Kay in Cal Posted July 6, 2008 Share Posted July 6, 2008 OK, we are moving into a bigger house on September 1st. It's great, after 6 years of living in a townhouse with no yard, my church is doing a swap with the next UMC up the street, and we'll be living in their parsonage. Three bedrooms, three bathrooms, plus a huge office, and tons of storage space. And a yard. Immense by So. Cal standards (i.e., tiny anywhere else). But a yard that I can throw my children into to run off steam! The problem... how do we pry ourselves out of this place? All you de-clutterers, my house is where your clutter comes to die. We've been packing all afternoon--we've just finished the games closet. 7 big--like, U-haul extra-large size--boxes of board games later, a huge pile of games to give away later, and we've done one closet. One CLOSET!!! I did mention that our garage is packed to the ceiling, right? And all our bedrooms? And the bookshelves in the hall? Yep... we have over 20 floor-to-ceiling bookshelves full. Double-shelved, two books deep. I've finally got dh to agree that we need to jettison some stuff, but it's taking a long time, and even with a few weeks, I'm terrified!!! Here is my dh sticking his head out of the mostly-empty game closet. This is indicative of the rest of my house: How am I going to do this? We go on vacation on the 23rd of this month (non-refundable tickets), I come back on August 7th by myself, and then my dh and the boys don't return until the 20th of August. We have to be out of here and moved by September 1! No paid movers (unless we can figure out how to afford them). We can do this.. right? RIGHT??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in Orlando Posted July 6, 2008 Share Posted July 6, 2008 How exciting! You can do this. Do just like you are - one section of one room at a time. Be ruthless. If you haven't used it or thought about it in a year - toss it or give it away. Set small goals for yourself each day. With the kids' stuff - take turns taking the kids OUT of the house while you pare down their stuff. Good luck!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted July 6, 2008 Share Posted July 6, 2008 Start loading boxes and piling them in stacks to the ceiling, leave paths to get to bathroom/kitchen, and do not stop! Any friends nearby willing to help load boxes for a Mikes or chocolate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in CA Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 First off, you need a plan and lots of boxes :001_smile: Do you have any friends that can help? I'm assuming your on staff at a church, can the congregation pitch in? You will need help and I see your dc are young so maybe babysitters wouldn't be a bad idea either. I'm in San Clemente, heck I can come help for a day :001_smile: You'll get it done, but only you know what can be tossed and what is essential - I am a declutterer, we've moved often - so I've learned to toss what isn't essential - it helps and I've rarely, if ever regretted anything I've let go of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon in SC Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 Be ruthless. If you haven't used it or thought about it in a year - toss it or give it away. :iagree: This was key for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Atl Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 No problem. Dh and FIL only did the heavy lifting (put it all in the truck and move it to the new house, and unloading) but I did all the rest myself. I packed a room at a time, starting with the things we needed the least. In the end we were left with a bowl, cup and spoon each. :lol: You can do it! Just think of that new house.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon in SC Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 :iagree: This was key for me! One thing I did that was VERY instrumental towards seeing my objective accomplished was this - I bought two yard trash bag holders and a BIG box of yard trash bags from Lowe's. They're collapsible, black metal frame, with green liner bags into which, when setup, you place large yard trash bags. Set both up in whatever room you're working in. One is for throw away, one is for give away. When they're full, tie them up and take them to the car. Next trip out - stop by Goodwill or the dump. Another thing - I invested in various colors of duck tape and color coded the rooms in the *new* house. Filled and sealed boxes got a slap of duck tape, color dependent upon the room it was ultimately going in at the new place. I also took a Sharpie and wrote on the duck tape what types of things were in the box. Then, when the boxes were moved they were immediately placed in the proper room at the new house. HTH! Sharon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 One thing I did that was VERY instrumental towards seeing my objective accomplished was this - I bought two yard trash bag holders and a BIG box of yard trash bags from Lowe's. They're collapsible, black metal frame, with green liner bags into which, when setup, you place large yard trash bags. Set both up in whatever room you're working in. One is for throw away, one is for give away. When they're full, tie them up and take them to the car. Next trip out - stop by Goodwill or the dump. Another thing - I invested in various colors of duck tape and color coded the rooms in the *new* house. Filled and sealed boxes got a slap of duck tape, color dependent upon the room it was ultimately going in at the new place. I also took a Sharpie and wrote on the duck tape what types of things were in the box. Then, when the boxes were moved they were immediately placed in the proper room at the new house. HTH! Sharon Great idea. Where did you get the trash bag holders and how much did they cost? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon in SC Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 Great idea. Where did you get the trash bag holders and how much did they cost? I got them from Lowe's and I think I paid about $15 each for them - the best $30 moving expense $$ I spent! From across the room, I could toss an item. :D Now that we're in the new place, I plan to use these to hold sports balls or the like - whenever I can get the garage cleaned out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam "SFSOM" in TN Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 OK, we are moving into a bigger house on September 1st. It's great, after 6 years of living in a townhouse with no yard, my church is doing a swap with the next UMC up the street, and we'll be living in their parsonage. Three bedrooms, three bathrooms, plus a huge office, and tons of storage space. And a yard. Immense by So. Cal standards (i.e., tiny anywhere else). But a yard that I can throw my children into to run off steam! The problem... how do we pry ourselves out of this place? All you de-clutterers, my house is where your clutter comes to die. We've been packing all afternoon--we've just finished the games closet. 7 big--like, U-haul extra-large size--boxes of board games later, a huge pile of games to give away later, and we've done one closet. One CLOSET!!! I did mention that our garage is packed to the ceiling, right? And all our bedrooms? And the bookshelves in the hall? Yep... we have over 20 floor-to-ceiling bookshelves full. Double-shelved, two books deep. I've finally got dh to agree that we need to jettison some stuff, but it's taking a long time, and even with a few weeks, I'm terrified!!! Here is my dh sticking his head out of the mostly-empty game closet. This is indicative of the rest of my house: How am I going to do this? We go on vacation on the 23rd of this month (non-refundable tickets), I come back on August 7th by myself, and then my dh and the boys don't return until the 20th of August. We have to be out of here and moved by September 1! No paid movers (unless we can figure out how to afford them). We can do this.. right? RIGHT??? A couple of things that helped me in our last three moves -- remember that what you don't absolutely need can be an amazing blessing to someone who does need it. Make it a priority to bless others in the middle of this move by simplifying your life. Don't live or move above your means. If it doesn't fit in your house, you are living above your means. If it is beyond your capacity to clean or store it properly in the house or garage, you are living above your means. If you have multiples of the same sort of thing or don't use them ever, you are living beyond your means (hoarding and multiplying material goods to yourself). If it is making your life unmanageable by the sheer volume or unwieldiness, you are living above your means (your means to cope). Know that the less you have to move when the time comes, the less work it is. Do the work of purging now so that you don't have to do it later. Believe me, after heaven knows how many moves in my life, there are things you will pack up and give away and NEVER think of again. Never remember. Never, ever miss. But if they remain with you, you will move them again and again and there they will sit, just weighing you down. Books are hardest for me. Convincing myself that no, I do not actually *need* seven different children's encyclopedias is very hard. Books to me are wealth. Books are very akin to security. But giving or selling extraneous books is part and parcel of blessing others, so I'm learning. Slowly. I've only regretted two books that I've given away. You can do this. Maybe you could label your give-away pile the "Bless Others" pile. And the toss pile the "Freedom" pile. Take the time to read about voluntary simplicity. It'll get you pumped for the ordeal. Congrats on your wonderful news. I'm absolutely THRILLED for you. Go, Kay! Go, Doug! Pack those boxes! Bless the multitudes! Rah rah ree, kick 'em in the knee! Rah rah rass, kick 'em in the other knee! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*anj* Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 I come back on August 7th by myself, and then my dh and the boys don't return until the 20th of August. This part is your Golden Road to Decluttering Feasibility! See it as an opportunity. You will have 13 days to work like a dog without dh or kids around to interrupt or get all whacked out and sentimental on you. Give away massive amounts of stuff, have a garage un-sale or make a big donation to a shelter. You can do it, Kay!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenschooler Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 Kay, you can do this! How wonderful that you're getting more space, and a backyard. Just don't go fill it up with more stuff. :D Have you been in the new house yet, to scope out the closets and other storage areas? The problem... how do we pry ourselves out of this place? All you de-clutterers, my house is where your clutter comes to die. Kay, you've been on my list of people I want to convert for quite awhile. You've talked about your *stuff* and how sometimes you feel like you have too much of it. May you take this opportunity to purge, purge, purge! Just think, you can lose hundreds of pounds!! Is there any way you can manage a yard sale? Would the church help you with one? That would be outstanding, if you could make it happen. Instead of spending so much time packing, and going through your closets slowly, try this: Try to keep like items together, if they're not already (sounds like you're on the ball with your game closet). For something like that, I would choose a certain number of games I feel it is reasonable to keep, and pull out my favorites, not going over that number. The rest is yard sale/donation - if you see something else you want to keep, you have to give one up. But choose your favorites quickly, don't think about the rest, and move on. For each item you think you want to keep, carefully consider how much storage space you have to give up to keep it, how much time it hinders in your being able to clean and organize efficiently, and how excess weighs you down. Just knowing closets are full, storage areas are overflowing, and that important things can get hard to find can sap your energy and prevent you from being able to maintain order. It's a vicious cycle - the more you have, the less you can maintain it, and it just compounds itself. The less you have, the more you can maintain it and enjoy it, with minimal effort. Now, it's got to be pretty special to want to keep, right? It might help to get the things together and packed that you know you want to keep, and then sort everything else you're letting go of (or just pack it up to donate). If you can do that and pull off a yard sale while your dh & boys are still gone, that would probably be the easiest way. I've finally got dh to agree that we need to jettison some stuff, but it's taking a long time, and even with a few weeks, I'm terrified!!! Have him go through and pick out his absolute favorite things that he wouldn't want you to donate or sell. Still, it's kind of good he'll be out of town, as he doesn't sound like a purger. :glare: Everything can't be your absolute-favorite-have-to-keep-or-life-will-be-miserable items. When you look at it with the idea of, "Which out of these hundreds (thousands?) of books do I really need and want to keep?" you start to see just how much unneccessary excess you have. Those books could be somewhere where lots of other people could read them! I'll bet you only really need or love a tiny fraction of them. We go on vacation on the 23rd of this month (non-refundable tickets), I'd spend from now until then choosing the things you definitely want to keep (maybe you could use color-coded stickers, or put smaller things in one area) and the things you definitely want to get rid of. It's those iffy items that take the most time making a decision over. Save those for last. If your garage is full, I'd try to get it at least sorted before then. Pull out only those things you really need. If it's something with sentimental value, take a picture and send it on to its next life, unless you're planning on opening a museum. Reduce all seasonal items by at least 50-75%. These things are the biggest space-wasters - Christmas decorations (less is better), rarely if ever used sporting equipment, and pretty much anything that you would only use in certain seasons or situations. They don't earn the space they require, especially considering most people have things in their garages that will never see the light of day again. But we keep it. Why? Do people like to have a garage they can't move around in, one that the mere thought of cleaning makes them woozy? Most things in garages aren't used very often. Keep what you need, and only what you need, so you'll be able to get to it when you need it. I come back on August 7th by myself, and then my dh and the boys don't return until the 20th of August Those 13 days are your days to PURGE! Watch 'Clean House' on your breaks. :D I make goals, trying to reduce our stuff by a certain percentage. I'd go for 50-75%, or somewhere around there. We have to be out of here and moved by September 1! No paid movers (unless we can figure out how to afford them). When they come back, if you have all the extra weight gone, then all you have left to do is organize what you're keeping, and move very little, so you won't even need movers. Invest in some new rubbermaid bins and oversize Zip-lock bags, and go to your new home in style. We can do this.. right? RIGHT??? Yes, Kay, you can do it!!! Close your eyes and envision a beautiful house with open spaces. Bring only those few things that you truly love. Let someone else benefit from the rest. I'll be checking on you. Let me know if you need a pep talk or a kick in the caboose! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigitte Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 If I was able to get through this move (dh was unable to help, really), then you can do yours. Be systematic in your packing - labeling the boxes, color coding by room, etc. helps a lot on the other end. Be ruthless with the purging. I was not as ruthless on the front end as I would have liked to be (Pam can atest to that fact), because time just ran out, but you can believe that I am working on it more as I unpack. I feel that it is best to go room by room. Do not start on another room until the last one is done. Take the time when the kids and dh are away to purge and pack their spaces. I wish you all the best in this move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraceinMD Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 I've only regretted two books that I've given away. Oooooh, I hope those weren't the two you blessed me with many moons ago! :lol: Kay, I have no suggestions, but congrats on your house! Think how happy you'll be come September! Well, ok, I do have three suggestions - actual events that forced me to declutter, and I've missed almost nothing and have felt "lighter" after: (1) have a large tree fall on your house, and be forced to clean out all the linens, and sweaters, and other stuff you haven't used since the '80s, so that the repair people could work; (2) store all your worldly possessions in the trunk of your Vega (!), come back a month later from a trip to find that the trunk leaked and everything was mildewed and unsalvagable; (3) pack everything you thought you might possibly need in a trunk and ship it off to school, and have it *poof* gone. May NONE of these happen to you, and may you just "do the next thing" as far as packing goes! Just keep saying, "It's just 'stuff', it's just 'stuff'! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam "SFSOM" in TN Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 Oooooh, I hope those weren't the two you blessed me with many moons ago! :lol: Nope. One was "What Was Buggin' Old Pharaoh?" by Charles Schultz and the other was a children's book, the title of which is lost to me. A princess and a most perfect strawberry and a little blind boy were in it, that much I know, and I think either Elizabeth Webb or Esther Friend illustrated it. Long gone. I actually returned that one to its owner. She gave it to me as a child, having long outgrown it, then I gave it back to her when she had little ones of her own. The Schultz book was lent and never returned. I dealt with my grrrrrrrr attitude by making it a gift and resolving never to do such a stupid thing again. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trivium Academy Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 I'm praying for you Kay! We just lost about 500 sqft. in our parsonage move so I had to pare down significantly. One thing I learned - have a "fragile" box area separate from your regular boxes, when you're piling boxes to the ceiling, the fragile and lighter boxes go to the top. It's best to just keep these separate in their own area. I would designate one room to be the box holder. When you're alone without the boys or dh, go through the closets and toss out everything that is out-dated, broken, or you don't have a clue why it's there. At least you're moving to a bigger space! Make sure to get hand-trucks to move the book boxes. The hardest part of moving is the decision making- what to keep, what to toss and how to get it there. Get as much help as you can and are comfortable with. If nothing else, they can pack books! Last piece of advice, even if the phone company says, "this will be your new phone number" do not believe them until they have turned the service on. We ordered checks and business cards with some poor man's phone number (the one assigned to us by the phone company) just to find out it wasn't our number. Not to mention the phone calls I made to update our contact information with business contacts. Sigh. Prayers and hugs Kay. I loathe the packing/cleaning portion of moving. The unpacking is slow going too (right now) because I'm purging so much. Enjoy your vacation to the fullest! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon in SC Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 I would designate one room to be the box holder. We did this, too, and it worked very well for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam "SFSOM" in TN Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 Oooh, and I almost forgot -- dh has over the years used something he calls (and labels) the "Parts Box." In it go screws, nuts, bolts, remote controls, freezer keys, misc widgets that affect things we *know* about like fussball balls, shelf holders (those things that poke into the wood that hold up the shelves inside the actual shelf, you know?), ziplock baggies full of things to hold bunkbeds together (dowels, long screws, etc), ETC. This has saved us MUCH grief with many a move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in Orlando Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 Oooh, and I almost forgot -- dh has over the years used something he calls (and labels) the "Parts Box." In it go screws, nuts, bolts, remote controls, freezer keys, misc widgets that affect things we *know* about like fussball balls, shelf holders (those things that poke into the wood that hold up the shelves inside the actual shelf, you know?), ziplock baggies full of things to hold bunkbeds together (dowels, long screws, etc), ETC. This has saved us MUCH grief with many a move. This is brilliant!!!! I wish we had done this on our last move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kribby Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 Kay you can do it. Hang in there and it will be over with before you know it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTMindy Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 OK, we are moving into a bigger house on September 1st. It's great, after 6 years of living in a townhouse with no yard, my church is doing a swap with the next UMC up the street, and we'll be living in their parsonage. Three bedrooms, three bathrooms, plus a huge office, and tons of storage space. And a yard. Immense by So. Cal standards (i.e., tiny anywhere else). But a yard that I can throw my children into to run off steam! The problem... how do we pry ourselves out of this place? All you de-clutterers, my house is where your clutter comes to die. We've been packing all afternoon--we've just finished the games closet. 7 big--like, U-haul extra-large size--boxes of board games later, a huge pile of games to give away later, and we've done one closet. One CLOSET!!! I did mention that our garage is packed to the ceiling, right? And all our bedrooms? And the bookshelves in the hall? Yep... we have over 20 floor-to-ceiling bookshelves full. Double-shelved, two books deep. I've finally got dh to agree that we need to jettison some stuff, but it's taking a long time, and even with a few weeks, I'm terrified!!! Here is my dh sticking his head out of the mostly-empty game closet. This is indicative of the rest of my house: How am I going to do this? We go on vacation on the 23rd of this month (non-refundable tickets), I come back on August 7th by myself, and then my dh and the boys don't return until the 20th of August. We have to be out of here and moved by September 1! No paid movers (unless we can figure out how to afford them). We can do this.. right? RIGHT??? That is awesome, Kay!!!! Just one box at a time. At any given time I would have three boxed going. One for the garbage and when it is full go empty it into the dumpster. One for give away pile. Take a big car load of stuff to Goodwill (or whatever). Be ruthless about what you save. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kay in Cal Posted July 7, 2008 Author Share Posted July 7, 2008 Thank you thank you for all the support! I'm going to be checking back in for my cheering section when I become despondent. I forgot to say, the other BIG plus to this move is that my communte will go from 1/2 hour each way to 5 mintues each way! Since some days I go back and forth more than once, my free time should singificantly increase... I can pop home for lunch on work days, hop in for a meeting without missing dinner with the kids. Dh and I are ready to declutter--me more so than him, perhaps, but his therapist is encouraging him and he's ready to try to overcome his pack-rat instincts. He's really working hard to be open to this move, with a really positive attitude though I know he hates change. And the fact that he's named things that we need to get rid of--never thought I'd see that day. He's working hard, what a great guy! So today we're going over to new place and measuring for furniture. My current goal is to have the library (that room in the picture) packed by Wednesday, and be starting on the boy's rooms. Did I mention one of them has a closet filled with boxes unopened since our last move? (cough cough) OK, my ds 4 wants me to put in the "popcorn face". So, for no reason whatsoever: :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleepy Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 You've received some great advice on packing/decluttering :001_smile:. I just wanted to say congrats on the house, it sounds wonderful, and I know your boys will put that yard to good use! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FO4UR Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 I've moved a few times, and this tip keeps me sane: Pack a suitcase for everyone in the familly as if you going on vacation. Then live out of that suitcase while you pack EVERYTHING else in a systematic, room-by-room fashion. Extra plus for you: you can actually use the same suitcases for your vacation:001_smile: Then when it comes time to unpack at the new house, there is no stress over finding underwear and toothbrushes:lol:, and you can unpack in an orderly fashion. Bless others with as much as possible. Pack for 15min-1hr each day until you are 3-4days from moving...and then hopefully it won't be so stressful, but don't let yourself stress about it before then -kwim. Someone else mentioned stacking boxes to the ceiling while you are moving, and that's a great idea. Pick a room, empty it first and use it for your "moving storage" while you are packing. That may mean someone shares a room or sleeps with boxes LOL. hth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 Congratulations of the new home.:001_smile: One great tip is that many places will pick up for free donations if you call and have a lot. And they will give you a tax receipt. When we have to declutter to move we set up areas to and designate love it, leave it, loose it. Bag, box and place all donations, sell items in closed containers away from those who love them. Bless another with your mess;) but in a good way. Flylady has a great moving section. http://www.flylady.net/pages/Flying_MovingTips.asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kay in Cal Posted July 11, 2008 Author Share Posted July 11, 2008 Can you tell we are coming along? Same room, after much packing... doesn't look like much, but oh the boxes! Of course, we're only about 1/3 done with the room. I've also packed my oldest ds's room and took 4 huge black trash bags of baby clothes to Goodwill. Sigh! I only kept the handmade stuff and some of my favorites... 1 bin left instead of 8. Lots of books and games to give away, too! But my dh insists they must go to a good home, no dropping off at Goodwill. So hopefully some friends will want them. We've almost finished moving 100 comic boxes from our garage to the new garage. Then we just have to figure out how to get the metal shelves over there... they took us a whole day to assemble, I'd hate to take them down and put them back together. My current guilt: We've stopped doing school (with 2 weeks left in our school year) and we won't get started again until mid-September or so. I know it won't kill my kids, but I really am feeling the guilt about not schooling/entertaining/paying attention to them while we pack. We are relying much more than we ought (and much more than usual) on videos and video games (Wii fit, especially). A few weeks of this won't ruin my kids, right? Right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newlifemom Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 Dear Kay, I want you to know that df and I are almost settled in now 6 wks after our cross country move. Talk about hard. Oh did I mentioned that I was pregnant and have 4 little ones 3 of whom I was still schooling. Well the long and the short of it is it works. I couldn't see it when my house in NY was full (and I mean full) of stuff and the night before dh had not even begun "his" stuff. Pack rat for many generations. But it all came together and we did it. If we can, anyone can. My only advice is don't put off the yucky stuff. You know, junk drawers, pictures on the walls stuff like that. That is what stressed me out the most. Next time( God willing movers will do it) I will tackle that first. All my prayers are with you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMA Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 Would your church help fund some movers? The church in which I grew up paid moving expenses for each new pastor. (Now I am Catholic so I don't know anymore about how pastors' moves are funded anymore.) Another idea: Could/would members of your church help you pack and clean? Glad you are getting a yard! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in Orlando Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 You are doing great, Kay!!! You've made a lot of progress in that room. And it's really wonderful dh is tyring to be so open to moving AND decluttering. I know my dh has a hard time with both of these things. Hang in there and keep us updated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon in SC Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 My current guilt: We've stopped doing school (with 2 weeks left in our school year) and we won't get started again until mid-September or so. I know it won't kill my kids, but I really am feeling the guilt about not schooling/entertaining/paying attention to them while we pack. We are relying much more than we ought (and much more than usual) on videos and video games (Wii fit, especially). A few weeks of this won't ruin my kids, right? Right? Having just completed two years (and we're not done, yet!) of a moving/renovating lifestyle, let me just tell you that, no, two lost weeks of school will NOT ruin your kids. I just got my dds' standardized test scores back from this year's testing (having not tested since two years ago) and I was so pleased. Despite the fact that we have *yet* to catch up (particularly in math), they did more than fine. (Especially in light of the fact the I have distince plans for getting them caught up and expect this coming school year to be our best ever!) The value of the life skills they've acquired over this same period of time is immeasureable. They've learned to do things at 11 and 15 that I didn't learn how to do 'til my 40s! Truly. It's not all about academics, this life we live, and my girls have benefited in so many wonderful ways because we've done what we've done. Keep putting one foot in front of another and make your kids a part of the process. They'll be all the better for it! There'll be ample enough time for them to learn the presidents of the United States and other various and sundry academic endeavors! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 I had a lot of warning of this move (even though I didn't announce it publicly) so most of the decluttering happened slowly, 15 minutes a day. All my past moves have been quick, like yours, and I know how hard they can be. Best of luck Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keptwoman Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 We move on the 23rd of August, I've started decluttering already, one area a day. Yesterday I cleaned out my desk, it's my great-grandfathers desk and full of pigeon holes. I threw away two bins of paper and one of rubbish. Today is the scrapbooking cupboard. Tomorrow I'm going to start on the box of stuff I have about my Mum and Dad and scan to digital and throw them away. You can do it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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