Since we moved five months ago a trip to visit the grandparents has gone from a 15 minute drive we do on a whim to an hour and a half ordeal that takes days to plan for. Here's a break down of what it takes to visit Gran and Papa for a weekend...
~Two day advance warning of a total room clean up and laundry blitz for upcoming visit
~3 hours of hide and seek (aka looking for dirty clothes in the kids' rooms, family room, bathroom...)
~9 loads of laundry
~2 hours of folding laundry
~1 hour looking for suitcases
~Half an hour of washing mysterious goo out of Mischief's suitcase
~2 hours to pack all four suitcases
~2 hour of lectures, pleading and threats to tidy rooms and pack necessities
~1 hour to clean and organise the kitchen, front entry (can't find winter gear until the week's worth of school notes, crafts and lunch remnants are cleared from the hall table and front closet)
~1 more load of laundry because I missed washing Crafty's favourite sweater
~1 hour of baths/showers so everyone at least appears clean and well cared for upon arrival
~2 hours of refolding and packing after Mischief 'helps' by rummaging through his drawers and 'packs' his own suitcase with nothing more than his favourite t-shirt, a pair of PJs, six pairs of socks and ten Playmobile guys.
~Another shower for Dude after he over applies his cologne so he'll "smell good for Gran"
~Half an hour to sort through the four bags of dolls, hair accessories and dolls Crafty has packed for a two-night stay in the city
~45 minute diplomatic negotiation of what movies will be taken with us for the drive
~Another load of laundry to wash Mr. Awesome's jean that didn't make it into the first two batches of laundry
~1 hour to load the van
~15 minute scramble to pack Lego for Dude who just clued in that we are leaving for the city
~Half hour hunt for DS power cords and games
~20 minutes to get all kids into the van
~40 minutes to unload and reload the van because we forgot the sleds for the toboggan party
~10 minute delay for Crafty to run back into the house to go to the bathroom
~Another 10 minute delay for Mischief to run back inside for his bear
~Another 10 minute delay for Dude to run back inside for his homework
~A stop at Tim Horton's for coffee and bathroom stop for Mischief who forgot to go at home
~An hour and a half of listening to the same movie we have listened to the last 8 times we have made the drive into the city
~48 hours with Gran and Papa...priceless :-)
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