It's officially 2 weeks until we go to Bali. Now it's time for some serious packing. As opposed to 3 months ago when I first pulled the suitcases out and did a "dry run". And again 2 months ago. And 6 weeks ago. And every single week since then.
I have lists about lists I need to make of items to be bought, items to be packed, items to be organised before we leave. I'm so ultra organised and anal about packing that I should be able to do it in 15 minutes. And I probably could, but half the fun of anticipating a holiday, for me, is in the packing and the list writing and the preparation.
Mental note to self to add "organise someone to feed the cat" to one of my lists. Probably should've been a priority. Lucky the kids are coming with us.
Miss5 has watched all of my advance-advance-advance packing, and has her small suitcase out too. Bless her for still being young enough to think her mother is cool and to be emulated. Her case is covered in funky purple and green dinosaurs, and I have a slight case of case envy. My cases are just red - Hubby put his foot down when I wanted to get a set of turquose, pink and brown striped cases. At least we would've been in no doubt as to which cases were ours on the luggage carousel.
I've been putting the odd item in Miss5's case as I think of it. Every time I go in there, Miss5 has added her own items. Like a stapler, cat food (possibly for her sister), her father's wrench, a set of keys (no idea where from...so if you're missing a set, let me know), and HEAPS of plastic bags of varying sizes. I think she's been watching too much MacGyver and Project Runway and got mixed up somewhere along the way, and is planning on fashioning her own range of Resort wear out of plastic bags and miscellanous hardware items.
So every few days I've removed the random items she's put in there, replacing them with a few essentials. And every few days she's removed what I put in there, and replaced it with more future Resort wear materials. This goes on for two months. Gotta admire her perseverence. Two months is a long time for a 5yr old.
After some stern words, we are in agreement that if she wants to be able to leave the hotel room in Bali (let alone get on the plane in the first place), she is going to need to pack more suitable supplies, and possibly some clothing.
She has since been packing knickers, tissues, toilet bags - plural, as in more than one, currently 4 - and mascara. I wasn't actually aware she had mascara in her collection of kiddy cosmetics, but apparently so. It's an improvement, and I have learnt from the prior 2 months, and I'm just going to wait until the night before we leave and pack her case then.
The twins have also been most helpful. They've watched me putting items in the 3 cases in my bedroom on and off. They think it's the most awesome hiding place for whatever they're trying to keep off their siblings. In amongst the toiletries, bandaids (courtesy of A1 parent, Hubby), bathers and books (that's right - I actually plan on not just starting, but also FINISHING more than one book while on holiday...ambitious, much?) in one case, is a whistle, a dummy (probably the most useful thing in the case), a can of corn kernels, half a muesli bar, and a much loved and looked for, presumed lost, stuffed puss cat toy.
Another case, besides clothing and Christmas gifts, also holds a jucie box (empty), water bottle (was full, now empty...all over the contents of the case), apple skins (I blame Miss5 since she doesn't like the skin), and a lone carrot stick - so I'm guessing the twins have watched Miss5 stash her apple skin, and followed her lead with their least favourite veg.
The final case...and it's getting exciting now, like opening a present, since I don't actually know exactly what to expect...holds a million packets of toddler pureed veg (they are actually meant to be in there - I'm paranoid my kids won't get their usual veg quota while we're away, since I can't hide 487 different kinds of veg in each meal like I do at home, so I take one packet of pureed veg for each child, each day), toiletries, more Christmas presents and clothes - and also half my plastic food storage containers, toilet spray, 2 old TV guides, leaves from the garden, and a food scrap that has been in there way too long (delightful).
Being such a control freak about the packing process, you can imagine what all of this is doing to my nerves and my stress levels. I am in need of a holiday just to recover...before it's time to pack to come home, and the fun starts all over again...
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