Moving Day

Author: Mary Frances | Photographer: Mine Studios

Moving into a new house is exciting… but not really fun. The movers arrived last Tuesday and boxes and boxes arrived and I really was not ready for this huge undertaking. This is the first time I have moved with two kids. You think one kid has a lot of stuff…well, multiply it by three. Why three? I don’t know but it sure seems like there is a lot more than just two kids! I grew up with 10 siblings and now I know why I lived in the same house my whole life…my parents would have had too much to move.

Well, the movers arrived and my spouse went to work and kids went to school and I thought it would be nice to have the kids new rooms all set up before 2:45 when I left to pick them up from school. I am so nice and so stupid. I don’t know why I, like so many other parents, think that we need to make all transitions for our children seamless and smooth. Are we crazy? Are we raising self centered children? I struggle with giving too much and expecting too little. I was raised in a herd of children and we were expected to carry our own weight. I know there is also the side of me that did not want my children’s opinions on how their rooms were going to go together. A also knew that when they saw their toys and books and belongings it would be all over the place and nothing would be accomplished. Okay, that makes more sense for me to do it myself. However, the real reason I did it was so the kids would come home and be excited and happy. I nearly killed myself trying to accomplish this huge task. The movers were shouting, “Ma’am, where do you want this? Ma’am, where does this rug go? Ma’am? Where are you?”

I was upstairs feverishly unpacking and making beds, putting away toys, setting up dollhouses, putting the legos in special places, hanging shelves, setting up soccer trophies and making their rooms special to them. Then, I heard one of the movers say to the other mover, “Is she really up there unpacking boxes already? We have a huge truck still mostly full.” I realized I was being crazy. Did I change? Did I stop and recognize that I was killing myself at this daunting task? No. I still want my kids to feel special and I want to see that magic look on their face. The same look on Christmas morning (when they still believe in Santa…see blog 2 weeks ago) when something special and magical happened. So, I kept working and when it looked like it was all done it was time to pick them up. When I brought them home they ran to their new rooms and saw their stuff and quickly and happily went through it all and messed it all up.

Would I do it differently next time? Well, it has been 5 days so if there is a next time don’t tell me about it. I am keying this blog surrounded by a zillion boxes, displaced furniture, unhung paintings and a huge mess. My kids rooms look great though!