Christmas in August

I couldn’t be happier to report that our belongings finally made their way to England and were delivered on Monday, August 22…just one day shy of 8 weeks.  I somehow managed to have everything unpacked and put away (with the exception of clothes, but that’s another story) while keeping an eye on my newly-walking little girl.  Thankfully, she got one glimpse of her ‘new’ old toys and was happy as a lark playing on her own.  She grabbed Elmo, tucked him under her arm, and stood at her V-Tech activity table for about 20 minutes.  In Kate’s world, that’s an eternity.

As for our clothes…we neglected to take into consideration the fact that for twice the price of our Ohio mortgage, we’d be living in a fraction of the space.  We have a narrow four-drawer dresser and a small closet.  What didn’t fit in those spaces are going to be stored in suitcases under our bed.  Right now, they’re on the floor. 

When Doug and I packed our stuff up in Ohio, we felt as though we were leaving SO much behind.  How was I going to live without my waffle maker, Keurig, and an array of bake-ware in every possible shape and size?  As I unpacked our shipment and tried to find a home in the cabinets, cupboards, and closets for everything, I realized just how much excess we really have.  Before the shipment arrived, we were happily living off of one pot, one skillet, place settings for 4, and a couple wooden spoons.  Do I really need 5 glass Pyrex bowls and 25-30 pieces of plastic containers for leftovers?  If anything, this time in England is going to be a good lesson in living simpler.