Reading nook

We're fortunate enough to have quite a large and functional attic space in our new house - well, it will be functional as soon as we tackle all the boxes and 'junk' that has been dumped up there because there simply isn't room anywhere else for it. We're slowly de-cluttering though and this weekend I created this little reading nook next to the window. Our 'big' dining chairs don't really fit in our dining area downstairs so I have been busily repurposing them around the house so I was delighted to be able to use two of them in this little space!

With rather spectacular timing (I needed a rest) a lovely storm rolled in and I got to experience just what a beautiful little spot it is to sit and relax on a Saturday afternoon. Even with the windows flung open I was protected from the rain so I really felt part of the storm in all its glory. I think it may become my favourite nook in the house.

Birthday honours

I can't pretend I wasn't thrilled when Puddleduck announced she wanted to go to the beach for her birthday - having moved from a coastal town to a city at least two hours from the closest beach sand and salt air is a rare and much loved commodity in our household. I remember very fondly a trip to the coast at 39 weeks pregnant with Puddleduck for our sixth wedding anniversary. It was cold and windy but that only made it more beautiful.

Puddleduck hasn't been to the beach all that often in her two years but the sight of sand does send her into raptures and beaches with their seemingly endless supply of it are a little slice of heaven in her eyes.

I bought some cute paper cups for our picnic that I thought would be fun for all of us to drink out of - however, as it turns out they made for excellent sandcastle-makers! We all had a ball making random creations and Puddleduck was simply enchanted by the concept of filling them with sand and making turrets.

The best bit though? Knocking them over afterwards!!

Settling in

Phew - it's been a crazy 4 weeks but I think we can say we've settled into our new house and new city. There are still a few boxes stashed away in cupboards but for the most part everything is in its rightful place.

Of course I have to confessthat since writing those first two sentences another 4 weeks has slipped by in a blur of unpacking (ok, maybe I was a little generous when I said that 'most' things were in their rightful place), exploring and continuing our love affair with this glorious city. The weather hasn't been entirely cooperative, but it has put on some spectacular spring days - including an amazing golden day for Puddleduck's 2nd birthday - so we really can't complain on that front.

Our house, while small is surprisingly functional. I will refrain from regaling all with the stories (yes, I did mean to use the plural) of Mr Puddleduck falling down the stairs. it hasn't happened for a while so I'm just going to put it down to overexcitement about our new digs and leave it at that.

We've had our first visitors and are now planning an assault on Ikea for a suitable foldout couch to prevent repeating the Great Air Mattress Debacle of 2010. We've also realised that boxes and spare rooms really don't work terribly well when those spare rooms need to be used for guests. They don't give the space a jaunty, attic-y feel (theory Mr Puddleduck and I tossed about for a while as we tried to spin our way out of our disorganisation). They just make it hideously crowded and unpleasant.

Despite being fairly dedicated couch potatoes, we've walked to school and work pretty much every day since we moved and our walks home as a family are one of our favourite parts of the day. Puddleduck is excited to tell us about all the things she did at school and we're just generally delighted to be going home from work! I also don't think you've really lived until you've walked up Oxford St pushing a pram and singing the Alphabet song with a toddler very determined to be noticed. I dare you to try it one day. I think we're now known as "the Alphabet family".

We're going on a house hunt

Saturday number two of the Puddleduck Family house hunt began with decidedly less enthusiasm than Saturday number one did. I'm not sure whether it was the long week we had all had or whether the reality of house hunting in Sydney had sunk in and dampened our naive spirits. Whatever the reason, our approach to the day was far more prosaic than it had been just a week before.


Nevertheless we were determined to do this thing properly. We arrived for the inspection so early I am fairly sure the existing tenants thought we were casing the joint. Apparently our best "act casual" routine simply made us look like we were loitering with intent. Fortunately the agent wasn't witness to this so he was perfectly polite when we bailed him up a full fifteen minutes before the inspection time armed with our "responsible tenants' smiles and offering handshakes all around.

Puddleduck was tired and crotetchy, but thankfully distracted by lots of stairs to climb. Mr Puddleduck and I sent about filling out application forms with as much speed as we could possibly muster. You see it turns out that most agents don't accept the online application forms through Domain. Sigh. Another point to add to the list of "things I wish people would tell me about moving to Sydney instead of harping on about how expensive it is".

Anyway, an experienced looking house-hunter swaggered in about five minutes after our charm offensive began and he immediately offered a deposit. DAMMIT. Amateur mistake from us. Mr Real Estate Agent said he would give him an application form but would get back to him on the deposit. Phew-ish.

I say "ish" because people have now started swarming through the door. They're all terribly friendly and smile nicely at Puddleduck blocking their route up the stairs (I swear we didn't put her up to it). Fortunately I was able to 'help' a few people and explain that the open space at the top of the first level was the study/ third bedroom. Perfect for a couple with a toddler, not so much for a group of girls wanting to share a house close to the shopping Meccah of Oxford St.

A full half hour after we first arrived we waved goodbye to Lovely Mr Real Estate Agent having outlasted all other potential tenants. We'd both been out onto the street a few times with Puddleduck and were confident no more people were on their way so we could leave safe in the knowledge we were the first to arrive and the last to leave. That had to show commitment, right? Our wallets were also significantly lighter having proffered up a deposit on the house that Lovely Mr Real Estate Agent told us would take it off the market while he checked out our references. I wonder briefly if I should have included a reference from Mrs Anderson my Grade One teacher who really liked me. Probably not, I think she also said I didn't like sport. That's fairly unAustralian of me.

After we left we checked out the 'hood on foot for a while and then we headed to check out the next place on our list. It was, um, not so salubrious. A lovely looking facade if you ignored the giant graffiti tags on the front wall. We both immediately concluded that this would freak Grandparents out in a very serious way when they came to visit and struck it off the list.

Having put all our eggs in the gorgeous Paddington basket we decamped to Bondi for fish and chips and toddler leg-stretching. Rain threatened for our entire drive there but once we hopped out of the car the sun emerged from behind the clouds and a simply perfect Bondi afternoon emerged - so did a Police Rescue helicopter to the absolute delight of Puddleduck!

The parting of the clouds has to be a good sign, doesn't it? Not to mention the police helicopter ... I mean what's a move to Sydney without the odd police rescue in the neighbourhood?

Step One - Take Two

We're making another pilgrimage to Sydney this weekend to try and find a new home. Actually at this point we're probably also going to keep an eye out for anything that looks like it might be a half-decent place to squat. We have a friend in Brisbane who has just begun 'squatting' in chambers as he launches his career as a barrister - what a shame he's not in Sydney so the six of us could squat with him! I'm sure barristers chambers are a pretty nice place to crash.

We're more prepared this time. None of this taking applications with us to inspections - that's for amateurs. This time we're applying in advance and will use inspection to sweet talk agents. Here's hoping this approach is more successful. Oh, and I'll make sure I take a suitable container along for the ride in case Mr Puddleduck needs to pee again.

What are we leaving behind?

This is where we're leaving. The nation's capital. This building is both my office and Puddleduck's second home. She's grown from a tiny little banshee with screams capable of causing the marble walls to shake to a confident, happy toddler behind this grand facade. The security guards know her and the cafeteria staff have her babycino waiting for her at morning tea time - or at least they did before the contract changed providers, but that's a whole other story (without a happy ending).

She was a foundation member of the Parliament House childcare centre and has truly blossomed there. From the hungry banshee (I'd visit every two hours to breastfeed her) who spent sitting weeks in daycare and non-sitting weeks in the office with me to the running, jumping, leaping chatterbox who now spends four days a week with her daycare friends, she's grown up considering it her own personal playground.

Mr Puddleduck and I are both North Queenslanders through and through so the seasons completely enchant us. In Canberra it is uncanny the way the leaves turn orange smack bang on the first day of March heralding the arrival of autumn and while winter threatens all through May it's not until 1 June that it settles in.

Then there's our house. Over the five years we've lived there it's evolved into a real expression of us and what we love. Bookshelves galore, wooden floors, a wine cellar and a deck built with our own fair hands. Well, Mr Puddleduck's fair hands. Puddleduck and I offered our usual helpful suggestions and assumed 'site management' roles.

At the end of our street is a lake inhabited by all kinds of bird life and even on freezing cold winter mornings nothing gives Puddleduck greater pleasure than a walk to visit the swans and force feed them great chunks of bread. She positively dances with delight when the swans arrive with cygnets in tow.

Hmmmm. I'm beginning to wonder if we really hav taken leave of our senses to contemplate leaving all this behind?

Hoarder's horrors

It's not news to anyone who knows me that I hoard. Not in the newspapers stacked up piles all around the house sense, more in the "oh I can't throw this dress/teapot/book/pair of shoes out because it might be exactly what I'm looking for one day and besides it's really cute" way. So the arrival of a skip for our mammoth decluttering effort was met with mixed emotion.

Mr Puddleduck also greeted it with mixed emotion. Not because he doesn't like a good old-fashioned tidy out, but because he knew that the lion's share of the 'skipping' would rest with him. This is primarily his own fault as he is a little finicky (understatement of the year) when it comes to how things should be arranged in the skip. Essentially, he likes things stacked neatly whereas I adopt a more 'toss it over the side and leave it where it lands' approach. According to him my approach is simply not to be borne and therefore Mr Puddleduck is left in charge. With the odd helpful suggestion thrown in by Puddleduck and I from our peanut gallery of two.

Puddleduck greeted the arrival of the skip with unabashed glee. Until she saw some of her old and beaten up things being neatly arranged in there by Daddy. Then she launched a rescue mission (just in case there was any doubt she was her Mummy's daughter). Things went in, things came straight back out again. They went back in and with even more determination they were toddled right back out again. In the interests of family harmony and keeping his blood pressure within an acceptable range, Mr Puddleduck abandoned any further attempts until Puddleduck and I were safely packed off to swimming lessons. When we got home he thanked Puddleduck for getting me out of his hair - apparently my incessant toddling in and out of the skip rescuing her toys was terribly counterproductive!