Moving 101

Did you see the last post? We're moving. In like two weeks.

Start freakout....two days ago. I've been packing for weeks, but I have to pace myself before I wrap myself in bubble wrap and hide in a box until moving day.

So here's some tips if you too ever have to move (which I wouldn't advise, but it happens, I for one should know. I mean, I for 8 should know, this is our 8TH move.)

1. Keep your stereo out for as long as possible. Then you can sing Disney musicals at the top of your lungs as you pack and you can't hear your kids fighting or making huge messes because you're in the packing zone. Speaking of messes, the process of packing a house means you will have complete chaos every 2 hours. You have to still clean up so you can sleep and go to the bathroom. Your house will pretty much look like the before shot on that Clean Sweep show.

2. You can now feed your children whatever you (or they) want. Pizza and peaches and blackeyed peas for dinner? Hot dogs for breakfast? Hot Cocoa in the middle of June? I'd rather not pack it, we better eat it up! Speaking of excess food, why did I purchase three free things of mustard last year? And a years supply of aluminum foil?

3. Things get "lost in the move" all the time. Use this to your full advantage. What's that four year old princess? You can't find your nasty velour princess dress with holes and a fingernail polish stain? Haven't seen it. That annoying chair that you two fight over that was missing screws and always collapsing? Whoops, must have gotten lost in the move.(Note- that dress is way cuter than the nappy one my daughter loves)

4. Just as things get lost, things get found. Lots of things. Be prepared to find one of the following as you super clean for checkout- that little button to the remote control, the little tray for the electric skillet, a truckload of kiddie hair ties, and that one sweater you forgot you owned but missed subconsciously. Together again at last. We have a box for these treasures.

5. I let my kids practice their letters by writing the name of the items/room on the boxes. Works great, just limit sharpie time. You know, contact fumes and all. And if they get too used to using a sharpie, and it feels too comfortable in their hands, then they sneak one off and then you're really in trouble.

5. Your kid will find something to seriously damage two weeks before you move. Mine? 1/2 a bottle of nailpolish on our rugs. Hallelujah for windex.

6. Be prepared to have urges to take your family with your 72 hour kits into the wilderness and leave all of all this materialistic baggage behind. Where did all this crap come from, I mean really? I already had a hypothetical but not enforced rule about minimal presents at holidays, I'm starting to think about planting trees instead of more toys and books every 6 months....That being said, I have a diaper box full of fabric scraps that should not be thrown away, they are totally going to be used for something, someday.

So best be getting back to packing. I'll be on here sporadically, seeing as how my computer crashed and is currently getting fixed at HP and I have no time for internet distractions. Now go be nice and offer to watch the kids of your friend who's moving soon and packing like a madwoman.