I have forgotten how to live

4 weeks, 22 houses, 3 auctions. The hunting for our dream house is fast becoming an obsession that has taken over my life.

The entire March has gone by and I have neglected everything and everyone around me. Egg no longer asks me to watch the morning Wiggles show with him, because he knows that nothing will unstuck me from the computer monitor. I couldn't remember the last time when I actually sit down with Cola to play together. Even as I watched them play in the bathtub, I was busy scanning this week's real estate magazine, highlighting prices and inspection times.

In the garden, the entire plot of cucumber has died out of total neglect. (We were once looking forward to picking fresh crunchy cucumber, how long ago it seemed!) Weeds have crept stealthily into all corners, just like how my brain is now stuffed with all kinds of real estate information.

Everyday hours and hours revolved around price estimates, sale history checks, photos browsing, map studying, inspection time scheduling, and phone calls to property agents. Even at dinner time, my conversation with Tonton starts with, "Have you click on the link I've sent you?" At night I get no relief either, for I dreamt frequently about participating in auctions and visiting strange houses.

EggEgg used to snuggle into my bed at early mornings for a short cozy nap. Until one morning he came into my bedroom and whinged loudly, "Mami, you didn't hug me last night. Mami, why did you forget? Why?" I had barely slept for 2 hours. Regrettably, I've yelled at him, "It's 4 am in the morning and you've gone mad? Get out of my bedroom!" Since then, he has never snuggled into my bed again.

We've exhausted all our weekends for house inspection. Jumping out of bed at 9 and coming home at 4:30 barely able to drag our feet. EggEgg's 3rd birthday was not even in our plan. It was just a quick belated trip to the beach, barely squeezed in between house inspection Saturday and recovery Monday.

No, no, I shouldn't let this house hunting project take over my life...