The packing and cleaning continues...

and it feels like it is a never ending saga. The "slave driver" (also known as my beloved eldest child) took it upon herself to carry everything I need to sort through up to the dining room so that I would have room and company as I went through things (along with the not so subtle pressure of knowing that she is having a party in my honor tomorrow evening here so that things need to be finished up and cleared out). I have truthfully appreciated all her hard work--there is NO Way I could have even gotten through even half of it without her being the driving force behind me, as I tend to get lost in my memories as I go through things. For example we found the photo albums I made when I was in middle school and got my first camera, and we laughed ourselves silly at my "darling first haircut" (losing the length I had worn through most of elementary school) and my trend-setting LARGE plastic lensed glasses in tortise-shell... Oh, and the photos of my first love, a guy I dated all through high school and even got engaged to as I entered my freshman year of college (he dumped me for an exotic dancer he met in CA--go figure!)... I have found that some things really have tugged at my heartstrings and made my eyes well up as I look at the memories attached (baby clothes, special toys I bought the kids when money was tight, etc.). I know they are just material things, and I really don't NEED all of them... But I am not quite ready to let go either.

On a positive note though, here is the SW corner of the porch with the packed and labelled things as of noon--there have been additions to it, however, so this is just a portion of what is ready to go. I am glad I am not on one of those reorganizational shows where they force you to pare down with everyone watching--I would cry! I may downsize even more once I am safely in IL and can really evaluate what I have room to keep and what we need as far as combining household items, but just to prove I HAVE been getting rid of things, this next pic is a pile of the free/donation stuff prior to being put on the curb and listed on Craigs list, as well as 2 boxes of Bingo's toys (mostly action figures of various sorts and their accessories/acoutrements) that were happily accepted by a neighbor for her 6 children to enjoy (Bingo has been "living" there of late, helping babysit the youngest kids with his buddy Junior while the parents are at work, and being an "uncle role-model" to the kids as Junior's oldest sister just had her first baby. What didn't get scavanged from the boulevard was placed tonight into my van to be dropped off at the reuse donation center tomorrow, along with a huge load of books and magazines slated for half-price books... Ceesee is quite proud of me for hanging tough and making strong decisions in the face of nostalgia! I do have to laugh tho' at her keeping at least 6 ream-sized boxes full of harlequin romance novels that I have read and saved... Should keep her occupied for a bit I would say!

J-Fizzle has been adorable helping with everything we are doing... We were at the Mall of America on Thursday shopping for shoes for Auntie, a dress for Mommy, and clothes for him and "Uncle JC" for the wedding... As we stood in Nordstrom's Rack waiting for my daughter-in-law to try on dresses, J-fizzle pointed to the rack of bras next to us and loudly announced "You need new boobs Gram!" resulting in multiple chuckles and funny looks from the people around us. I posted this on an amusing website my daughter discovered, http://www.overheardinminneapolis.com/ My entry is dated July 24, and entitled "but a new bra would be cheaper"... I laughed even harder seeing it in print! (I was both the recipient and the "overhearer").

Tonight the girls shipped me into the background because they are preparing for my bridal party tomorrow. We are going to a day spa for pampering, then out to dinner, and then back here for a wine tasting party. The girls were quite creative in making tags for each wine glass to personalize them for the guests, and it was fun watching them do them. Other than having a say in the roses we got (I have to admit I adore the roses Target sells--15-18 roses for $9.99 and they have a wonderful shelf-life!) I have been kept in the dark about the specifics they have in mind, and that is fine by me--I love surprises! Rumor has it there will be some games and door-prizes, along with good company and conversation. The girls are so excited to be doing this for me, and I am getting as much pleasure from watching them as I am in anticipating a day with my some of my dearest female friends and family members!

Other nice surprises of the past few days have included talking on the phone to old friends I have not spoken to in awhile. One was a dear friend from high school, while the other was a former day-care parent. She had to make me feel old by telling me "our" girl got married last friday in a small out door ceremony, and was off on her honeymoon to Belize. I was so happy to hear that, and I wish those kids well. I have so many memories I treasure of our years as "family" and being a daycare mom. It is funny, but I have stayed in touch with a number of my daycare families and have had the good fortune to be included in their life milestones. That continues to mean so much to me. I always said that God intended for me to mother lots of kids--it has been a "blessing" I am guessing that I at least didn't need to give birth to all of them in order to benefit from having them and their families in my life. I truly have much to be thankful for!

One last major milestone of today: we were sitting in the back yard and I had both babies on my lap on my hammock swing (J-fizzle pointing out "You gots a big lap Gram" because I always remind him it is big enought for both of them), when Lil Miss decided to get down and hold on to the edge of the swing. Her momma tried to get her to hold her finger, but Lil Miss wanted nothing to do with it, and she then proceeded to take about 5 independent steps towards the fence where she saw Aunt Ceesee walking back towards the front of the house. That was the farthest we have seen her walk alone and it was very exciting to all be witness to it. She was clueless as to why we were so excited, but she smiled and clapped anyway! She is just 13.5 months old!

All in all it has been a productive, if exhausting, few days, and I only have 6 more to finish everything up by if I plan to stay on schedule and be done by the time Spike and his family all arrive! If my slave-driver continues to keep up the pace she has set there should be no trouble at all! I will just need to have a good long rest once I reach IL! I guess I will try to get a good night's sleep tonight, because tomorrow we party!