Tips to Making Moving Easy (er)
We're almost all moved. I'm exhausted. But happy that the house is sold and we're closing the door and opening a new one. I have to say I'm going to miss our little house and this small town but such is the life when you're in the military. When you're in the military you also get really good at moving. I thought this would be a great time to put together a few tips I've learned along the way to making moving as easy as possible.
Pre-Move
- Plan. Plan. Plan. I love to make "to do" lists. This comes in handy when you're moving. Being organized goes a long way in preventing headaches and fights between you and your spouse, room mates etc.
- Gather up the supplies you'll need. Boxes, tape, markers, bubble wrap etc.
- If you know you've got a few weeks until your move out day you can start sorting though your items and organizing closets. If you're in the middle of the summer you're not going to need your skis or snow boots any time soon. You can start packing up non-essential item
Packing
- Packing well is important as it will prevent your stuff from getting broken in the move. This is especially important if you've got a long move ahead of you-cross country, over seas etc.
- Start with non-essential items. Out of season gear, home decor (frames on the wall, knick-knacks etc.)
- While your packing up the rooms in your house its a good time to clear away the clutter and create boxes for donation or the trash.
- Don't pack things that are dirty or dusty. That's gross. I always like to clean my porcelain, or anything that can collect dust prior to packing. I use a gentle dish soap like Gain (Yes! Gain -the same company that makes laundry detergent now has dish soap! It comes in three great scents. Trust me. You won't mind the extra cleaning because it smells yummy and why bring dusty stuff into your new house?
Moving Day
- Get up bright and early. Have a good breakfast and dress comfortably.
- If you're using movers or have enlisted the help of relatives and friends it's a good idea to have drinks and snacks on hand. Happy helpers who aren't having blood sugar issues are much less likely to drop the box labeled "fragile" of your great-grandmother's china.
- Don't try to move anything heavy on your own. A hurt back does not make for a happy move.
- Rest. Eat lunch and try to take a few moments to enjoy the day.
Kids & MovingIf you have children enlist their help. Have them pack up their own "special box" with stuff they're going to want right away when they get to their new home. If you have an older child make sure you talk to them about their feelings on the move. I always play up the move as an adventure and it helps. Trust Me.Photo: weheartit.com*P&G provided me with free product (Gain), bubbles, t-shirts, and gift cards through MyBlogSpark.
Noisy, Colorful, Lively
I came across this the other day and I was instantly attracted to it. So I set it aside and decided I'd write about it later on.I looked at it again this morning and was suddenly struck with...well, the obvious.I'm sure, beyond a reasonable doubt when Mel Brooks made this statement, "If you're quiet, you're not living. You've got to be noisy, colorful, and lively." He was talking about children. I'm also pretty sure (we share the same birthday - that's why I'm sure) he was specifically talking about my children.No. He's never actually met my kids. But that has no bearing on the fact that he was talking about them.Allow me to explain further...Last Sunday after Mass we took our boys to Wal-Mart. They behaved so perfectly whilst in Church that we must have been high on joy because we thought we'd be able to go in and get out relatively quickly.I don't know what we were thinking. I really don't.An hour and a half later, after chasing after, bribing, and then finally giving in and feeding them a McDonald's happy meal we managed to get out unscathed.I say unscathed because no one was physically injured this time.The last time we went to Wal-Mart Evan, while trying to get out of the cart fell backwards into a very full cart of groceries. Luckily he landed on the bread and cereal boxes and by some miracle of God managed to not crush the eggs.Again, I don't know what we were thinking because after Wal-Mart we made a go for Costco.Yes. The hubs and I are gluttons for punishment. We must be.Ten minutes into our food sampling escapades Michael decided he was tired and needed to sit down. Off went the husband to fetch a second cart so that both boys can sit in the ginormous basket that is a Costco shopping cart.Things were going rather smoothly after that. Until we reached the frozen food section when Mike decided he'd had a rest and no longer felt tired. Evan being the little brother understandably wants to be "like Mike" -so as soon as Michael's feet hit the floor, Evan began wailing to be let out. A worried glance passed before the husband and I as we set the little guy free under the assumption that his father would hold his hand and I'd push the cart.Things didn't happen quite like that.Picture this:Little boy running a muck in a very crowded over-sized super center. Me feeling like I could use a drink. (Or rather grabbing a bottle from the wine section cracking it open against that huge and mostly empty cart and chugging straight from the bottle-while trying not to cut my lips.)It didn't take long for the hubs and I to decide to call it quits. While I checked out he went off and bought them a berry smoothie.Looking back though-while I sit here at nap time I can't help but smile. My children know how to live. They are full of color, vibrant liveliness, and with all that Cuban blood in them they certainly are noisy!As much as I'm smiling right now, I don't think we're going to try shopping together as a family for at least another ten years.Yeah right. Who am I kidding. We'll be back at it this weekend!Photo: weheartit.com
Dragon Slayer
Today I found myself once again the getter of bugs, chaser of flies, and slayer of dragons. Big gnarley ones with stinky fiery breath that jump out of closets and chase you around in their underwear, causing us to squirm into spaces much too small for our bodies like beneath a fairy's bed, or inside a robin's egg. Somehow-at the last moment right before that stinky dragon turns the corner I remember a magic shrinking spell and we mange to hide...What can I say? I'm multi-talented.More importantly, I'm thrilled for the chance. My boys have certainly inherited my flare for the dramatic and over-active imagination. I wouldn't have it any other way!
How Do You Measure Up?
Often in life, we compare ourselves to someone, something, we try to be the person we think we should be, instead of the person we are. I'm not saying that trying to better yourself, to be kinder, to be more than what we are as a person is a bad thing. What I'm saying revolves around the superficial. Open up any beauty magazine and your bombarded with ads telling us what we should look like, what we should be wearing, and even how we should act. Sometimes it's less superficial. Sometimes we try to be the person we think our lovers want us to be, or who are parent's want us to be...I can't tell you how grateful I am that I do not suffer from this.I have my mother to thank for that.I've been thinking about my mom a lot.She's not perfect. She recognized that. She taught me to appreciate imperfections. The most important thing my mother ever taught me wasn't how to put my makeup on, or to cook, or the best way to get grass stains out, but of self love. She may not have always had it for herself, but she certainly taught me to cherish the person I am. To love me. She did this by loving me unconditionally. By letting me express myself-even if that included wearing her-to big clothes when I was twelve and wished so much to be grown.By teaching me to love myself my mother made it really easy for me to love others and for other people to love me. A fact, that I am very grateful for. I'm no where near to being perfect and I like that. I measure myself against me and the ever evolving person that is who I am.How do you measure yourself?
An Almost Over it-Not Quite Un-Sick
For the past few days I've been dealing with our first real cold. Up until now my boys have only had head colds. My eldest son had never had a fever above 99 degrees so when he began running fevers from 102 to 104 degrees you can understand that this Mama was concerned. On Sunday afternoon I took him to urgent care because he was exhibiting flu like symptoms and a girl down the street had tested positive for H1N1 and he was so not himself that I was actually really worried.Thankfully he tested negative for both the normal influenza as well as the piggy flu and negative for both strep cultures. We're treating ourselves like we have a virus* so lots of TLC, rest, T.V, OJ, pajamas, big snugly blankets,..oh, and cookies. Can't forget the cookies. I'd also like to state for the record that I haven't cleaned my floors since last Thursday. If you don't already know I'm a bit OCD when it comes to my floors. I am happy to say however that the hubs totally cleaned out the closet with me. Yes, he did most of the work-but when your head hurts so much you can barely lift it, giving orders is hard work.I just realized for about the third time today-that today is in fact Wednesday. I don't have a Wordless Wednesday prepared, but my little guy went to school today-and I of course have been documenting a bit of our experience with the help of my iPhone's camera. Here is a brief story via pictures of how our first real cold went.We are of course not done yet as the little guy and my husband and I our still working our way back to top form so I can't promise you there won't be any more sicky-poo pictures. I do have a story about this obnoxious dude with a spider bite from our brief stint in Urgent Care. I'll post about him a little later...As I mentioned a moment ago Mike went back to school today, but on Monday when he realized that he wasn't going to school he became so upset he literally cried for about 15 minutes. I hope this abject adoration of academia continues well into his 30's especially if he's going to become the doctor and Airman he says he wants to be when he grows up. I felt so bad for him though...I think he might have been a bit delirious. I hear fevers can do that to you!*The Urgent Care physician looked rather skeptical when he revealed our negative results for the flu-that I am a little mis-trustful of them being accurate. He even said that if I wanted to I could go to my physician and have them re-done because "false negative's happen". Personally I didn't think that the nurse got a good nasal swab sample from Mike-I mean the cue-tip thingy barely got into his nose that wasn't all boogery because he'd just blown his nose...I of course am not a nurse, or doctor, or even pretend to be one on T.V,so I couldn't say with absolute certainty if the nasal swab was good enough. I have watched plenty of CSI and ER to know what I think one should look like and it didn't look like a good one if you can count television as a reliable source of medical information. I will say that if Mike wasn't better yesterday he would've seen his doctor, but since he was showing marked signs of improvement I didn't think it necessary. If his little brother isn't any better by Friday we'll be paying a visit to our lovely, and oh so wonderful doctor. Who I'm know would make sure an excellent nasal swab was achieved.
Contradictions in Trying to Conceive
Today's post was written by a friend of mine, who wanted to share her story. Her name is Kerri.When I was a child I was taught to always try my hardest and never give up. This is a lesson instilled in many of us and one that is hard to let go on. I have been trying, and trying for over a year now and all I hear people say is just stop trying and it will happen. Does this even make sense?Of course the only time that you are not supposed to follow what you are taught about trying is when you are trying to get pregnant. This is a roller coaster ride of frustrations and disappointment and self doubt and even guilt.My daughter was conceived very quickly. We were ‘trying’ and on our third month we were very happy to find that we were successful. All it took was correct timing provided in the form of ovulation test strips. When my daughter was 15 months old we officially started trying again. We were not doing anything differently than the 1st time. The first months we just kept track of my cycle on the calendar, by month three I was using ovulation test strips again.Things were just not happening this time and I knew something was wrong with my cycle but could not pin point it. I just knew that the time it took between ovulation and the start of my cycle was too short. I had to try for the requisite 6 months before going to see the doctor and I was told that because of my advanced maternal age I should just go straight to the specialist… in 6 weeks! I felt crushed after that appointment, I knew something was wrong with my cycle in August and here it was in January and I was treated like damaged goods.I finally got in to see a specialist and he confirmed that I was having some hormonal problems and prescribed Clomid. I started the cycle of daily temperature readings, follicle stimulation, monthly ultrasounds and egg release. I was always so hopeful. I am still hopeful. I am still frustrated and every month I do not get pregnant I am disappointed. Why is this happening!All signs point to us being able to have another child, my eggs are plenty and I am producing good follicles, but still nothing. I am in my all too familiar waiting game to see if my cycle will start over next week or if I will finally get the news I am hoping for. It is such a strange process and so hard to relate to unless you have gone through it yourself. Yet I still feel guilty about even complaining about it. I have a healthy 2 year old and why can’t I be fine with just one? I have friends who have gone through many years of treatment. How can I even compare myself to someone who went through this for 3 years or even more?If things don’t work this month we are considering IUI in hopes of increasing our odds. I have not quite decided how I feel about it. It is far more affordable than I ever thought so trying at least one round won’t break the bank. I think I am avoiding thinking about it since I am not ready to give up on getting pregnant this cycle.My motto has become one cycle at a time and no, I am not quitting. To stop trying would be to lose hope and I am not ready for that. I have really been trying to enjoy myself through all this and so far it has not seemed like a chore to try. I am just as aware of my fertile window as was when I tried the first time and even more with the help of ultrasound. Until I am told there is no hope, then I must try.I do not wish this process on anyone and I am of the belief that I have no control over this at all. The reproductive system is a huge mystery and with all we know, there is still so much we don’t know. So for now, I will try and use the assistance of science while being hopeful that my turn will come again.About Kerri:At 37 Kerri is a stay at home mom with a very active 2 year old that keeps her on my toes. Her education in fine arts and architecture was great and led to a short career, but she hasn't found a job that is more important or rewarding than staying at home with her daughter. If she could find the time, She would love to find herself doing her favorite hobbies which are painting and photography but for now she is busy learning the more domestic craft of sewing, curtains anyone?
Cheerio Bombs! A Haiku
My toddler has quite an arm and enjoys flinging Cheerios while eating them. He did so with quite a bit of enthusiasm this morning and so inspired this haiku...Cheerios small roundtorpedoes in baby's handsmy broom is never far