Boxing Day

The packers are here today to box up our worldly possessions. To be completely honest, I wasn't prepared. Oh sure, you can work all weekend to ensure that things go smoothly. But on the morning of the packers' arrival, you still feel like there are two dozen things you didn't get to.

You'll still be frantically doing laundry, emptying garbage cans, collecting cleaning supplies.

In the end, you just have to let it go and submit to the chaos and the capable hands of the folks who know what they're doing.

I always feel the need to apologize to the poor people who draw the short straw and have to pack my craft room.

"Sorry about the mess. I tried my best to clean it up for you."

"This is nothing!" the ladies said. "We were just saying 'We love this woman! Look! She put all of her liquid bottles in Ziploc baggies!' "

I'm sure they just said that to make me feel better.

I really thought of telling the packers that someone broke into our house, and instead of stealing stuff, they left a bunch of crap instead. But something tells me they've heard that lame excuse before.

Here's a short list of some things we did to prep for the packers:

* In the yard, we gathered all garden statues, fencing, bird feeders and bird baths and put them in the garage for packing.

* In the craft room, I packaged all papers neatly, put all my inks, sprays, and mists into Ziploc baggies, and made sure all accessories and tools were stored in drawers.

* In each bedroom, we put our suitcases and any other items that would not get packed onto our beds.

* In the master bathroom, we put a pile of cleaning supplies in the bathtub. These items will be handy when the house is empty and we do a thorough cleaning before turning it over to the new owners.

* On the kitchen island, we made a pile for the new house owners that includes manuals for all appliances, garage door openers, spare keys, extra real estate flyers, etc.

* We labeled rooms with directions on where the items will go in the new house. We put Post-It notes with the boys' names on their bedroom doors, and labeled rooms according to their placement in the new house: Family Room, Den, Living Room, Kitchen, etc.

* We made sure all dishes were clean and in the cabinets. We also took any items we'd still need from the pantry and put them in a "Do not pack" pile.

* We emptied all garbage cans.

* We did one final "purging" and took another van load to Goodwill.

I have no doubt that I will be unpacking some items this weekend and asking myself "Why didn't I get rid of this?" It's bound to happen. But for now, we're feeling pretty good about the move. The packers are a family bunch, and they're extremely patient with us.

We're tired, but blessed.

"Don't forget to pack me, Mom!"