Boogers on the Wall

Who had the brilliant idea to try to pack up her whole house and get ready to move while her boys were out of school during spring break?

You guessed it: Me.

I’d like to say I had no other options, but then again, I probably did. I love my children, but it’s been crazy around here.

Moving is hard – especially with little “helpers.”

Packing up their bedroom was virtually impossible. Each time I tried to put something into a box they’d get it back out and run away with it.

It’s not like I wasn’t trying to pack their favorite toys. I’m talking about things they haven’t seen or touched in months. The type of toys that have cobweb and dust coatings. They haven’t wanted them for the longest time, but amazingly when I was trying to put them away they were suddenly irresistible.

At one point during the break they had rearranged the boxes in the living room and my 5-year-old was climbing on top of them, followed closely behind by his baby brother. It’s a miracle they didn’t knock half of our stuff on top of each other.

Then there’s the whole – mom-is-busy-so-we-can-do-anything-we-want notion. I’ve never understood that. But when I’d leave the room to work on something I’d come back to a mountain of mess – cushions knocked off the couch, books off the shelves, Pokemon cards strewn everywhere and I can’t tell you how many Rainbow Loom elastics I have found scattered throughout every room around here.

I have misplaced my roll of tape and scissors dozens of times. Then there’s the permanent markers I have been using to write on the boxes – my 18-month-old likes to sneak off with those.

It has been wild. But we have made it through.

Like I said, moving is hard.

I have had several friends move recently. I’d like to say kudos to you. I had no idea what I was getting into. It’s hard to squeeze every single item you own into dozens of rectangular and square shaped boxes.

At this point there seems to be no end. I keep thinking that one day I actually won’t need any more boxes – that will be a great day.

Then there’s the thought that I need to just get rid of some of this stuff. Do I really use all this crap? Unfortunately I have reached the point where I can’t sort, I have to just pack it all. I have run out of time.

Then there’s the emotional part of moving. That’s one of the hardest things. Want to feel the whole gamut of human emotions? Try packing up your house and moving while you are pregnant.

I laugh, I cry and I want to go back to bed at least five times each day.

We are leaving our very first home. The place where we have settled and grown roots for the past 8 years.

My children know nothing else. They have lived here since birth.

This is where we have sledded down the hill in our backyard and built snowmen. Where we have chased gingerbread men and set traps for leprechauns.

We’ve read hundreds of books here and made countless Lego creations.

This is where we have built forts and watched movies. We have found worms in the garden and grown yummy cantaloupes.

We have had outside ice cream parties and hundreds of play dates here with amazing friends. Friends that we don’t want to say, “goodbye” to.

We have blown out dozens of birthday candles and have sent lanterns to Luca here. This is the only place where he lived inside me.

We have baked cookies in this kitchen and spilled flour all over the floor. We have swaddled our tiny crying babies here and comforted them throughout the night.

We have painted and carpeted and put a little piece of ourselves into this place.

I guess you could say part of us will always consider this “home.”

It will be hard to close the door in a couple of days knowing that it will no longer belong to us. The place where we have found comfort, shelter and peace for so many years will be someone else’s.

All of this would be almost unbearable if we didn’t have each other. Luckily I get to take my four favorite parts of this house with me – my family members. Because without them this house is just a house – not a home.

We move into our new place in a few weeks (thank heavens my in laws are graciously welcoming into their own home in the interim) and I can’t wait for our family to start making that place home.

Hopefully most of you will come and visit. Part of what has made this place so great has been the people we have shared it with. I can’t wait to share our new place with you too.

Moving is hard, but it will be good. I’m certain this new place is meant for us. Let’s hope we get to stay there forever and that we never have to move again.