The Packing Grouch

Yep, that is me, the packing grouch.  I have said for months that the day after Christmas, we had to start packing.  And sure enough, the day after Christmas, I packed up all of the Christmas decorations.  It was kind of sad.  I really was not ready to pack it all up.  And the kids certainly weren't ready!  And since then, we have been packing and sorting for our yard sale, nonstop.  I do not like to pack.  I don't like to pack for trips and I certainly don't like to pack to move to a different country!  So, it has made me very grouchy.  The other night when I was getting the kids to bed, Chris got home from a Bible study and asked them if they had been good.  They told him that they had done some things that mommy told them not to and both of them had gotten hurt.  (I love their honesty- Walker fell off the table and hit his ribs on a chair after I had just told him not to get on the table.  And Emma had a sore bottom after playing in the sand with a skirt on.  I had told her several times not to get into the sand because it might irritate her bare legs.)  Anyway, I told Chris that I had been grouchy all day.  Both of the kids agreed and said that they didn't think I would get any presents from Santa next year! 

We have had three yard sales within just a few weeks.  Yard sales are not a well known concept or practice in Paraguay.  It is mostly Americans who have them!  In the past we have used a Paraguayan's friends' business parking lot on a main road to have them, but this time we just did it inside our condo.  It was very tiring, but much easier to be here close to home! 

This is Olivia climbing into her former highchair that we are trying to sell.

We have two weeks left to get all of our stuff ready to ship to the states.  We are sorting through stuff to see what we want to sale, what goes in the container to ship to the U.S., what needs to stay with us to take in our suitcases and what needs to stay with us until the last few days to sell.  The whole process just makes me tired and grouchy.  I am not a fan of disorder, and there is no way to avoid disorder when you are packing.  There are boxes everywhere, piles to sort through everywhere and it is just....well, chaotic.  Not only do we have to pack, but every box has to be labeled with what is inside- both in english and spanish.  And we have to have a corresponding list of all the boxes and their contents in spanish and english. 

Boxes, boxes everywhere.

The biggest role of bubble wrap ever!

My living room decorated with more boxes!

I just keep telling myself- this too shall pass!