from tip to toe and the best part is it is ours. We’ve always been renters and now we will own something.  Kind of.  I mean, we are making payments forever and ever amen (major book deal where are you?), but it’s ours.

Coming from our teeny tiny but much loved apartment with no yard – not even a balcony – this is just heaven.  My babes will no longer pace like caged lions in their teeny tiny cage of a living space.

My kids will each have a bedroom, although they’ll still be sharing a room until it no longer suits them.  For now, they love being next to each other and who are we to interrupt that bond.  For now, they will share a room that won’t have all my dear sweet husband’s clothes and Exercycle smashed in along with their pack  n’ plays and one dresser full of their clothes.  And speaking of my sweet husband, he will no longer have to share his man-cave with two tiny hoodlums who really don’t stay up past 6:30pm to party.  The poor guy will get his space back!

Our home has a new kitchen and a beautiful finished basement that is softly carpeted for much chaos and laughter.  Our home has a backyard that is fenced in with real grass.  Our home has a garage that is ours alone.   We can store strollers and Christmas trees and an actual car in there!

Our home has a 9-rated Chicago Public School within walking distance.  Do you understand how valuable that is?  Within the strife and struggle that is CPS, this is a win.  We cannot afford to send our kids to private schools.

Our home is also within walking distance to the downtown area of our community and the train to downtown Chicago.

Our home will allow us to keep our magical Nanny, as that was one of my main sticking points while searching.

Our home is in Chicago.  We are a city family.  My kids are city kids.  I am a city mama.  This THRILLS me.  No moving to the suburbs for us.  Yet.  I never say never, but here we are.

It is not huge, our home.  But we don’t need it to be huge.  We just need it to fit us.

It will have a wall where we can mark their names and heights and draw anything we want because it will be ours.

It is not perfect, our home, as no home could be.  But it is perfect for us.

We will continue to be broke from paying for the mortgage and paying for two beautiful kids, but that is our choice and that is the best way we could use our money. To invest in our family and a good education.  This is our life and our choice and we could not be happier.

My dear sweet husband did all the heavy lifting on this one, continuously scouring the listings and setting up all the showings.  I don’t know what he will do with all his time now.  Maybe he can focus more on his Fantasy Baseball.   Anything he wants.

Then there are our friends and family members who came over and watched the babes or just watched TV while they were sleeping so we could go out and see  homes.  We could not have done this without all of this help.  As great as it was to bring the babes along on some home tours, they were more concerned with finding every uncovered electrical socket than looking for new copper pipes.  We are eternally grateful for our Village.

Nervous and terrified and excited and overjoyed and vomitous, we are feeling all the feelings for sure.  Thrilled and tickled pink does not begin to cover this.

Ultimately, a home is anywhere you are with your people.  As long as you are together with those who hold your heart, life is good.  But it sure feels good to claim this space as our own.  To claim a little tiny spot on a map as our homestead.

Now, we just have to perform the ACTUAL MOVE next month.  Bring me all the candy, we’re going to need sustenance.

 

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