The ultimate in misc.
You know that packing got a little crazy towards the end when you uncover a box like this one:
The contents?
1 American flag
1 backpack 72 hour kit
2 badminton rackets WITH birdies
1 toilet bowl brush and assorted cleaners
1 blue headband
1 piece of a wooden train set
and last but certainly not least (and in my opinion these really give this box that extra oomph)...Mr and Mrs Potato Head Halloween Costumes, including Pop-Bead necklace and matching felt clutch purse!)
As soon as I opened this box I got really really happy. You couldn't have made a more random assortment even if you tried!!
And then, just because I think they're really cute, here are my sweet babies.
Gratitude
Moving sounds so benign in theory. Switch houses! Throw some boxes on a truck and, voila! Well, it's not so simple, is it?? If not for the grace of many many wonderful family members, this whole thing would just never have happened.
Moving day was yesterday--Valentines. We probably should have planned that one a little better, but sometimes you've just gotta run with what life hands you. The snowstorm that hit right before the trucks got there almost fazed us, but that's why they invented ice melt, right? There were around 16 wonderful fabulous amazing people who came to help us. Family, friends, and even some of the people from our new neighborhood who we met for the first time as they were hauling our piano through the snow. People are amazing.
Casualties of the move include: one glass lampshade, and one bucket of meat from the freezer that was left behind at the old house. Fortunately I discovered that one today, not a week from now!!! But I think it all evens out. We're down some frozen chicken breasts, but we did end up gaining a large pair of men's boots, size 11, in a Target bag. Does anyone want to claim them???
Even with the sheer amount of stuff we had to move (food storage, anyone??) the whole process was overwhelmingly smooth. Today, the kids played making forts among the boxes, since all of their stuff is still packed.
I'll post some pictures someday. Right now I'm just grateful beyond belief for the family that I have.
Would you like to rent this house??
Moving is one of those things that sounds great in the abstract. Once you get elbow-deep in the details, it gets less appealing. Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm enormously excited for the new house; the basement is almost done and it's going to be fabulous. It's the packing, and the decision making, and the sheer amount of work that needs to be done that's getting to me.
One of the tasks was to find renters for our current home. Fortunately, finding people to look at the house wasn't the hard part. Lots of people want to rent right now, so we had an overwhelming response to our ad. But that, of course, meant that I had to show the house to a whole lot of people while trying to keep it clean and pack AND have four children. Occasionally, some things fell through the cracks. Literally....but to be more accurate, the things only fell through ONE crack...
A family was coming to take a look the other night. I made sure the dishes were done and the floor was vacuumed upstairs. I think I even took out the trash and dusted. The place was gorgeous!! I did not, however, check the downstairs. That was the fatal mistake. As I showed the prospective renters through the house, we came to the playroom. The few scattered toys weren't that big of a deal. Then I showed them the downstairs bathroom.
I opened the door and saw poop. Smeared all over the toilet, on the floor, and even a little on the walls. Stinky, fresh, oozy poo all over the place.
The family did NOT come back for a second look, and I get another notch in my belt of most embarrassing parenting moments. Oh, the joys of a three year old boy with loose bowels!!!!
