Appraisal Week!

 So we’ve bumped into our first fight concerning the new house; Dad and Erin got a little heated about whether or not the gap by the stairs was going to be a safety issue. Dad swore there wasn’t one before my sister could show him the pictures. Dad got loud, Erin got loud back. They both said things they didn’t really mean, but I intervened and explained it to Dad calmly that I was the one that noticed the issue. He ended up apologizing because he was wrong and that he was confusing how the stairs were set up with the way the stairs were in the Manchester house. In any case, things have been defused and we’re back on track.

I imagine this isn’t the last petty argument that will erupt in the stress of a big change, but I’m prepared to step in and mediate more in the future. It’s kinda my thing and I’m damn good at it.

Even though I was hesitant to start doing any packing before it is set in stone, I went ahead and packed my dolls, some decor, what was on my bookshelf, stuff in the window box and most of my collectibles. None of these things are what I might need to use prior to moving and they were kinda just clutter for the time being, so I went ahead and knocked that out. My dad did some more research on what the house would appraise to and he is quite confident it will be where we want it to land anyway.

I’ll be happy to hear the results and lock in all costs and financial concerns regardless.

Closing may not be until October 5th so we’re not in a great rush, but packing a little at a time will certainly be less stressful. We’re getting the cats spayed on the 23th of September, but we won’t be moving them until we’ve got most of our stuff moved and the house cat-proofed, so they’ll have plenty of time to heal. Changes are always stressful to cats, so we definitely have them in mind as well. They did very well at their exam and getting their shots but all that excitement had them sleeping most of that day. Making sure they are healed and happy is just as important to the whole process.

I’m sure there will be minor snipes about things like who is getting what room and where everything goes, etc. but I’m quite prepared to defuse those bombs too. If nothing else, I’m a planner and a problem solver so I’ll be ready to counter frustrations. It’s very likely that because I live with near-constant anxiety, I’m simply not as short-fused as my family tends to be. I guess when you’re always wary of what could go wrong, it takes an awful lot to be completely caught off-guard or forced into an immediate emotional response. I was just as hair-trigger as they are when I was younger, but over time, I’ve developed patience, if not more tolerance, for stressful situations. Even if my thoughts are turbulent, much of my anxiety is invented so I only have emotional outbursts in the face of very strong threats.

I’ll leave this on a good note; I’m very hopeful. I think this will be an immensely favorable step and, once we’re settled in, it will do wonders for our peace of mind. I truly believe this will be a home we can focus more of our potential with.