Epiphany

So a very large lightbulb came into view above my head today when I realized it's really easy to pack stuff up when you think "do I want to move this or not?". You see, I used my ninja tactics to talk the kids into letting us take the Christmas decorations down FINALLY! I realize it's only January 9th. But when it didn't really even feel like Christmas to begin with....and then it FLEW by! Once it was gone, I wanted all the decorations to be gone too. They collect dust, and drive my OCD husband even crazier than usual. The tree goes where the toy chest is the rest of the year. So for __weeks that the tree is up, he paces. The toy chest is now in the living room where the couches are, and it wigs him out. It's taking up space against the wall where nothing else ever goes, but it shouldn't be there. So he doesn't like it. He loves our kids to death! But doesn't like one iota of the crap that comes along with them. It actually cracks me up. A LOT. Like their shoes. Inevitably, they're everywhere in the house. Even when they are in the spot they go, it eats at him that the kids shoes now have "a spot". And when he's in an OCD mood all I can say is "ok hon. I'll throw all their shoes out and they can go barefoot." Surprisingly, this pisses him off. Weird? Right?
Anyway, I strayed off subject there :) Another strange phenomena. Whoops!
So while we're packing up the decorations, it occurs to me that we are going to put the house on the market SOON. And it's going to sell this time! This isn't just my optimistic self coming out. It's the knowledge that we are going to list it at the bare minimum so that it does sell! We have already come to terms with the fact that we are going to lose money in this ordeal. And while that sucks, it's coming to accept this fact that is truly the hardest part. Check! Over and done with. Only moving forward from here! Now, once the house sells, we are OUT! Which means our stuff is too! So my brain has moved into packing mode. Sounds special, right? That's because for me, it means the opposite of hoarding. If it hasn't been used in the last 10 minutes, it's out. Okay, maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but you get my drift. I can't get over how much crap I've thrown out. I mean CRAP. We have a LOT of it laying around. I swear, I'm not even being hasty about it. I've had the Veteran's here 3 times already since the New Year to pick up donations of clothes, shoes, kids toys, etc. But there is straight-up garbage laying around the house that I can't figure out what we were thinking not throwing it out to begin with?! So now, my garbage men hate me. And I haven't even put Fat Bastard's chair on the curb yet! Yikes! The problem I run into with my mass exodus of crap, is all the kiddie stuff. I have clothes packed away from my oldest son that will eventually fit my youngest. I have my baby girl's sweet little clothes waiting to become hand-me-down's for more little cousins to come! And more adorable little boy clothes that Ginormo never fit in or maybe wore once but they can be passed down too. Not to mention the plethora(no one uses this word enough! Just sayin'.) of baby GEAR that comes along when you have 3 little ones in 4 years. 2 Cribs, 2 toddler beds....only one of each currently being used! Swings, crib bedding, changing tables, bumbo seats, mobiles, diaper pails, etc etc Oh, and toys. Did I mention TOYS?!?!?! WOW!
We're going to need a bigger boat!
With our wonderful family and fortunate luck to have 417 cousins come before our 3 arrived.....we practically didn't have to buy a thing! And we'd like to keep that tradition alive for the rest of the people in the family :) My little sister-in-law got married in the end of September! She can't WAIT to have kids. But for the sake of her husband's sanity, we opted against filling up their house with baby stuff for their arrival home from their honeymoon. The Hubbs thought it would be funny. His new brother-in-law owes me one! The Hubbs sometimes has trouble thinking a little into the future. So lets say we pull this "practical joke" and his brother-in-law  decides to get him back. He's a cop. This could just get ugly. Imagine all your fears of getting in trouble with the law coming true. But only for a little while...cuz it would be a "joke"! Mmmm hmmmm. I don't think The Hubbs thought into the future at all on that one. Good thing he has ME! Lucky guy.
AND......I'm not 100% convinced that I'm done procreating just yet. So I need to take that into consideration when purging the house too! So for now, all the baby/kid stuff stays. Most of it's packed up in boxes and Rubbermaids anyway, so it's just taking up attic/basement space, not haphazardly strewn about the house to send my other half into pacing fits. Everything else that's not nailed down, or currently in use had better watch it's back though. Our garbage men come on Mondays and Thursdays. So Sunday and Wednesday nights I can be found roaming around the house with trash bags hanging from my back pocket just looking for something to throw out. Strangely enough, the family steers clear of my path, including the fur covered family members? Clearly, they don't realize I only have kitchen sized trash bags.
It's now Monday morning. I was only able to finish typing this since I dropped the oldest mini at school and The Hubbs is at work!
I had the distinct pleasure of watching the garbage men take away our Christmas tree. A feeling of accomplishment poured over me. Even though I'm pretty sure one of them flipped me off. Oh well! Off to another wonderful Monday full of possibilities and hopefully another blog entry later because I have tons of over-caffeinated ideas running through my brain right now!