So How's That Packing Coming Along...

It's a sad state of affairs when the only time you really get to chat to your husband about such important, life-changing events as, oh, moving your entire family across the country, is while waiting to see a doctor.

This means that there is a tonne of stuff to be done in the next few weeks, including but not limited to...

*David practicing for, taking and passing his final driver's training.
*Deciding on a method of moving, U.haul-type or moving company.
*Making decisions regarding large pieces of furniture and their new homes.
*Talking to the church about several issues, including what paint colours we want in the parsonage.
*David finishing all of his follow-up work for the two courses he took.
*Transferring our district license.

And of course, packing.  I know it seems early, what with there being 6 weeks until we go, give or take, but even so...  I have moved us a total of five times in ten years and if previous experience is any indication of how this move will go, the time line will be something like:

6 weeks - lots of time
5 weeks - lots of time
4 weeks - lots of time
3 weeks - I should pack something
2 weeks - I SHOULD PACK MANY THINGS
1 weeks - Oh Lord
Moving Day - Ahhhhhhhhhh!

And ain't nobody got time for that.

I'm sort of starting in the basement, and my technique is fairly simple at this stage - I call it Purge And Sort.  Purge everything, throwing out or donating when/if necessary/possible (no one wants sheets from the 70s, just saying) and then whatever is left gets sorted into piles.  I'm being pretty neurotic about my piles.  Our books are getting categorized by whether David will have them in his office or they'll be in the house, and even by genre - science, fiction, stuff I like to keep in the bathroom...no?  Alright then.

If it's going to David's office, then it gets packed in a cardboard box and labelled.  The idea is that those books are going to be unpacked directly onto shelves and then the boxes can be tossed away.  If the box contents are destined for the house, I'm trying to pack them in big plastic totes.  Partially because they are dry and clean and safe for stuff, but also because I have no practical idea of what the house will be like, and I may very well not be UNpacking stuff for a while if there isn't space.

It's going well, if slowly.  I don't want to bring even one superfluous item with us, so I'm being pretty rigorous about what 'makes the cut'.  We're not taking our dining room set, or a dresser, or any half finished projects.  I'm going to find new homes for books and such, for clothing that will fit the children if they shrink back to newborn size or suddenly develop gigantism and for the obscene number of towels we own.  Seriously.  Obscene.  Who NEEDS this many towels??

Whew.  I need a list.  That will make me feel better.