Lightbulb moment

I've never believed people who say that moving stinks.

Other than our first few moves, my hubby's company has always moved us and all our possessions from Hither to Yon. This time, though, we're doing it ourselves.

With three kids.

And a dog.

And an entire houseful of stuff.

Yoi.

First off, those of you with no kids but who visit others' homes where there ARE children, will just have to use your wondeful imaginations and dream up the sheer amount of Stuff that homes with kids acquire. It's ridiculous. Ridiculous! The toys, the clothes, the stuff to put the toys IN, the books, the stickers, the writing and drawing utensils, the LEGOS, oy vey. How can the smallest people accumulate so.much.stuff?!

Second, packing yourself while there are children around is like trying to clean in the middle of a tornado. Everything you pack and stack will have a child getting into it the minute your back is turned. And if they're not undoing what you've packed, they're picking fights with each other. The kind of fights that you need to stop what you're doing, again, and intervene in... usually with penalty of bodily harm involved.

Third, more often than not, whatever you need and/or are looking for is at the house where you are not. I needed brown sugar this morning to bake for moms' group. I couldn't find it anywhere and I know I have some. Thank goodness for friends and neighbors who can lend some sugar in an hour of need.

Fourth, always arrange to have the carpets cleaned a month before you know you'll be moving. I'm winking here, though you can't see it. Tomorrow the carpets will be cleaned in the new house, which means that the carpeted floors all need to be bare so we can get the Empty House Discount. Which means that all trips to the new house came to a grinding halt as far as getting furniture out of the old house goes.

Great, I'll just put the kitchen together. Noooo problem. Except that for once I'd like to have shelf liners and I had enough to line three shelves. And the grocery store didn't have any. So we'll have to check more stores tonight while the big kids are at karate.

Which brings me to dinner. Which I must make. But not before I attempt bodily harm on the children who are picking fights, again.

Can I just stick them all in boxes, too? They like bubble wrap!