Bubble-wrap and Boxes

Our home is slowly being dismantled as the packing up process continues...

This is the 7th time we have moved house in 10 years of marriage, across 3 countries, but experience in packing up a home does not make the job go any faster!

The worst job is taking apart the kitchen, with all the breakable bits and pieces that need to be painstakingly bubble-wrapped and all the cooking equipment that you collect along the way, forgetting how much trouble they will be to pack away for storage! As my kitchen goods were slowly transferred from their comfortable cupboards to create chaos on my dining table, the stress levels began to rise! Even Joel was upset by the all the upheaval, needing more comfort, which in turn meant less efficient packing!

 Thankfully, help was at hand in the much, much appreciated appearance of a very good friend, who gave up 3 whole mornings to pack...

 ...and to pack!! I know that I absolutely could not have managed the packing without her help: she so generously gave her time and it made a world of difference.

Of course, Joel also did his bit to help with the packing... He did a fantastic job sorting out our cutlery, sliding each piece onto its stand and feeling rightly proud of himself!

Recently, my days started to merge into a blur of packing and wrapping, but gradually, out of the haze of bubble-wrap and sellotape, a pile of neat cardboard boxes started to emerge..

The pile of boxes grew and grew, getting so large that our dinner guests has to squeeze through the gaps between the cardboard and the furniture to reach the table for our meal! But we were still smiling, despite the disorder that reigned in my lounge!

We allocated a "boxes" corner and I moved the sofa so that it faced away from them. Then I could sit and have a cup of tea on this particular sofa, pretending that the boxes weren't there and ignoring their brutal reminder of  the other 1 million and 1 items around the house that still needing sorting and packing!

Whilst sipping on welcome mugs of tea, I tried not to think about the fact that we only have these sofas for another couple of weeks, before they are sold on to another family. I will miss their comfy, soak-into-softness cushions, but sadly, we can't take them with us. There is not enough room in the plane to move them to our new house.

Last weekend, we eventually moved the bulk of the boxes into a neighbour's house, where they will be stored until the time comes to move them to our new home. The kids had a wonderful time, "helping" Dad move the boxes from one end of our MAF compound to a house at the other end. The tractor was a huge bonus and a great form of entertainment for children whose toys have nearly all been sealed away behind box-tape and cardboard!

The first load is transported from the Parker home...

... to the Stratton home:

Then it's time to go back for Round Two, with very excited passengers taking advantage of the empty trailer!

Now we have moved onto Operation Pack-Up the bedrooms and bathroom. The boxes continue to multiply and Andrew continues to get a free work-out as he lifts and shifts boxes from one house to the other for storage!
 This week, packing has taken on a strange twist, as we keep a watchful eye on current affairs which could have serious implications for us as a family. These are unsettled times. There are odd moments when I catch myself wondering what I am packing for or where I am packing for, but the job must be done; so in the words of my fabulous new tea-towel, sent from a friend in England, for now I must, "Keep Calm and Carry On"!!