Who knew...?

Seriously, who knew how little it takes top keep a kid entertained? Not me, that's for sure.With only 3 days until moving day (at last), almost everything is packed, yet the kids are managing without all their stuff just fine. T1 finds it a little harder because he loves Lego and it's packed away but he's rediscovered the sandbox and a few small cars that were buried and has been happy to while away decent chunks of time (he finished school a month early due to the move). T2 has discovered the joy of rocks - small ones that are great for counting, stacking, rinsing, serving as food to stuffed animals and even treasure to be searched for and joyously discover. Does that mean we will be donating all our toys - no, but I think they will be excited to rediscover their long lost (OK - short lost - you know what I mean) toys and collections of stuff - I'll be rediscovering my stuff too!

Surrounded by chaos...

...it's hard to breathe. I find mess and disorder energy draining - G doesn't get that at all and would happily live in this sea of boxes and clutter all the time (is this a guy thing?). It's hard to focus on anything else, the craft supplies and most of the toys are packed, the dog is banned from setting a paw on the carpeted areas of the house now that we have steam cleaned the last of the puppy paw prints from a rather unfortunately timed romp through the house after playing in the mud recently. The basement is out of bounds as it is a sea of G's tools and half packed boxes, two bathrooms are cleaned, locked and not to be used by us ever again and the family room is half it's usual size as more and more boxes find their way to the main floor and therefore closer to their exit and are stacked at one end of the room.

Today I just had to get out, couldn't stand to look at the boxes for another second. Knowing I wouldn't be doing anything fun or productive in the house, I grabbed drinks and snacks, slathered two girls in sunscreen and headed on an adventure. In all honesty it was just a trip to a local park but not one we had visited yet this year and in the opposite direction that we usually walk. Once at the park I parked myself on a bench, let T2 and K go as crazy as they wished and just sat, didn't do a thing - no packing, no planning, no stressing. I just sat. It was just what I needed.

Our return walk took us through "the forest" as T2 likes to call it. A shady trail that led us back home. I walked in the door and the chaos and boxes were there to greet me - but they didn't seem quite as monstrous and menacing as they had only a couple of hours before.

Through a child's eye

Today I took a break from packing and we walked to the library. My view of a walk alone to the library would be something like this - walk along the residential street, turn at the high school, the library is right next door. I may walk back another way along a more main road, turn right at the Catholic high school, cross the street and I'm home again.

Today T2 gave a running commentary as we walked. She knows the route very well and doesn't like us to deviate even though there are several ways we can walk there. As we strolled along with my bag of books to return on my shoulder and her carrying her "prettyful" unicorn she asked me if we would be going down the mountain before we got to the bend. The 'mountain' is a slight slope that I had never even noticed. As we approached the bend she wanted to check out the waterfall in one of the front yards, then we watched a Robin collecting worms, them we dodged some ants and a potato bug. We turned at the school and she wanted to confirm that we would go in the back door to the library, passed the ice rink that would be closed, past the place that smells of chocolate chip cookies and into the library. After choosing some books and a movie she wanted to have a break and sit on the bench by the curvy wall in the sun, not the shady one. We stopped at our usual spot (I hadn't even noticed that we always choose the same bench) for a drink and a granola bar. Then she needed to walk along the curvy wall, up another mountain and across the secret path (a path worn in the grass from people cutting the corner) and to the store and then to the trail where she wanted to find the big bump in the path (never did find it but she sure knew what she was looking for) to the bridge with no Troll under it, past the fallen down tree, the backyard with the new fence, then along the trail by the soccer field, across the street to collect the mail and home again. So many things that she had noticed or remembered from comments I had previously made as we strolled along. Things I no doubt would have overlooked were I walking alone, when my head would be filled with to-do lists or the nothingness that can sometimes be enjoyed when child free for a few minutes.
The walk takes longer with T2, my shoulder wouldn't ache so much were we to jump in the gas guzzling car and drive there but walking at her pace and seeing it through her eyes is worth way more.

Consumed with moving

We move in less than 3 weeks and there's so much to do. The dog had surgery (minor) but now has an infection (not so minor), trying to decide if T1 should stay in the school system or be homeschooled as Asperger's is now affecting him more greatly - especially combined with ADD and a learning disability and despite being 'gifted' he is falling behind as he doesn't complete his work and therefore gets low grades and the social aspects of school and becoming stressfuol for him as well as us. He's got a sleep clinic appointment coming up, T2 needs an adenoidectomy (no biggy but still a worry), I recently had a biopsy (negative thank goodness). G's work load has increased so his day is stressful - all these little things are adding up and toss in a house move to a town where we know no one and really don't know what to expect and I feel like my head is spinning.

Having barfed all that out (unintentionally) I hope to be back in June between the house move and my parents arrival from UK for a 3 week visit (yay can't wait!!).