D, that sounds so awesome. I know my son would love that.

CC, great news on the house! You know I think having to haul it up to the attic might discourage me too. Our biggest issue with the basement is that it is also an additional play area for the kids. They go down there, make a mess, then just come back upstairs and I really don't go down there that much, so they can have a real catastrophe before I find it. They also like to get into the things that are stored. They will have this sudden urge to pull out toys they haven't played with for 3 years, so they open the storage containers and dig or they open boxes and bags I put in the "garage sale corner" to see what is in them. I'm thinking of starting to duct tape those shut to prevent that. School will be out in a few weeks and I have plans to make them work down there every day for 30 minutes until everything is clean and organized.

It is fantastic--truly exactly what you'd expect from the Corps. The boys were very engaged...even the 5 year old. The displays had lifelike replicas of marines in combat...the displays were isolated and temperature controlled so you shivered in the Korea display and got sweaty walking down the chinook tail in the Viet Nam display. There was a display where we were briefed as "a team" getting ready to land on Iwo Jima and then you boarded a landing boat replica that then had surround movie of the landing effort way back when. I looked at the 5 year old as we "boarded" and said well it's time to get ont he boat...in complete belief of what was coming he said "I hope I don't get seasick".
Anyone coming up the 95 corridor should stop and take a look--it is free and freedom oriented. I do love those men and women!!!
d

Keep digging, LUV. It's down there somewhere! Know what's interesting? This house doesn't have a basement like all my others have, but a huge attic instead. I'm not collecting much stuff because now, instead of "throwing it down to the basement" I have to "haul it up to the attic". For some reason that sounds like a whole lot more work and many things just aren't making the cut.

The realtor just called. The final well inspection came back clean (whew) so the closing is on schedule. Woo Hooooo

d, how was the Marine Corps Museum?

Just think CC, you'll be back in Illini country in no time!

We have city wide cleanup this month. It means you can stick all the junk you don't want anymore out on the curb and the city picks it up for free. We had a modest pile and it felt good to see it go. I also took 4 bags of stuff to the Salvation Army last week. I will find my basement yet!

Moves stink...they really do get harder but I'll tell you -I miss the cleansing nature of getting rid of stuff that was a part of the move routine. I have things now that I wonder "what the heck was I thinking" when I bought that...you know.
Hang in there....just think about how you get to see all your stuff on the other end and unpack the "presents". Let us know your dates you'll be out of touch so we don't worry...d

Happy Monday, everyone!

I hope you all had a great weekend and that our friends on the East Coast are staying high and dry.

Shorty's already on the Summer Break count down - Six weeks to go!

Fingers crossed - the house closing is supposed to happed at 2:00 today. Then seven weeks til the movers show up. I must be getting too old for this because I'm starting to wonder how many more moves I have left in me. Right now, I'm guessing two.