Moving, Packing, Cleaning, Oh My!

[Maggi315]

So we are closing on new house tomorrow, then moving next week. We are trying to pack, declutter, repaint, clean, etc. our current house. It needs to be ready for the new tenants, we already moved all our stuff off the 2nd floor and converted that back to an apartment.

Add to this the normal daily stresses of working, baby sick with roseola and thrush, stomach flu, blah, blah, blah.

So I have been doing what I do when under extreme stress...which is nothing! Not good, house looks like a tornado has gone through, laundry everywhere, and I have been trying to ignore it all!

Who else is moving or has recently moved? tips for your survival. Seems like as soon as I put the baby down to do something, he starts screaming and demanding to be held. And this is the baby I have spent a small fortune on slings and wraps trying to find one he will like (which has been none!).

Maybe I just need a nap, some chocolate, a walk, something! There I go again, avoiding!

[tree_hugger]

We're hoping to move ASAP, even though we haven't found a suitable new home!

I'm decluttering, cleaning and packing in the hope that when we do find a place we'll be ready to go straight away.

[Gunter]

we are closing on a house in less than two weeks. It's solar- woo hoo! Our house is on the market right now, too. So, we have to keep it clean in case anyone wants to come look at it. I pack a little bit everyday, pretty much. I pack a lot more when babe sleeps AT NIGHT. That way, I can get a bunch done all at once. Then, DH drags everythig out to the garage on his way out of the door in the morning.

THat's what has been working for us. I so hear you on needy babe wanting to be held thus not a whole lot of packing gets done with a babe in arms. I have been toting her around in the boxes when I set them in rooms to be packed.

[Emilie]

we have moved so many times! good luck! it will all be over soon

[nicandboys]

I can completely commiserate! We are closing on our new house on Friday and on our current house soon too, have to be out by Sunday night. I am exhausted from the whirlwind of getting our house ready for sale(we spent about 2 months of weekends raking leaves, weeding, pruning, doing small repairs and repainting), then having it on the market(absolute insanity with four kids, three are 5 and under- the upkeep just about killed me with them making messes right and left), then our house sold much faster than expected(3 weeks), and we had to close much sooner than expected(long story), so we ended up with about one week to pack up our house and are moving this weekend. Shew! Now I have to get ready to unpack, and clean and organize the new house(our current house is 1200 sq ft, new house is 3800 sq ft- the thought of cleaning that sucker scares me).

On the bright side, I really got good at making creative use of small spaces and organizing so that this house would show well, and I got into a really good routine while striving to keep it model perfect for showings. So I think I'll be able to stay on top of our new house fine since I will have a place for everything from the start and I'll stick to my current cleaning and straightening routine.

I don't know how people that move often can take it though. It's a lot of work! The only way I have been able to attack the packing from early morning to late evening everyday is to let the kids do whatever keeps them entertained, if it's safe. Today I put the rice and bean box in the living room and they went to town with their measuring cups, funnels, spoons, and sifters. The nearly 2 yr old ended up flinging rice and beans everywhere since I was in the master bedroom packing, but it wasn't that hard to clean up and it kept him occupied for quite awhile. :LOL So I hear ya on the tornado house, I have one too. I figure I have to pack it all anyway, so who cares where it all is right now, it's just going in a box pretty soon. I also feel ya on the clingy baby, my 23 mo old is the absolute king of nurseaholics, I had thought my other kids liked to nurse until I met him, but he is more like obssessed with his love of nursies. And he is a major velcro baby, once I pick him up, there is no pealing him off. I've been wearing him in the back carry with the Kozy a lot lately, or my 11 yr old who is a fab big brother helps me out and finds some wonderful, disctracting thing to do with the baby, like blowing bubbles in the living room for him to catch.

[Bekka]

Definitely commiserating--we've mostly moved out, and cleaning our rental house, moved into the new house, and dchildren are already getting comfortable-pulling the towel bar off, etc. Including music practice, school rides, a 2 year old, and I'm 7 month pregnant! It's making us crazy, but keys have to be in on Saturday and we'll be down to one house!

Harder with a little babe--I totally let my 2 year old go to town with playdough.

[mamapixie]

We're closing on a house on Friday, but we've been lucky, and been allowed to start moving stuff in before close(the house we're buying is 3 blocks from our rental) It's been hard, but I have found that if I don't move every few years, too much crap gets piled up. I have a big pile of trash on the corner(luckily, spring clean up week is next week here, perfect coincidence!)

It looks like we will be able to get all the rest of our stuff over there on Friday, and be completely out of the rental then. This process started the first week of April, so I haven't had a lot of time.