on packing, kids, and packing with kids

This, my friends, is what's a happenin' inside this whirling mind of mine. I say whirling because, well, you'll get the idea...

:: it is essentially impossible to pack anything when the kids are awake

:: when optimism wins and I do pack when kids are awake, you never know what greater mess they are making in the other room

:: if you let your kids play with a jump rope tied to a slide (a slide without a ladder, and rigged up with wood) eventually there will be tears

:: please don't report me to authorities for allowing the kids to play on the slide with a jump rope

:: it is hard to believe my oldest, Buddy, is making the transition to upper elementary, we are attending a special ceremony this week to mark the occasion

:: why make only one kind of cookie as a teacher thank you when you can make two different kinds and homemade caramel corn too?

:: I know how to bake when kids are awake

:: maybe I'm in denial that this house needs to be packed by next Thursday

:: I'm so glad there is a play set (with a proper slide) at our new house

:: I have about a dozen eloquent, thought provoking blog posts, with accompanying photographs all in my head

:: they are trapped there, you get this instead

:: Pal spends his entire waking day on the go, discovering, squealing, spreading joy

:: I spend my entire day following him around

:: with the amount of exciting stuff Pal discovers each day, I have no idea how he can fall sleep at night for thinking about it all

:: Lovey is going to be a flower girl soon

:: every day she asks "is it my wedding today?"  No, not today, but soon.

:: every time I mention that I need to pack something she asks "are we moving today?" No, not today, but soon.

:: Buddy got to bring his recorder home from school yesterday

:: I am being serenaded by the most wonderful rendition of "Hot Cross Buns" right now

:: I envy people who have professional movers.  Sort of.

:: I am glad that by packing on our own we have to take stock of our belongings and decide what to keep and what to let go

:: next week when I've stayed up way too late a dozen nights in a row to pack I may change my mind about the professional movers

:: Munchkin and Lovey helped wash out some storage bins in the back yard.  Lovey was singing "It's a Hard Knock Life" from Annie while doing so

:: I got a new camera.  A one-of-a kind Lego camera designed and created by Buddy.

:: did you notice the workable flash?

:: that kid amazes me

:: I can't seem to convince Lovey to stop picking my planted flowers.  It is hard to stay frustrated with her when she always presents them to me as a gift

:: today when a police car drove by Munchkin mentioned something about "Cobs," as in "Cobs and Robbers"

:: that kid cracks me up

:: Honey has spent the last several evenings patching up holes where pictures - lots of them - used to hang

:: The house is sounding more echoey now, just not quite like home anymore

:: I've used the word "bittersweet" about a billion times in the past week

:: Does anyone need a slide?  Slightly used, hours of fun, needs a ladder.