So it turns out Adam was right, the day after I posted my last post, we got an offer for $436k for the house. 11k more than what I wanted to settle for. SOLD.
You can see the listing here if you want to stickybeak:
http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-frankston-122092598
I think we did such a good job for how awful the house was when we first got it and for the fact that we've been living on one income that entire time. It was an old 70s house with fake wood panelling on the walls, and three layers of paint (including a lime green one) and wallpaper and those little brown tiles everywhere..... including inside the shower. Except someone had painted OVER the little brown tiles, so it scratched off everywhere.
It was disgusting.
I'm so glad and relieved to have sold it, I really am.
You can see the listing here if you want to stickybeak:
http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-frankston-122092598
I think we did such a good job for how awful the house was when we first got it and for the fact that we've been living on one income that entire time. It was an old 70s house with fake wood panelling on the walls, and three layers of paint (including a lime green one) and wallpaper and those little brown tiles everywhere..... including inside the shower. Except someone had painted OVER the little brown tiles, so it scratched off everywhere.
It was disgusting.
I'm so glad and relieved to have sold it, I really am.
Hey guys, just came in to see how I'm going with my yearly goals for this year. So cutting and pasting from my 1st January post:
WORK
Now that I have a permanent position, it opens up a wealth of internal positions that I am now able to apply for. I currently have two applications in for roles at the APS4 level (I'm currently APS3). My goal for 2016, is to get an APS4 job. This really shouldn't be very hard and I really should already have one, but not to worry, onwards and upwards. What this means in practical terms is I really need to keep some sort of log of exceptional things I do at work, so that I can pull them out for applications and interviews.
STRETCH GOAL: Somehow get an APS5 position. It's not impossible. My bosses keep telling me to aim higher, apparently I am playing things too safe still, too scared of rejection. I just.. have to apply for them. LORD GIVE ME THE CONFIDENCE OF A MEDIOCRE WHITE MAN.
So I actually got an offer for both APS4 jobs I went for (actually technically, one of the applications was for 3 separate positions, and I got ranked best in all of them) which means that in the past 6 months I have received a job offer for every single job (all 8) I have applied for.
The position the director of the company decided to put me in, Call Centre Team Leader is not my first choice, however, but he sweet talked me into saying he needed his best people at the front, not at the back end, where I wanted to be. I also am going to be supervising a team of 9-10 people, and I have never supervised anyone in my life, so I need that experience. The director also strongly hinted that there would be APS5 positions available in the department I want to work in, this year, waiting for me, so *MAYBE* my stretch goal might be achieved! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
What this genuinely means for me though, is that I should be much more confident than I am, if I am beating out hundreds of applicants for all of these roles and just start believing in myself and apply for things that I might be underqualified for.
HEALTH
56kg is just not acceptable for me. I'm normally 53kg if I eat normally, don't watch what I eat, etc. I have started eating an enormous amount due to procrastination, boredom, etc. I just need to cut down portion sizes as well as less carbs. So, I guess my goals are 53kg.
STRETCH GOALS: 50kg. To attain this, I actually have to do exercise, which is something I just don't do. I have found fun 5 minute workout videos on YouTube, and it's probably a good place to start.
No, we're just so busy at the moment, if anything I'm eating worse :( I have no brain space for this at the moment.
HOUSE
Get the house on the market before March, which is when Adam goes back to uni. This means I have to DECLUTTER the crap out of it, and clean it. This is a bigger job than you think, because to be honest, I'm a pig and my house is filthy. I'm going to start moving stuff to my in laws before we sell, so that the house is less cluttered. I'm also going to have to buy a few.. decorative things - I don't own decorative things due to young children, to try and spruce up the place.
I also need to see a mortgage broker, now that I am permanently employed. I would like to see how much I can borrow/pay back on my salary, before Adam gets a job.
Okay so what happened here is our house is on the market. Yay. I thought we would get 400k for it, Adam wants at least 430k. We have now had an offer for 425k and I want to take it, but Adam is all 'it's the first offer, you never take the first offer, you at least negotiate' and it's making me feel so anxious. I'm not a negotiator, I'm not a deal-maker, I'm not a gambler. I don't bet on things, I never even buy lotto tickets and only raffle tickets because they are fundraisers. So if someone wants to give me 425k, I'm just like YES PLEASE and I want to take it and run :(
What else has happened is that we bought a house already. So I really want to sell my house so I don't have to pay for two mortgages. We bought a house and it needs SO MUCH work on it guys. We're living at my in laws, which I think is actually quite okay, but it's stressing Adam out for a multitude of reasons and he wants out, pronto. So now he's just finished renovating our old house for sale and jumped straight into fixing up a new one and I'M NOT READY. It's going to be my 'forever' house and he's asking me about tiles for the bathroom etc and I DON'T KNOW I HAVEN'T EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT IT and it's stressing everyone out.
Seriously this new house is so gross, we got it fairly cheap because it was a deceased estate and the house is falling apart and stinks of cigarettes, but it's on such a lovely big block of land we could subdivide one day, on a nice street, walking distance to the train station, and it cuts my commute by almost 45 min. AN HOUR AND A HALF A DAY OF MY LIFE IT SAVES. We just need to... rebuild. *sigh*
ADAM
The bulk of 2016 will be taken up by Adam finishing the 4 units he has left of uni (of which he still has a High Distinction average GO HIM) and getting a job. He's aiming for grad positions and they are ridiculously competitive. Like, part of me is a bit pessimistic about it, but I can't show him because he's worked so damn hard for this.
Some grad positions open for applications in February, some in March, April, May, etc etc, and they can take up to 6 months to go through all of the assessment. 2016 is going to be a stressful year.
What I have to do, is make a spreadsheet of all of the places he'll want to apply, dates etc, and then practice applications with him because he kind of hasn't done this before and the constant rejection is going to hurt his soul. This is on top of the uni work he has to do! All of my applications for my own jobs has taken so much out of me this year, it's going to be worse for him.
I'm going to cry so hard if he gets a job, you have no idea guys.
Everything else going on with Adam is A+++
Adam is not functioning well. He's decided he needs to fix up our new house NOW because we need to move out of his parent's house because his mum has early onset alzheimers and he can't handle seeing it every day so he's running away. That on top of the uni, on top of the job search, on top of selling our house and I'm currently on two weeks leave just to try and alleviate his stress. He's not sleeping well (our bed is still at our house being staged for sale) and it's just a mess :( I don't know how else to help except just.. plug away and help him however I can.
LIAM AND TOBY
We are going to start giving them more responsibilities now. Cleaning up their toys etc. Also give them better routines now that Liam is starting school (OMG)
Liam is going great guns at school. He's 5 and reads at the 3rd grade level. He's made lots of friends and loves school. When we move house, we'll move to a much more multicultural area (apparently the school has kids from 69 different language backgrounds!) which will make *me* feel better about things. He's also taken responsibility of cleaning his room and it's giving him more control of his space so he's much happier.
Toby has behavioural issues sometimes but he's just as (book) smart as Liam and I wish everyone wouldn't forget that just because he's not as quiet and studious as Liam (ok so he's loud and boisterous). His drawing/reading/maths skills are just as good as Liam at that age and his social skills are far superior. He is hella spoilt though, and living at my in laws doesn't help, so we'll see.
MONEY
If we manage to sell the house, money in the short term won't be an issue. Moving in with the inlaws will save us a lot of money too, as will Liam going to school and not needing daycare.
I think we're ok for money.
Yeah, still okay. My parents had to lend me 135k (!!!!!!!!) to buy our new house before we sold our old one, and I really want to pay them back ASAP, but we will be able to do easily once I sell the house.
LIFE
To be very honest, everything in 2016 is going to be swept aside for Adam finishing uni and getting a job. I am going to make sure we make time for the kids, but it's going to be hectic and stressful. Then finding a house to buy if Adam does get a job...
It's really not much fun right now :( But everything (except for my poor mother in law's health) is a positive sort of stress, I guess. See you in about three months.
WORK
Now that I have a permanent position, it opens up a wealth of internal positions that I am now able to apply for. I currently have two applications in for roles at the APS4 level (I'm currently APS3). My goal for 2016, is to get an APS4 job. This really shouldn't be very hard and I really should already have one, but not to worry, onwards and upwards. What this means in practical terms is I really need to keep some sort of log of exceptional things I do at work, so that I can pull them out for applications and interviews.
STRETCH GOAL: Somehow get an APS5 position. It's not impossible. My bosses keep telling me to aim higher, apparently I am playing things too safe still, too scared of rejection. I just.. have to apply for them. LORD GIVE ME THE CONFIDENCE OF A MEDIOCRE WHITE MAN.
So I actually got an offer for both APS4 jobs I went for (actually technically, one of the applications was for 3 separate positions, and I got ranked best in all of them) which means that in the past 6 months I have received a job offer for every single job (all 8) I have applied for.
The position the director of the company decided to put me in, Call Centre Team Leader is not my first choice, however, but he sweet talked me into saying he needed his best people at the front, not at the back end, where I wanted to be. I also am going to be supervising a team of 9-10 people, and I have never supervised anyone in my life, so I need that experience. The director also strongly hinted that there would be APS5 positions available in the department I want to work in, this year, waiting for me, so *MAYBE* my stretch goal might be achieved! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
What this genuinely means for me though, is that I should be much more confident than I am, if I am beating out hundreds of applicants for all of these roles and just start believing in myself and apply for things that I might be underqualified for.
HEALTH
56kg is just not acceptable for me. I'm normally 53kg if I eat normally, don't watch what I eat, etc. I have started eating an enormous amount due to procrastination, boredom, etc. I just need to cut down portion sizes as well as less carbs. So, I guess my goals are 53kg.
STRETCH GOALS: 50kg. To attain this, I actually have to do exercise, which is something I just don't do. I have found fun 5 minute workout videos on YouTube, and it's probably a good place to start.
No, we're just so busy at the moment, if anything I'm eating worse :( I have no brain space for this at the moment.
HOUSE
Get the house on the market before March, which is when Adam goes back to uni. This means I have to DECLUTTER the crap out of it, and clean it. This is a bigger job than you think, because to be honest, I'm a pig and my house is filthy. I'm going to start moving stuff to my in laws before we sell, so that the house is less cluttered. I'm also going to have to buy a few.. decorative things - I don't own decorative things due to young children, to try and spruce up the place.
I also need to see a mortgage broker, now that I am permanently employed. I would like to see how much I can borrow/pay back on my salary, before Adam gets a job.
Okay so what happened here is our house is on the market. Yay. I thought we would get 400k for it, Adam wants at least 430k. We have now had an offer for 425k and I want to take it, but Adam is all 'it's the first offer, you never take the first offer, you at least negotiate' and it's making me feel so anxious. I'm not a negotiator, I'm not a deal-maker, I'm not a gambler. I don't bet on things, I never even buy lotto tickets and only raffle tickets because they are fundraisers. So if someone wants to give me 425k, I'm just like YES PLEASE and I want to take it and run :(
What else has happened is that we bought a house already. So I really want to sell my house so I don't have to pay for two mortgages. We bought a house and it needs SO MUCH work on it guys. We're living at my in laws, which I think is actually quite okay, but it's stressing Adam out for a multitude of reasons and he wants out, pronto. So now he's just finished renovating our old house for sale and jumped straight into fixing up a new one and I'M NOT READY. It's going to be my 'forever' house and he's asking me about tiles for the bathroom etc and I DON'T KNOW I HAVEN'T EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT IT and it's stressing everyone out.
Seriously this new house is so gross, we got it fairly cheap because it was a deceased estate and the house is falling apart and stinks of cigarettes, but it's on such a lovely big block of land we could subdivide one day, on a nice street, walking distance to the train station, and it cuts my commute by almost 45 min. AN HOUR AND A HALF A DAY OF MY LIFE IT SAVES. We just need to... rebuild. *sigh*
ADAM
The bulk of 2016 will be taken up by Adam finishing the 4 units he has left of uni (of which he still has a High Distinction average GO HIM) and getting a job. He's aiming for grad positions and they are ridiculously competitive. Like, part of me is a bit pessimistic about it, but I can't show him because he's worked so damn hard for this.
Some grad positions open for applications in February, some in March, April, May, etc etc, and they can take up to 6 months to go through all of the assessment. 2016 is going to be a stressful year.
What I have to do, is make a spreadsheet of all of the places he'll want to apply, dates etc, and then practice applications with him because he kind of hasn't done this before and the constant rejection is going to hurt his soul. This is on top of the uni work he has to do! All of my applications for my own jobs has taken so much out of me this year, it's going to be worse for him.
I'm going to cry so hard if he gets a job, you have no idea guys.
Everything else going on with Adam is A+++
Adam is not functioning well. He's decided he needs to fix up our new house NOW because we need to move out of his parent's house because his mum has early onset alzheimers and he can't handle seeing it every day so he's running away. That on top of the uni, on top of the job search, on top of selling our house and I'm currently on two weeks leave just to try and alleviate his stress. He's not sleeping well (our bed is still at our house being staged for sale) and it's just a mess :( I don't know how else to help except just.. plug away and help him however I can.
LIAM AND TOBY
We are going to start giving them more responsibilities now. Cleaning up their toys etc. Also give them better routines now that Liam is starting school (OMG)
Liam is going great guns at school. He's 5 and reads at the 3rd grade level. He's made lots of friends and loves school. When we move house, we'll move to a much more multicultural area (apparently the school has kids from 69 different language backgrounds!) which will make *me* feel better about things. He's also taken responsibility of cleaning his room and it's giving him more control of his space so he's much happier.
Toby has behavioural issues sometimes but he's just as (book) smart as Liam and I wish everyone wouldn't forget that just because he's not as quiet and studious as Liam (ok so he's loud and boisterous). His drawing/reading/maths skills are just as good as Liam at that age and his social skills are far superior. He is hella spoilt though, and living at my in laws doesn't help, so we'll see.
MONEY
If we manage to sell the house, money in the short term won't be an issue. Moving in with the inlaws will save us a lot of money too, as will Liam going to school and not needing daycare.
I think we're ok for money.
Yeah, still okay. My parents had to lend me 135k (!!!!!!!!) to buy our new house before we sold our old one, and I really want to pay them back ASAP, but we will be able to do easily once I sell the house.
LIFE
To be very honest, everything in 2016 is going to be swept aside for Adam finishing uni and getting a job. I am going to make sure we make time for the kids, but it's going to be hectic and stressful. Then finding a house to buy if Adam does get a job...
It's really not much fun right now :( But everything (except for my poor mother in law's health) is a positive sort of stress, I guess. See you in about three months.
Hi everyone - continuing my trend of only posting resolutions, it's time to look at last year's goals for the first time since making them lol, and see how I went. Also, new goals.
WORK
Get a promotion. I am well regarded at work, I hold a lot of important roles and they're sending me to external focus groups to try and make our organisation a better place. However I get passed over for a lot of promotions that actually pay more money like leadership roles and I think it's down to my job application skills, so I will try my fucking hardest this year to get that right. Like it is ridiculous, people at work always assume I'm in management and it pisses me off that I'm not.
Okay, I didn't get a promotion. However, I did a lot of sideways moves and gained a lot of experience in a lot of areas, that a promotion is pretty much inevitable at this point.
STRETCH GOAL: get a permanent position. There are rumours flying around that there will be a tiny number of permanent spots up for grabs at work this year (everyone here is on a short contract) and I don't think that I have a great chance, but I do have *a* chance so I want it. This job is flexible enough to let me work say, 10-3 every day which would be perfect while the kids are in school but still young.
THIS HAPPENED, HOWEVER. Our government kind of changed and that opened up all sorts of vacancies. I applied for three things in August, and after FOUR FREAKING MONTHS of the most stressful assessment etc, I was offered a permanent position on Christmas Eve for all three things :D I'm pretty much set with a job for life :) I'm going to be working in Refugee and Humanitarian Visas. The hours are flex between 7am-6pm, so as long as I work 37.5 hours a week, they won't care when I come in or when I leave, and if I work more hours than that, I can take that time in lieu. I can also purchase leave, on top of my 4 weeks annual leave, which makes things really flexible for school holidays (but that's kind of expensive, isn't it).
STUDY
I'm going to apply for a Diploma in Business Administration in the next couple of weeks. I want that qualification to help me get my next job. It's an online course, I should be done in six months.
This didn't happen because I didn't need it in the end, now that I've got a permanent job.
HEALTH
I currently weigh about 53kg in the morning. I want that to be 50kg by March. I want to be sub 50 by mid year and to keep it that way. My main plan of attack is to stop eating terrible snacks at work, and to cut down on the sheer amount of bread and sugar I consume. I hope that will be enough. I'll do more if I have to, but I don't really want to.
I want to excerise but I have zero plans. I wonder if taking the stairs more often would benefit at all whatsoever.
Ha. Hahahaha. I did get down to about 51kg, then I moved to another section at work where everyone eats a huge amount of snacks etc, and now weigh close to 56kg. :\ This will have to go back on this year's goals.
HOUSE
I have to start helping Adam out more with the housework. The plan is just to force myself into 20 min a day before bed time, tidy up.
This happened more, but not as much as I would like. The house was cleaner this year simply because the kids needed less supervision, and therefore Adam could spend more time cleaning.
LIFE
I want to read more actual books instead of fanfic. I want to listen to new music.
I have started a bullet journal as of this week where I'm keeping lists of things and I've listened to three new albums and read two books this week alone. It's also kept me so organised and productive, you should look into it, if to do apps aren't working for you.
I read like.. 5 books. It turns out that books don't do it for me anymore, they're just full of shit people doing shit things, or problematic authors being sexist or bad sex scenes or something. I have given into the fact that fanfic gives me what I need, and while I'm not really furthering my education with it, so be it.
I did listen to a lot of new music this year, but it was all pop music. Bullet journal continues to be great.
I'm going to try be more tactful, more discreet, and talk less about myself all things I admire in others that I currently lack.
Hmm. Turns out sometimes you can't really change your personality much.
ADAM
I am going to find my sex drive somewhere or get Adam to help me find it. I lost the desire to have actual-longer-than-perfunctory-5-min sec with the pregnancies and I can tell it really bothers Adam who is craving it. I have to find some energy somewhere too.
I am going to stop taking Adam for granted and do my best to assist with his workload and stress. So this includes helping out with home, and being more demonstrative in my affection.
I have worked out that I have the energy for full-marathon sex maybe once a month, and that gives us both enough good vibes for the boring sex we have 4 times a week or whatever. Adam is currently very pleased with having me for a wife because I have become better at appreciating him.
MONEY
I want to save enough money to go to Vietnam March 2016. Things that will help are the fact that they've changed the train ticket prices so I'll save like $750 a year on that alone. Adam is doing small jobs here and there, so if he did one once a month and we put that into savings, we'll get there. We can do it!
This is not going to happen. It costs too much. We went on a family holiday this year and that was nice but it already cost us $3000 and it was just a week, within Australia.
RANDOM OTHER THINGS
We need to work out what we're doing with our house situation once and for all. We want to move I just don't know how, right now, being single income, so I need to get proactive and go to a bank and ask. I need to be less afraid of change.
Yes. We have worked out what we are doing. We are selling, and selling soon. Adam is currently renovating on his Summer break from uni, and when he is finished we will sell. We will then move in with his parents for a year or so, while he finishes his last year of uni, and after he gets a job, we will buy a house closer to where we want to live.
ALRIGHTY. GOALS FOR THIS YEAR 2016.
WORK
Now that I have a permanent position, it opens up a wealth of internal positions that I am now able to apply for. I currently have two applications in for roles at the APS4 level (I'm currently APS3). My goal for 2016, is to get an APS4 job. This really shouldn't be very hard and I really should already have one, but not to worry, onwards and upwards. What this means in practical terms is I really need to keep some sort of log of exceptional things I do at work, so that I can pull them out for applications and interviews.
STRETCH GOAL: Somehow get an APS5 position. It's not impossible. My bosses keep telling me to aim higher, apparently I am playing things too safe still, too scared of rejection. I just.. have to apply for them. LORD GIVE ME THE CONFIDENCE OF A MEDIOCRE WHITE MAN.
HEALTH
56kg is just not acceptable for me. I'm normally 53kg if I eat normally, don't watch what I eat, etc. I have started eating an enormous amount due to procrastination, boredom, etc. I just need to cut down portion sizes as well as less carbs. So, I guess my goals are 53kg.
STRETCH GOALS: 50kg. To attain this, I actually have to do exercise, which is something I just don't do. I have found fun 5 minute workout videos on YouTube, and it's probably a good place to start.
HOUSE
Get the house on the market before March, which is when Adam goes back to uni. This means I have to DECLUTTER the crap out of it, and clean it. This is a bigger job than you think, because to be honest, I'm a pig and my house is filthy. I'm going to start moving stuff to my in laws before we sell, so that the house is less cluttered. I'm also going to have to buy a few.. decorative things - I don't own decorative things due to young children, to try and spruce up the place.
I also need to see a mortgage broker, now that I am permanently employed. I would like to see how much I can borrow/pay back on my salary, before Adam gets a job.
ADAM
The bulk of 2016 will be taken up by Adam finishing the 4 units he has left of uni (of which he still has a High Distinction average GO HIM) and getting a job. He's aiming for grad positions and they are ridiculously competitive. Like, part of me is a bit pessimistic about it, but I can't show him because he's worked so damn hard for this.
Some grad positions open for applications in February, some in March, April, May, etc etc, and they can take up to 6 months to go through all of the assessment. 2016 is going to be a stressful year.
What I have to do, is make a spreadsheet of all of the places he'll want to apply, dates etc, and then practice applications with him because he kind of hasn't done this before and the constant rejection is going to hurt his soul. This is on top of the uni work he has to do! All of my applications for my own jobs has taken so much out of me this year, it's going to be worse for him.
I'm going to cry so hard if he gets a job, you have no idea guys.
Everything else going on with Adam is A+++
LIAM AND TOBY
We are going to start giving them more responsibilities now. Cleaning up their toys etc. Also give them better routines now that Liam is starting school (OMG)
MONEY
If we manage to sell the house, money in the short term won't be an issue. Moving in with the inlaws will save us a lot of money too, as will Liam going to school and not needing daycare.
I think we're ok for money.
LIFE
To be very honest, everything in 2016 is going to be swept aside for Adam finishing uni and getting a job. I am going to make sure we make time for the kids, but it's going to be hectic and stressful. Then finding a house to buy if Adam does get a job...
If we make it through this year and Adam gets a job, 2017 is going to be the greatest freaking year.
WORK
Get a promotion. I am well regarded at work, I hold a lot of important roles and they're sending me to external focus groups to try and make our organisation a better place. However I get passed over for a lot of promotions that actually pay more money like leadership roles and I think it's down to my job application skills, so I will try my fucking hardest this year to get that right. Like it is ridiculous, people at work always assume I'm in management and it pisses me off that I'm not.
Okay, I didn't get a promotion. However, I did a lot of sideways moves and gained a lot of experience in a lot of areas, that a promotion is pretty much inevitable at this point.
STRETCH GOAL: get a permanent position. There are rumours flying around that there will be a tiny number of permanent spots up for grabs at work this year (everyone here is on a short contract) and I don't think that I have a great chance, but I do have *a* chance so I want it. This job is flexible enough to let me work say, 10-3 every day which would be perfect while the kids are in school but still young.
THIS HAPPENED, HOWEVER. Our government kind of changed and that opened up all sorts of vacancies. I applied for three things in August, and after FOUR FREAKING MONTHS of the most stressful assessment etc, I was offered a permanent position on Christmas Eve for all three things :D I'm pretty much set with a job for life :) I'm going to be working in Refugee and Humanitarian Visas. The hours are flex between 7am-6pm, so as long as I work 37.5 hours a week, they won't care when I come in or when I leave, and if I work more hours than that, I can take that time in lieu. I can also purchase leave, on top of my 4 weeks annual leave, which makes things really flexible for school holidays (but that's kind of expensive, isn't it).
STUDY
I'm going to apply for a Diploma in Business Administration in the next couple of weeks. I want that qualification to help me get my next job. It's an online course, I should be done in six months.
This didn't happen because I didn't need it in the end, now that I've got a permanent job.
HEALTH
I currently weigh about 53kg in the morning. I want that to be 50kg by March. I want to be sub 50 by mid year and to keep it that way. My main plan of attack is to stop eating terrible snacks at work, and to cut down on the sheer amount of bread and sugar I consume. I hope that will be enough. I'll do more if I have to, but I don't really want to.
I want to excerise but I have zero plans. I wonder if taking the stairs more often would benefit at all whatsoever.
Ha. Hahahaha. I did get down to about 51kg, then I moved to another section at work where everyone eats a huge amount of snacks etc, and now weigh close to 56kg. :\ This will have to go back on this year's goals.
HOUSE
I have to start helping Adam out more with the housework. The plan is just to force myself into 20 min a day before bed time, tidy up.
This happened more, but not as much as I would like. The house was cleaner this year simply because the kids needed less supervision, and therefore Adam could spend more time cleaning.
LIFE
I want to read more actual books instead of fanfic. I want to listen to new music.
I have started a bullet journal as of this week where I'm keeping lists of things and I've listened to three new albums and read two books this week alone. It's also kept me so organised and productive, you should look into it, if to do apps aren't working for you.
I read like.. 5 books. It turns out that books don't do it for me anymore, they're just full of shit people doing shit things, or problematic authors being sexist or bad sex scenes or something. I have given into the fact that fanfic gives me what I need, and while I'm not really furthering my education with it, so be it.
I did listen to a lot of new music this year, but it was all pop music. Bullet journal continues to be great.
I'm going to try be more tactful, more discreet, and talk less about myself all things I admire in others that I currently lack.
Hmm. Turns out sometimes you can't really change your personality much.
ADAM
I am going to find my sex drive somewhere or get Adam to help me find it. I lost the desire to have actual-longer-than-perfunctory-5-min sec with the pregnancies and I can tell it really bothers Adam who is craving it. I have to find some energy somewhere too.
I am going to stop taking Adam for granted and do my best to assist with his workload and stress. So this includes helping out with home, and being more demonstrative in my affection.
I have worked out that I have the energy for full-marathon sex maybe once a month, and that gives us both enough good vibes for the boring sex we have 4 times a week or whatever. Adam is currently very pleased with having me for a wife because I have become better at appreciating him.
MONEY
I want to save enough money to go to Vietnam March 2016. Things that will help are the fact that they've changed the train ticket prices so I'll save like $750 a year on that alone. Adam is doing small jobs here and there, so if he did one once a month and we put that into savings, we'll get there. We can do it!
This is not going to happen. It costs too much. We went on a family holiday this year and that was nice but it already cost us $3000 and it was just a week, within Australia.
RANDOM OTHER THINGS
We need to work out what we're doing with our house situation once and for all. We want to move I just don't know how, right now, being single income, so I need to get proactive and go to a bank and ask. I need to be less afraid of change.
Yes. We have worked out what we are doing. We are selling, and selling soon. Adam is currently renovating on his Summer break from uni, and when he is finished we will sell. We will then move in with his parents for a year or so, while he finishes his last year of uni, and after he gets a job, we will buy a house closer to where we want to live.
ALRIGHTY. GOALS FOR THIS YEAR 2016.
WORK
Now that I have a permanent position, it opens up a wealth of internal positions that I am now able to apply for. I currently have two applications in for roles at the APS4 level (I'm currently APS3). My goal for 2016, is to get an APS4 job. This really shouldn't be very hard and I really should already have one, but not to worry, onwards and upwards. What this means in practical terms is I really need to keep some sort of log of exceptional things I do at work, so that I can pull them out for applications and interviews.
STRETCH GOAL: Somehow get an APS5 position. It's not impossible. My bosses keep telling me to aim higher, apparently I am playing things too safe still, too scared of rejection. I just.. have to apply for them. LORD GIVE ME THE CONFIDENCE OF A MEDIOCRE WHITE MAN.
HEALTH
56kg is just not acceptable for me. I'm normally 53kg if I eat normally, don't watch what I eat, etc. I have started eating an enormous amount due to procrastination, boredom, etc. I just need to cut down portion sizes as well as less carbs. So, I guess my goals are 53kg.
STRETCH GOALS: 50kg. To attain this, I actually have to do exercise, which is something I just don't do. I have found fun 5 minute workout videos on YouTube, and it's probably a good place to start.
HOUSE
Get the house on the market before March, which is when Adam goes back to uni. This means I have to DECLUTTER the crap out of it, and clean it. This is a bigger job than you think, because to be honest, I'm a pig and my house is filthy. I'm going to start moving stuff to my in laws before we sell, so that the house is less cluttered. I'm also going to have to buy a few.. decorative things - I don't own decorative things due to young children, to try and spruce up the place.
I also need to see a mortgage broker, now that I am permanently employed. I would like to see how much I can borrow/pay back on my salary, before Adam gets a job.
ADAM
The bulk of 2016 will be taken up by Adam finishing the 4 units he has left of uni (of which he still has a High Distinction average GO HIM) and getting a job. He's aiming for grad positions and they are ridiculously competitive. Like, part of me is a bit pessimistic about it, but I can't show him because he's worked so damn hard for this.
Some grad positions open for applications in February, some in March, April, May, etc etc, and they can take up to 6 months to go through all of the assessment. 2016 is going to be a stressful year.
What I have to do, is make a spreadsheet of all of the places he'll want to apply, dates etc, and then practice applications with him because he kind of hasn't done this before and the constant rejection is going to hurt his soul. This is on top of the uni work he has to do! All of my applications for my own jobs has taken so much out of me this year, it's going to be worse for him.
I'm going to cry so hard if he gets a job, you have no idea guys.
Everything else going on with Adam is A+++
LIAM AND TOBY
We are going to start giving them more responsibilities now. Cleaning up their toys etc. Also give them better routines now that Liam is starting school (OMG)
MONEY
If we manage to sell the house, money in the short term won't be an issue. Moving in with the inlaws will save us a lot of money too, as will Liam going to school and not needing daycare.
I think we're ok for money.
LIFE
To be very honest, everything in 2016 is going to be swept aside for Adam finishing uni and getting a job. I am going to make sure we make time for the kids, but it's going to be hectic and stressful. Then finding a house to buy if Adam does get a job...
If we make it through this year and Adam gets a job, 2017 is going to be the greatest freaking year.
There's nothing that makes me more ill than looking at property prices. The area I want to buy - some of those houses have risen in price by 200k in the last eighteen months while I've been looking and my house value has gone up maybe 40k? Like I don't understand how the value of my house could have gone up a paltry $180k in the past ten years when other suburbs have gone up almost $500k in that time period. I'm being priced out of the market and it's making me ill.
I then worry that if I just shut my eyes and buy these expensive houses in that area that I want, then the market will drop instead of rise and I will have made a loss. Because surely the market cannot sustain 3bedroom houses 40 min drive from city centre at $700k. Surely.
I hate adulting so much.
I then worry that if I just shut my eyes and buy these expensive houses in that area that I want, then the market will drop instead of rise and I will have made a loss. Because surely the market cannot sustain 3bedroom houses 40 min drive from city centre at $700k. Surely.
I hate adulting so much.
1. Adam let me have a giant nap today and let me wake up naturally. This is the happiest of things.
2. Summer has finally hit and we spent half the day in the pool :) Liam is allowing himself to float, finally! I'm so proud; he's such a scaredy cat.
3. I got to stay back at after-work drinks yesterday - I rarely get to socialise, so that was fun. I had to describe at length everything that happened at the Puppetry of the Penis show I'd seen once (omg hilarious, amazing, who knew foreskins could stretch so much) and it was such a good time.
4. I saw Guardians of the Galaxy finally. It was okay, I think it was kinda overhyped by the time I got to it.
2. Summer has finally hit and we spent half the day in the pool :) Liam is allowing himself to float, finally! I'm so proud; he's such a scaredy cat.
3. I got to stay back at after-work drinks yesterday - I rarely get to socialise, so that was fun. I had to describe at length everything that happened at the Puppetry of the Penis show I'd seen once (omg hilarious, amazing, who knew foreskins could stretch so much) and it was such a good time.
4. I saw Guardians of the Galaxy finally. It was okay, I think it was kinda overhyped by the time I got to it.
1. We just got through Lunar New Year unscathed. Lunar New Year tends to be a time when my mum reflects on her life and hates it, then puts on a happy face because that's what you're supposed to do on New Year's Day and it's the absolute worst. But it's over now and my kids gave very good blessings in Vietnamese in front of an audience and everyone is happy hurrah.
2. Adam has finished his exams for the semester today thank god. The stress was getting unbearable. Now I have no idea if he passed one of the subjects, which will be a bummer, because he's been running a perfect 4.0 GPA/HD average so far and the subject was just terribly run. Adam's got a few weeks now until the next semester starts and I hope he has a good break. He was so burnt out.
3. I had a meeting with my future boss in the Finance team and it looks set to start on Monday 2nd of March. He seems lovely and was very easy going with me asking for leave etc. He went through the role and it looks like I have a lot to learn, which usually wouldn't faze me but my brain genuinely is noticeably worse since I've had kids. I don't know if it's sleep deprivation, the hormones or age, but my brain doesn't work like it used to. But I'm so set for new things, a year on the phones was pretty much my limit.
4. Liam seems to be doing well at Kinder, Toby doing well at daycare. I had a day off today so I got to talk to their teachers etc, something Adam doesn't tend to do much.
5. I got to talk to one of my oldest friends, I haven't spoken to her for months, and she was going through a really tough time in her marriage, and I really should have kept much more in touch because things got really really bad. This is a happy thing for me, because IMO she never should have married him - he's a good guy, he's just not made for marriage. They've been married 5 years now and they still look like they're dating. They have completely separate lives. This is not what my friend wants, and nothing seems to be working. So I think she will finally take the plunge and ask for a divorce and deal with all the crap that goes with that, such as the stigma from the Indian community here.
6. I have been watching Merlin/Arthur fanvids that were made after the finale, and you know what, this is not a happy thing at all this just made me cry big fat tears. BUT OMG I FORGOT HOW MUCH I LOVED THOSE TWO IDIOTS. THEY WERE MASTER and SERVANT and I feel like this is something Modern AUs sometimes forget. I want to go back and re-read all the fic in the world.
Like this video is one of my absolute favourites, and it only has 9000 views! OMG PLEASE WATCH IT IF YOU EVER LIKED MERLIN/ARTHUR AT ALL.
7. I had my period and wear Libra Ultrathin brand pads, and Toby lifted up my skirt and yelled, "MUMMY WEARING NAPPY!!!!!!!!!!" Lol. Not so Ultrathin, are they?! Omg I almost died. I'm so glad that happened at home and not out somewhere. Toby's newfound vocabulary is a neverending source of amusement around here.
8. I've been Rickrolled twice yesterday alone. I know people find it annoying, but as far as pranks go, I really like it? It's just kind of joyful instead of nasty and I've always loved that song.
2. Adam has finished his exams for the semester today thank god. The stress was getting unbearable. Now I have no idea if he passed one of the subjects, which will be a bummer, because he's been running a perfect 4.0 GPA/HD average so far and the subject was just terribly run. Adam's got a few weeks now until the next semester starts and I hope he has a good break. He was so burnt out.
3. I had a meeting with my future boss in the Finance team and it looks set to start on Monday 2nd of March. He seems lovely and was very easy going with me asking for leave etc. He went through the role and it looks like I have a lot to learn, which usually wouldn't faze me but my brain genuinely is noticeably worse since I've had kids. I don't know if it's sleep deprivation, the hormones or age, but my brain doesn't work like it used to. But I'm so set for new things, a year on the phones was pretty much my limit.
4. Liam seems to be doing well at Kinder, Toby doing well at daycare. I had a day off today so I got to talk to their teachers etc, something Adam doesn't tend to do much.
5. I got to talk to one of my oldest friends, I haven't spoken to her for months, and she was going through a really tough time in her marriage, and I really should have kept much more in touch because things got really really bad. This is a happy thing for me, because IMO she never should have married him - he's a good guy, he's just not made for marriage. They've been married 5 years now and they still look like they're dating. They have completely separate lives. This is not what my friend wants, and nothing seems to be working. So I think she will finally take the plunge and ask for a divorce and deal with all the crap that goes with that, such as the stigma from the Indian community here.
6. I have been watching Merlin/Arthur fanvids that were made after the finale, and you know what, this is not a happy thing at all this just made me cry big fat tears. BUT OMG I FORGOT HOW MUCH I LOVED THOSE TWO IDIOTS. THEY WERE MASTER and SERVANT and I feel like this is something Modern AUs sometimes forget. I want to go back and re-read all the fic in the world.
Like this video is one of my absolute favourites, and it only has 9000 views! OMG PLEASE WATCH IT IF YOU EVER LIKED MERLIN/ARTHUR AT ALL.
7. I had my period and wear Libra Ultrathin brand pads, and Toby lifted up my skirt and yelled, "MUMMY WEARING NAPPY!!!!!!!!!!" Lol. Not so Ultrathin, are they?! Omg I almost died. I'm so glad that happened at home and not out somewhere. Toby's newfound vocabulary is a neverending source of amusement around here.
8. I've been Rickrolled twice yesterday alone. I know people find it annoying, but as far as pranks go, I really like it? It's just kind of joyful instead of nasty and I've always loved that song.
1. They might be allowing me to keep my 8-4 shift when I move to the Finance team. Working 9-5 would kill me because I'd get home around six thirty and the boys go to bed at seven thirty and that's not why I go to work, I'd rather do something shit and see more of them. So good news!
2. My period has seemingly come early, hurrah not pregnant, but the happy thing is that past Tina actually remembered to buy sanitary supplies in advance this time. You would think that after 20 years of this I would remember to buy it, but nope.
3. We had a good time at the Lunar New Year festival though it was very hot and we kind of injured ourselves on the giant slide. My friend told anyone who would listen all about the Super Fun Time we had, which was honestly kind of annoying, but I'm glad she had a good time. She got upset today because I brought up I was moving teams (ie someone picked me for something and no one ever picks her) and ugh I kind of don't have time for friends like that even though I know she can't help it. I'll be moving anyhow and won't have much to do with her probably.
4. My kids had haircuts yesterday and they were so well behaved I'm so proud of them.
2. My period has seemingly come early, hurrah not pregnant, but the happy thing is that past Tina actually remembered to buy sanitary supplies in advance this time. You would think that after 20 years of this I would remember to buy it, but nope.
3. We had a good time at the Lunar New Year festival though it was very hot and we kind of injured ourselves on the giant slide. My friend told anyone who would listen all about the Super Fun Time we had, which was honestly kind of annoying, but I'm glad she had a good time. She got upset today because I brought up I was moving teams (ie someone picked me for something and no one ever picks her) and ugh I kind of don't have time for friends like that even though I know she can't help it. I'll be moving anyhow and won't have much to do with her probably.
4. My kids had haircuts yesterday and they were so well behaved I'm so proud of them.
1. We didn't do anything for Valentine's Day because Adam's in the middle of exams, and I'm kind of glad that I don't *care* about it? Like, at no point did I feel disappointed or upset about it because Adam shows that he loves me a million other little ways even if he never makes grand gestures or organises anything. ALSO it gets me out of having to organise anything for him myself. I have a lot of young people friended on FB and oh my goodness their presents are so *elaborate* haha they're wonderful but damn I'm glad Adam doesn't expect that from me.
2. I'm taking the boys and a friend from work to the Springvale Lunar New Year festivities today. My friend has a million mental health issues and concrete life issues (read: an awful husband) and she's been having a tough time recently with everyone at work seemingly getting other opportunities but she's being left out, even though she is one of the most hard working, excellent operators we have. So I am going to try and cheer her up today. She feels left out of EVERYTHING, has a major case of FOMO, and every time she hears that a couple of our colleagues may have caught up on the weekend she feels upset that she wasn't invited. I swear her brain is her worst enemy. So *I'm* inviting her out :D
3. While in Springvale, I may also catch up with one of my oldest friends who I haven't seen for months! I find it so hard to find time to catch up with friends because of the kids.
4. Liam was unwell yesterday with a temperature but he seems much better today.
5. It looks like it may hit 32 degrees today OMG SUMMER WILL YOU JUST START ALREADY.
6. One Direction are in town and that always makes me happy even though I didn't get tickets this time around.
2. I'm taking the boys and a friend from work to the Springvale Lunar New Year festivities today. My friend has a million mental health issues and concrete life issues (read: an awful husband) and she's been having a tough time recently with everyone at work seemingly getting other opportunities but she's being left out, even though she is one of the most hard working, excellent operators we have. So I am going to try and cheer her up today. She feels left out of EVERYTHING, has a major case of FOMO, and every time she hears that a couple of our colleagues may have caught up on the weekend she feels upset that she wasn't invited. I swear her brain is her worst enemy. So *I'm* inviting her out :D
3. While in Springvale, I may also catch up with one of my oldest friends who I haven't seen for months! I find it so hard to find time to catch up with friends because of the kids.
4. Liam was unwell yesterday with a temperature but he seems much better today.
5. It looks like it may hit 32 degrees today OMG SUMMER WILL YOU JUST START ALREADY.
6. One Direction are in town and that always makes me happy even though I didn't get tickets this time around.
A couple of people on my flist have started a 'happy things' daily post so I thought I'd give it a go, though I'm sure I'd never keep it up daily.
TODAY:
1. A family friend of mine was in a coma for 3 months after a nasty motorcycle accident and he's come out now and though he's a bit of a vegetable still, he's asked to see me (as best as he could) so I'm going to go visit him today. POSITIVE SIGNS!
2. I got a promotion! Okay not really. I am moving out of the call centre into the finance department at work, looking after accounts receivable! So it's the same pay grade, therefore not a promotion, but it means, off the phones, it also means a new contract, which means my 3 year call centre contract gets effectively paused while I work in finance for 12 months, then I'm allowed back on the phones. This is also great because I move from the 39th floor down to the 10th, which sounds like a downgrade, but there's a girl moving to 39 that i JUST CANNOT STAND, I even preemptively asked to move desks before her arrival so I wouldn't have to deal with her, and now I will only have to deal with her for two weeks! HURRAH!
TODAY:
1. A family friend of mine was in a coma for 3 months after a nasty motorcycle accident and he's come out now and though he's a bit of a vegetable still, he's asked to see me (as best as he could) so I'm going to go visit him today. POSITIVE SIGNS!
2. I got a promotion! Okay not really. I am moving out of the call centre into the finance department at work, looking after accounts receivable! So it's the same pay grade, therefore not a promotion, but it means, off the phones, it also means a new contract, which means my 3 year call centre contract gets effectively paused while I work in finance for 12 months, then I'm allowed back on the phones. This is also great because I move from the 39th floor down to the 10th, which sounds like a downgrade, but there's a girl moving to 39 that i JUST CANNOT STAND, I even preemptively asked to move desks before her arrival so I wouldn't have to deal with her, and now I will only have to deal with her for two weeks! HURRAH!
This is a large brain dump of all the things I need to work out to make some big adult decisions.
( It'll probably get longCollapse )
It kind of occurred to me that I've never really had to make real adult decisions before. All my major life decisions had an undertone of 'avoidance' in them - I rushed into marriage to move out of home, I had babies to avoid going to uni, and all of these decisions have been wonderful but this is my first real decision I have to make. And I just want to throw up and run away. I've been procrastinating with the idea that it's future decisions and well, the future is now.
Okay so here is the situation.
1. We live in a tiny house where I pay $260pw mortgage.
2. We have approximately $150k equity in this house.
3. This house once had termites and we want to be rid of it.
4. We live a fair way from the city centre, like I leave the house at 6:10am to start work at 8:00am.
5. I currently take home $800 per week after tax. This will continue until at least march 2017 but probably further.
6. Adam is a stay at home father, at uni, he will graduate end of 2016.
7. Liam starts school in 2016.
8. Adam has a lucrative casual job but we won't know how often he can work it until February.
9. The government also gives me $240 a week to help raise my kids because Adam doesn't work.
Okay. So we want to move. We want to move because
1. We have outgrown this house.
2. Adam will get a job in the city after he graduates so we need to move further in.
3. Termites.
4. To move to a better school zone.
We cannot move because
1. Our house needs a few things finished before it is sell ready and Adam doesn't have time this very minute to do it.
2. I haven't been to a bank yet but I doubt they will give me a loan on the basis that I'm a single income with kids and even if they did I'm not positive I could service the loan.
So I came up with a plan.
I want to move this year, so we can enrol Liam in a decent school. I don't want to switch schools on him, on top of moving. He would not handle that well.
I researched schools in Melbourne and the best primary public schools are in Glen Waverley.
Glen Waverley:
1. 30 min from city, 40 min on train.
2. 15 min from Adam's uni, as opposed to the 45min it is now.
3. 15 min from my parents, who are likely to look after my kids after school.
4. Chock full of good schools, amazing food, near a lake, beautiful tree area.
5. Houses are 1.2 million dollars.
Okay so my plan is to sell our house and rent in Glen Waverley for a year. Rent is approximately $400 per week for an old three bedroom house. That's $140 more than what we pay now.
Then when Adam starts work and we are dual income, we can buy in the next suburb over, Mulgrave, for 600k and still have Liam go to those schools.
Sticking points with the plan that I need to sort out.
1. If I sell the house and just put our equity in a term deposit for a year I'm not sure if the government will stop giving us payment.
2. Enrolment in schools starts fairly early 2015 and I don't know whether I can enrol in a school when I don't actually live there yet.
3. I don't know if that extra $140 per week is beyond my means until I redo the budget.
Adam hates the plan. He wants to live close to the beach. I can't find an affordable suburb near the beach that is not far away from the city or with good schools. He thinks the housing bubble will burst but the houses on the coast will hold their prices. He feels uncomfortable in land. Glen Waverley is approximately half an hour from the beach.
I'm uncomfortable with leaving the housing market.
I don't even know. It's doing my head in. I've got other things to consider too but I'm running out of battery.
( It'll probably get longCollapse )
It kind of occurred to me that I've never really had to make real adult decisions before. All my major life decisions had an undertone of 'avoidance' in them - I rushed into marriage to move out of home, I had babies to avoid going to uni, and all of these decisions have been wonderful but this is my first real decision I have to make. And I just want to throw up and run away. I've been procrastinating with the idea that it's future decisions and well, the future is now.
Okay so here is the situation.
1. We live in a tiny house where I pay $260pw mortgage.
2. We have approximately $150k equity in this house.
3. This house once had termites and we want to be rid of it.
4. We live a fair way from the city centre, like I leave the house at 6:10am to start work at 8:00am.
5. I currently take home $800 per week after tax. This will continue until at least march 2017 but probably further.
6. Adam is a stay at home father, at uni, he will graduate end of 2016.
7. Liam starts school in 2016.
8. Adam has a lucrative casual job but we won't know how often he can work it until February.
9. The government also gives me $240 a week to help raise my kids because Adam doesn't work.
Okay. So we want to move. We want to move because
1. We have outgrown this house.
2. Adam will get a job in the city after he graduates so we need to move further in.
3. Termites.
4. To move to a better school zone.
We cannot move because
1. Our house needs a few things finished before it is sell ready and Adam doesn't have time this very minute to do it.
2. I haven't been to a bank yet but I doubt they will give me a loan on the basis that I'm a single income with kids and even if they did I'm not positive I could service the loan.
So I came up with a plan.
I want to move this year, so we can enrol Liam in a decent school. I don't want to switch schools on him, on top of moving. He would not handle that well.
I researched schools in Melbourne and the best primary public schools are in Glen Waverley.
Glen Waverley:
1. 30 min from city, 40 min on train.
2. 15 min from Adam's uni, as opposed to the 45min it is now.
3. 15 min from my parents, who are likely to look after my kids after school.
4. Chock full of good schools, amazing food, near a lake, beautiful tree area.
5. Houses are 1.2 million dollars.
Okay so my plan is to sell our house and rent in Glen Waverley for a year. Rent is approximately $400 per week for an old three bedroom house. That's $140 more than what we pay now.
Then when Adam starts work and we are dual income, we can buy in the next suburb over, Mulgrave, for 600k and still have Liam go to those schools.
Sticking points with the plan that I need to sort out.
1. If I sell the house and just put our equity in a term deposit for a year I'm not sure if the government will stop giving us payment.
2. Enrolment in schools starts fairly early 2015 and I don't know whether I can enrol in a school when I don't actually live there yet.
3. I don't know if that extra $140 per week is beyond my means until I redo the budget.
Adam hates the plan. He wants to live close to the beach. I can't find an affordable suburb near the beach that is not far away from the city or with good schools. He thinks the housing bubble will burst but the houses on the coast will hold their prices. He feels uncomfortable in land. Glen Waverley is approximately half an hour from the beach.
I'm uncomfortable with leaving the housing market.
I don't even know. It's doing my head in. I've got other things to consider too but I'm running out of battery.
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