Packing With Children

If you have ever had to prepare for a long trip (or even a short one) with children, you know my pain.

Yesterday, we were readying for a 3 week trip. With 4 small children and many tasks before us, we set off to clean the atrocious toyroom. Even cleaning under the toy shelves and under the beds, we cleaned that sucker good.

I then approached the Exploding Desk, as we call the desk that holds the computer and oh-so-many-other-things. I call it the Exploding Desk because it always looks like it's just about to explode...or already has. It's been awhile since I have waded through the bills, school papers, coupons, kiddie art, junk mail, Christmas cards, and let's just stop there before I incriminate myself further. While I was tackling this enormous task, Felicity and Katrina were upstairs.... packing.

When I went upstairs to investigate, that toyroom was now in shambles. There were 5 kiddie backpacks and 3 grocery store bags crammed full of toys and stuff. I looked inside to see what they were packing and none of it was good! Oh you know, stuff like towels still damp from swimming lessons, markers to color completely the Grand Canyon, Felicity's homework binder, etc etc. Felicity was instructed to pare down her Fun Stuff to one bag and then the hallway was suddenly littered. So much that Matthew, bringing up the laundry basket full of his clothes for me to pack, tripped and ejected the clothes everywhere too.

Meanwhile, as I was searching for clothes through my children's drawers (shoved with dirty and clean clothes alike, and in no particular order), Katrina was being a snowflake fairy and littering the whole upstairs with lovely white kleenexes. No really, this girl is 5.

Maxwell was a big helper and slept through the whole thing. What a champ!

We had a late night and now it's a late start. But we'll get there.