Move makes head ache

By JERIANNE STRANGE
Glasgow Daily Times

GLASGOW May 16, 2008 05:01 pm

— Is there anything more frustrating than moving?
I don’t think so.
In my younger, not married, no children, renter years, moving was fairly simple. My, how things have changed.
With a husband, two kids, a dog and a cat — not to mention 15 years of jointly accumulated stuff — planning a move, even thinking about it, is enough to make my head explode.
But that’s what we’re doing. We have found several houses in the area that we are looking at. We are getting our home ready to put on the market. That in itself is an adventure.
I started boxing up some items I thought could be put in storage for about a month, items that aren’t required for everyday living.
“Mom, what are doing?” my girl child cried out upon seeing a packing box in the playroom.
“Just packing a few things so we can paint this room,” I explained. (We had already talked about this at length.)
The hand quickly snatched a book, three playing cards from a board game and a stuffed animal.
“You can’t pack these yet,” the little one said, looking miffed. “I need them.”
“I found these at the bottom of the toy chest,” I responded. “You haven’t touched them in weeks.”
“But I need them.”
I waited a few days, then packed several boxes when no one was home. I was feeling rather pleased with myself ... until the troops came in the door.
“Mom, where is my Army car and soldier guys?” my boy child bellowed from the hallway closet.
Hmmm ... I packed those items just that morning, having found them buried beneath several other play items. I hadn’t seen them in use for some time. I thought it was safe to tuck them away.
“Did you pack them?” he asked, with a mixture of anger and hurt in his voice.
When I didn’t answer immediately, he stomped around telling me how difficult I am making his life by boxing up all of his things when he needs every last item every minute of every day.
My husband tries to stay out of it. Oh, he’s helpful in lifting and moving boxes once they’re packed, but the idea of moving overwhelms him to the point of inaction. I suppose he thinks if we wait long enough, close our eyes and click our heels three times while saying “There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home ... ” the moving fairies will come and – poof! – we’ll be in the new house, the boxes will be unpacked, the lawn will be immaculate, steaks will be on the grill and life will be grand.
In the meantime, my kids are stashing everything they deem absolutely necessary – parents, you know what that translates into – in their bedroom closets and dresser drawers.
And I’m stocking up on boxes and packing tape. I may just have to give that heel-clicking thing a try.
Jerianne Strange is news editor at the Glasgow Daily Times. She can be reached at jstrange@glasgowdailytimes.com.