Moving Prep

It’s moving week!! The contract has been signed, landlords met, a few measurements taken and baby gates ordered for ALL. THOSE. STAIRS. (what were we thinking?! Tips and tricks from experienced parents welcome. Same goes for those wood floors in the kitchen…)

It’s our first local move in a long time, and Troy and I are finding it a little funny to switch gears. We’ve booked a removal company, squared away move-out/move-in details and started designating areas in the current flat to pre-organize our belongings according to the next floor plan for the movers (oh yes, my obsessive moving rituals – I swear they’re worth it, no matter how big or small the move!), but the strange part has been realizing that, for the first time in forever, all of this work and change will not actually make much difference in our day-to-day life in the coming weeks! Without weeks worth of suitcases to pack or research to do on our next location, I’ve decided to prep for this move in a few new ways.

First, we’ve been cooking! While I am all for take-away orders during a move, it’s nice to know I won’t have to rely on the authentic Italian pizza two doors down or those wonderful bakeries around the corner for every single meal next weekend.

To add a little variety and freedom, Troy and I spent some time in the kitchen over the weekend in preparation. My grandmother’s mouth-watering lasagna is prepped and in the freezer just waiting to be popped in to our new oven at the end of an exhausting day and paired with a salad and likely, much needed bottle of wine. Not so home-made but equally delicious, we finally broke out our second box of Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Bread mix, made a few muffins and popped those into the freezer for a quick breakfast or afternoon pick-me-up as well. I also made a double batch of taco soup last week, but that never made it as far as the freezer…hm.

Additionally, I’ve enlisted a little more help this time around. It’s great – I would argue even important – to get kids involved in the process of moving. Last year, E ooh’d and aah’d at me from her swing as I packed, but this year she has been digging through my piles, playing hide-and-go-seek with what seems to be one piece of any set I’m trying to organize, and demandingly pointing her finger out the window asking me to “PEAce” (“please”) take a break with her to watch the school kids running back and forth on the street below. I, of course, happily oblige.

In an effort to make our to-do list a tad more efficient, we’ve compromised on a few tasks. Last week, she washed all of the caps for her play kitchen while I organized the pantry! It was great – we stood side by side chatting about the upcoming changes (who knows what sticks at this age, but a mom can try her best to prepare her little one, right?), she was able to have fun playing in the water, and we accomplished two moving tasks at the same time! We’ve turned over a new leaf, I dare say.

On the other hand, I’m also incredibly thankful for her drop-in nursery right now. She’s signed up for 4 hours of playtime with her friends this week, and I look forward to some time to kick a few projects into high gear (and hopefully finish out this month’s challenges!) without her sweet little hands here to help.

Troy and I are both excited about the place we will be calling home next and counting the hours until we can start making it our own. I can’t wait to share our new space with you!