PCS--the moving list

We are coming to the end of our race--or to the sound of the starting gun depending on how you look at it. Today I'm up early to begin a list of household goods to keep out (or clearly mark) when the movers come. These are the things that we will need immediately when we move into the new house. As you go about your day, if you see something that you use repeatedly and it's not on my list, please tell me!

Hold Baggage
*Hold baggage is the Army's term for the things you send ahead by air when you move overseas. The weight is severely limited compared to the overall weight of your house. Our hold baggage has to fit in our van and car for this move.

Bedrooms
Pillows
Sheets
Blankets
alarm clock

Bathrooms
Shower curtain
bathmats
towels
pool towels?
washcloths

Livingroom/office
school books--pre-packed and marked clearly
laptop
a few kids' dvds
Sharpie markers--for marking moving boxes
book to read
games--Banangrams
audio books for the car

Kitchen
Dish towels
Electric tea kettle
coffee pot
grinder
can opener
measuring cups
measuring spoons
plates
cups
bowls
coffee mugs (2)
cookie sheet
Bose radio
phone
toaster
utensils
oven mitts
trivets
pitcher
plastic ware
trash bags
aluminum foil
plastic bags
wax paper
3 trash cans
big trash can
sharp knife
cutting board
rice pot with lid
Everyday pan with lid
sieve
rubber spatula
cooking spoon
pancake spatula
pasta stirrer
grater
DW soap
dish soap
cooler
cookbooks
apron

Tool kit
duct tape
painter tape
hammer
screwdrivers
Engineer's tool
razor blades
scissors
box cutter

Personal Baggage (1 person)
4 shirts
4 pants
4 shorts
4 undies
1 undershirt
PJs
1-4 socks
Sunday shirt
Sunday pants
Sunday dress
Sunday socks
Sunday shoes
bathing suit
pool towel
goggles
snowsuit
boots
coat
hat
mittens
scarf
sweater/sweatshirt
toiletries
uniforms
pack'n'play
cell phone/charger
ipod/adapter/charger
camera/battery charger
address book
calendar
medical records/birth certificates
budgety stuff
atlas

To do:
cancel library cards
buy blinds for house
paint and fill holes
mow
shampoo carpets

Cleaning supplies
vacuums with bags
broom/dustpan
carpet steamer
rags
paint
paint brushes
laundry baskets
drop cloths
putty

This is a list which I'll use to pack anytime we go out of town or move so I tried to think of a variety of scenarios like trip to sisters' in winter with an indoor pool, door-to-door move, or moving to Hawaii. I'll just cross off what I don't need.

Dear Isabel

I miss you.

When I got home, I realized that there was a fingerprint in the center of the lens of the camera so this lovely picture of you is fuzzy.

My kids love this movie you and Alan made to teach them the "Our Father" in Latin.

Say Hello to Alan and the other kids for me.

Love,

Aunt Rachel

Pysanky Eggs

My friend Jenn graciously invited us over last week-while the boys were at basketball camp near her house--to learn how to make Pysanky eggs. I know she will explain it much better when she posts about it, but in an eggshell, these are beautifully decorated and dyed Easter eggs which originated in the Ukraine.

A few days before we had our workshop, Jenn's son Gregory shared his favorite Pysanky picture books with us. The only one we already knew was Rechenka's Eggs. We enjoyed the other books so much that they're going to go on our wishlist.

When you think hot wax, candles, raw eggs and children, "fun relaxing day" is not what pops into your head, but that's exactly what it was. As the little kids created chaos at our feet and all over the downstairs, Jenn clearly explained the steps to make a pysanka. First she drew a design on a raw egg and showed us how to heat a kitska in the candle flame so we could write over the lines with melted bees' wax.

Gregory and Charles had fun just swirling the bees' wax on the eggs and then dying them.

Cecilia wanted a lot of help with her egg--using a kitska is the same skill as using a pencil and Cecilia lacks confidence--so Jenn and I stepped in to help when she asked.

Maria was entranced by the pysanky. She made several eggs, some with traditional designs and some of her own design.

While some kids ran off to play, Maria patiently wrote on her eggs, moved them in and out of the dyes, and asked questions. At the end of our day she stayed behind to learn how to remove the wax and reveal the artwork hiding beneath. Jenn even let her bring some supplies home to show Bill and the twins how to make them.

Best of all, we had so much fun with our friends, we are planning a second pysanky art day before we move.

Singing in the Summer

When I tried to learn harmonica, the first lesson was "Be your own biggest fan." Maria has always been her own biggest fan as she developed her own special singing style--something like impromptu wordless opera in tones just lower than those only dogs hear--and it was obvious that she really enjoyed singing. But until my friend Maryan advertized her Singing in the Summer camp, I worried that Maria would remain underappreciated for a long time.



Now Maryan could make a week-long tooth-brushing camp fun, so I knew her singing camp would be the perfect environment for Maria to work on harnessing her untrained gifts. Throughout the week Maria was fairly quiet when asked about how camp was going, but before Friday James was singing "Strike up the Band" and Anthony was singing "I'm Looking Over a Four Leafed Clover" so I knew that it was going well. And now everyone is enjoying her singing as much as she is.







On the last day, the girls did a mini concert. I thought it was pretty impressive considering they had one week of training. Unfortunately, Blogger is fighting all my efforts to upload the little movie I made, so you will just have to believe me.

They sang the Kyrie and then Veni Creator Spiritu (in Latin!). They did hand movements with "Four Leafed Clover" and marched to "The Marine Corps Hymn" and the "Army Song". Maria told me she sang the harmony part on "Lonely Goatherd" which I thought was amazing with only a week of practice. Well, my descriptions will never live up to your actually hearing her sing, but I assure you that it is now something to look forward to.

Gregory

One of the stated goals of my trip to California was to make my nieces and nephews love me. I did my best and used shameless bribery when my best wasn't good enough.




This is Gregory who is quiet and athletic like Charles. He forced me to ask, beg, and tell stupid jokes so he would smile for me.



















At Catherine's graduation party, I broke the ice by teaching him how to bite a face into a tortilla. Of course, I hate when my own kids do this....







He also agreed to let me to make a movie of him, but I think he preferred our time playing Frisbee together.



(OK, I did learn how to rotate videos, but Blogger rotated it back. Urgh!)

Stephen

My nephew Stephen has a lot of personality. I wish I could have brought him home. He and James would have been perfect together.

Graduation!

My little sister Catherine graduated from high school last Saturday. Bill and his mom watched the kids so I could go home and celebrate. It's hard to believe that 18 years ago she was a smushy baby whose umbilical chord I had cut and I was a graduating senior.





Here are Catherine, my sister Michele, and I in front of my parents' house before we left for the ceremony.




Her graduating class was over 500 students so the commencement was held at UCI. Bishop Tod Brown attended and conferred the empty diploma holders. ;) Catherine is on the right. Yep, that's her.









I'm sure there are better versions of this picture of the Baer kids united for the first time since my wedding in 1998, but not on my camera! In the back row are Marc, Fr. Chrysostom (Anthony), and John. In the front are Rachel, Catherine, and Michele. Unfortunately, the pictures of us in age order weren't on my camera.


And here are the soon to be empty-nesters with Catherine. In a few months she will be starting her freshman year at Thomas Aquinas College where my brother John teaches.

Congratulations, Catherine!