We Need More SPACE!

Ever feel like the walls are closing in on you? That’s how I feel. I’m trapped in a home that I’ve long outgrown. My first home that was large and spacious when I was single and coming out of an apartment, is now super tight for a family of four. Everywhere I turn, there’s a toy basket or an oversized toy and now that the kids are mobile, there is a truck or train or princess ride on toy everywhere I turn. If it’s not a toy, I’m bumping into the Elmo chair or the bouncer seat or the excersaucer or the swing or the highchair. I already took my coffee table and put it up in the attic. Now, I’m trying to replace my large rectangular dining table for six with a smaller round table for four. I’d get one with a leaf so that I can seat six when need be. Ok, that’s a start.

But still, what else can I do? I still have my office/spare room, but can’t use this space for now since Maya is in destructor mode. I’m pretty darn close to getting rid of it and converting it to a playroom. I would lose the futon (sleep accommodations for two), but then again how often do we have guests over? Once every year or every two years? That’s not enough to convince me to keep it. Next, there’s the computer, my desk and files. My sister gave me a great idea. She said why not get one of those armoires that would close and lock when it’s not in use. Then the kids would have the entire space to themselves. Later when they get older and I separate Maya and Jayden, I could move the armoire to the living room and it would blend in like a piece of furniture. That’s my plan in the next few months.

But that doesn’t solve the problem. Space, space. Where can I get more space? I had been toying the idea around of adding a screen room or putting up a fence. I talked it over with Esteban and we decided that it would be more useful to have the screen room first so we decide to use our income tax refund for the project. I start to work on getting estimates. I narrowed it down to one that seemed pretty good and I was all but decided on him, but we had one more estimate scheduled for the following day. So, the final contractor comes out and says, “You know, you have the perfect layout here for an add-on.” Why did he say that?

For two weeks, I start toying this idea around, getting some more estimates, calling the bank and getting them to run the numbers. I start researching traditional construction vs modular rooms or aluminum construction. I call my real estate guru and discuss it with my girlfriend Maria. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. She always keeps it real and is so great when it comes time to mull over decisions, weigh the pros and cons, and make sound choices that make sense now and down the road from now. So today, I proudly put down my deposit on our screen room. As the contractor leaves, he says, “You won’t regret it. You’ll wonder what you ever did without it.” I can’t wait!