Downsizing

Have I mentioned that we are moving again? I know we are crazy. Not only are we moving but we are downsizing... again. A year ago I lived in a four bedroom house with an office just for me. Now we are in three bedrooms. Next we will be in a two bedroom condo.

We are excited to be homeowners again. To be able to paint the walls. To know that we don't have to worry about a landlord deciding to sell the house out from under us. To have some sense of permanence... which I laugh even writing because this is our fifth home purchase in 14 years.

But now we have to figure out how to fit all of our bodies and all of our stuff in two bedrooms and one open living space. So we are purging, which actually feels really good. We are prioritizing what we need to live, from what we want, from what is just weighing us down.

So I go through the play room with the kids, choosing their favorites to keep and getting the rest ready to go to Goodwill. Hockey mini sticks and goals a must keep. This did not surprise me. But a few of the boys choices did so I am glad I asked them to help. Or the pirate ship that Hockey Boy has had for years might have been sent off before he was ready to let it go. And while not one of the boys choose the wooden train set with all the engines we collected when they were small, I can't let that one go.

We are cleaning off bookshelves and cleaning out cabinets. The Berenstain Bears, Curious George, Harry Potter, the Children's Dictionary and Encyclopedia are all waiting to move to the new house. Along with my favorites and the stack of books I bought to read but have not yet.

I am finding stuff that we moved but have not touched since. Do we really need it if we are not using it? The baby blankets yes, but the queen size sheets when we don't even have a queen size bed can probably go.

There are things that will not fit in the new house. Things we love. But I am excited about being lighter as we move. Having less stuff holding us down. Having to be careful about what we bring into the new space. I think the simplicity of small living might be good for us.

Though we are a family with more introverts than extraverts, a family with multiple people needing their own space throughout the day. So we will see how that goes.

If you had to downsize, what would be your must haves? Mine are good sheets, a good place to read and write, and my Starbucks mug collection.