Watch out for the quiet ones

We are smack dab in the middle of packing boxes in a big way. Every couple of nights GR and I will load up the mini-van and take boxes over to the new house (if you're just catching up with us ... we're buying Bob and Diane's country house! They are moving into town - a huge, beautiful, brand new condo!). The mini van, with the back bench folded down can hold 13 plastic storage tubs - who needs a truck when you have a mini van? Bob's given us a corner of the basement and it is quickly filling up. Thanks to the help of good friends and my Mom, we're on track for moving the first weekend in February. One second I'm super calm and feel really good about what we've accomplished, the next minute I'm sure we'll never make it and I'm totally overwhelmed with what is left to do. And there is still so much!

The kids are handling the house slowly being packed up over the course of five weeks fairly well. More often then not, I'm having to say, I'm sorry we've packed that already when they ask for something. All but a few of their books were packed weeks ago, as were most of the board games. All the craft supplies are packed up too, save but a box of crayons, a pair of scissors and some glue sticks.

The biggest challenge for me has been having the food storage packed and all but one cookbook. I'm discovering some great new recipes in a seldom used cookbook from 1998! And I'm rather impressed by what I'm able to make using only what's in the refrigerator, little pantry and freezers -- good gravy we have a lot of random things in there. Thankfully it means I don't have to shop much and hopefully we will have less to move as we whittle our way through it.

Anna continues to be extremely adventuresome, what a little personality!! She is definitely one who you have to worry about if she's super quiet. When she's super quiet one of three things is happening ... she's sleeping (rare), she's playing independently, she's discovered something to disassemble and dump out. Lately she's been doing the later more so than the others, probably because she knows I'm tired and have my head in boxes all over the place.

Here's a glimpse of what she's been doing ... I'm sure I'll have more to share in the weeks to come!

14 January 2010

Waving at the camera to wish her cousin a happy birthday. Note all the toothpicks on the floor behind her.

15 January 2010 - Lots of slivered almonds from the freezer.

18 January 2010 - hundreds of little red tube beads ... Ms. Sherlock, discovered them well hidden under the couch.

20 January 2010 - off to the Grocery store with Mom for a gallon of milk - all decked out with her scarf and three necklaces that had to be worn together. Yep, I'm worried ...