This move, so far:

Things I have learned so far from this move:

1) Stanley Steamer will charge $800 to clean the grout in our entire house, so we're pretty much going to have to do it ourselves, by hand. The lesson is, think twice before renting a big house with pretty much all tile floors.

2) It is a big accomplishment to get all the laundry done and non-essential clothes and linens packed. Also, holy crap we have a lot of clothes and linens. I left out about three sets of clothes per person (plus all Erin's school uniforms), one towel per person, and one set of linens per bed. That's that. Everything else, as of half an hour ago, is boxed up, taped, and labeled, ready for our move.

3) Yes, it is possible to pack a whole house by yourself when you're 30 weeks pregnant and fighting off a bad cold. I have proven that. I'm not quite sure WHY I've packed the entire house by myself, as I'm certainly not the only capable individual living here, but that's the way it's ended up. Someone had to do it. The alternative was that it wouldn't get done, and that wasn't acceptable.

4) Our builder is AWESOME. We're getting the house a day sooner than we had expected.

5) Our friends are AWESOME. We'll be moving with two trucks, a large trailer, and plenty of extra hands to load stuff, mind kids, and all that. I honestly think we'll get it all in one trip.

6) I haven't even begun to consider outside yet. That just occurred to me, and that's probably not good. I know there will be a lot of picking up to do, and I'm not sure what else. I will have to get to that tomorrow. I don't want any surprises.

7) I am procrastinating on making a Goodwill run, even though I have like 10 tons of stuff that needs to go. Between packing everything up, and trying to get over this awful cold, I just haven't had the energy for errands.

8) My tape always disappears.

9) I still have not gotten the Sharpie off Erin's walls. Yes, in case you missed it, Erin wrote on her walls (and the majority of the books we own) in Sharpie. Yes, I was completely livid when I found this. Yes, I'm going to have to paint over it. I haven't yet, though. I just haven't had the energy for errands amid everything else. I will hopefully get that done along with the rest of the walls cleaned of the worst dirt and marks within the next three days.

10) I find that I am most looking forward to the move being over. After it's done, then I can share in Thak's enthusiasm for painting walls in our new house and things like that. At this point, I really just want to be done packing, cleared of this house, getting as much security deposit back as possible, and putting renting behind us for good. Once we have gotten our stuff into our new house, then I'm sure I will be very excited about painting rooms, and making the place our own. Right now, I find that I am most bogged down in the practicality of it.

11) It is hard when everybody is telling you to relax and not do much of anything, when you are the only person who seems willing to get anything done.

12) This is harder than any move we have ever done. This is the biggest house, the pickiest landlord, and the most kids we have ever had to do a move with.

13) When I am not pregnant anymore, I'm going to Carlos and Mickey's and drinking the biggest margarita they make because after this move, I will need it. Yes, even months later.