Progress on Packing

We're slowly moving more stuff over, and the girls love playing while one of us or our parents hangs out at the new house with them. We've used the new small table, and they think it's really awesome. Because it is. Especially with the rolling chairs!

So at first, I kept track of how many boxes/bags/tubs I had moved because I thought I would feel motivated by all the progress we were making.

It didn’t take long to realize that there is no motivation in finding out that I have, for example:

• 2 boxes of cds, which I rarely have time to listen to and some of it isn't appropriate for kids anyway (Sorry, Self Righteous Brothers. You know it's true.)
• 9 boxes of random papers and stuff that haven’t been sorted since college, and I have no idea of where to put them or what to do with them, but I still cling to hope that I'll get to it soon
• 6 small tubs of t-shirts, none of which fit correctly at this time since most of them came from the junior section

Auction Trophies

Let's look at some of the great things Betty and I unpacked from Grandma's auction last October. Some of them I bought on purpose, some came with other things I bought, and some things I really am not sure about. We did end up with everything that didn't sell or was left behind by people. But that doesn't explain some of this stuff.

This right here is the crowned jewel of the collection. WHAT THE HECK IS IT? It doesn't photograph so well, but what it is, clearly, is a blue hand holding a blue cornucopia. And it is maybe a vase. Or a shot glass. I'm not really sure.

I love this thing! I love it more every time I see it. I did not know it existed and did not buy it on purpose, but it is amazing. And it begs many great questions.

What made someone decide to create this piece? Was it originally part of a set? Am I missing a foot kicking a turkey, a knee squishing a squash, and an elbow balancing a pilgrim hat? Because I'm pretty sure it would be in a Thanksgiving themed set. And WHAT IS IT? Vase? Shot glass? Seriously, someone tell me which thing it is. I don't drink alcohol much, so that probably makes it a vase by default.

Auction Sorting Assistance

Before moving all the auction boxes to the basement, I wanted to sort and repack as much as possible.

On the day of Grandma's auction, Adam was the person primarily responsible for packing all of the things we bought, as quickly and securely as possible because everything purchased by us and my parents would be sent back to Grandma's house in a U-Haul. So rather than being sorted in a logical manner, things are packed partly according to when it sold and what sold with it, and partly according to what would fit into the available boxes.

Because I did not get to organize the items sold and because I did not get to take what I absolutely wanted BEFORE the sale as was stated in Grandma's will, we had to buy A LOT of stuff to get the things I really, really wanted and to get things that I just liked a lot. So I ended up with a lot of strange odds and ends, things I didn't even know existed in her house, and things I would have never chosen myself.

It was a very daunting, stressful, emotional task. After many failed attempts, I admitted that I wouldn't be able to sort it alone.

Luckily, we have some very awesome, helpful friends. Having non-relatives help forced me to sort more quickly, not get as hung up on emotional stuff, and even to admit that some of the things I ended up with are a little ridiculous. Like all the boxes of empty picture frames that didn't sell.

A Side Note on Packing, Unpacking, and Auctions

I need to pack up more stuff here at home before I can move anything else over there. Still only have two rooms worth of shelves and closets to fill because the other rooms are still being deep cleaned, and the carpets still aren't ready for furniture to be moved in. (Vacuuming has started, but may be redone several times.) But this is a good time to talk about part of the packing/unpacking problem.

We have a lot of stuff. Random stuff. Small stuff. Stuff we probably don't even need, but I hang onto anyway because I haven't had time (or energy or patience or the right frame of mind) to sort it. When we've moved in the past, it's just stayed in boxes or been piled up somewhere (often on or under chairs and tables). I'm hoping to have a fresh new start in this new place that has a magical number of closets and cabinets.

Moving: Day 2

Today I did some more moving alone. I got a little more done without my small helpers running around entertaining me. But it sure was quiet! (The radio helped that, once I found a good classic rock station on the manual tuner, but I turned it off when Mom and Dad got there, since Mom would maybe not like Foreigner and Led Zeppelin blaring in the kitchen.)

Books are shelved, coloring books are in a cupboard, and board games are beginning to find a good closet to live in. The main level hall closets are getting their shelves back, which were removed for painting. My Grandma actually built in most of these shelves herself. Most of them are really pretty straight. We suspect she eye-balled it, so a few are a bit tilted. But they are all spaced according to her needs at the time, which looks pretty odd right now, on account of me not having the same things in the same places. We've really enjoyed seeing all of Grandma's carpentry. She has never been one to be helpless. If she needed something done, she did it to the best of what she could do. Which generally worked out pretty well. So we'll let two or three crooked shelves slide.

It's begun!

Today we officially started "moving"! Bags of movies have been organized onto shelves, and boxes of books are on the floor waiting to be sorted and shelved. That will have to wait until tomorrow, because the movies took all day. It apparently was a big deal to get every genre grouped correctly. I say "apparently" because I didn't plan for it to take all day, it just did. But my favorite TV series are grouped together, my favorite comfort movies are on two shelves (although I may reorganize them another day), and the ones I never watch/somewhat regret buying are up too high to reach. With the scary movies. Because no child under five needs to check out Scream or Attack of the Giant Leeches, regardless of how tame you think they may be. And how cute Skeet Ulrich is.