Are we ready yet?!?!?

I am trying to get ready to go on my annual New Mexico trip. The kids and I go spend a day or two in southern NM and then head up to northern NM and go camping for a week. It's fun and low key, but we still need a crapload of STUFF. This year I have gotten off lucky and I don't need to take up as much food as I use to, but I still have to pack the kids clothes, sleeping bags, tent, and various other items.

Sounds easy right?

Right?

RIGHT??????

I *thought* it was easy but we have had some speed bumps along the way.

Speed bump #1 - Laundry.

Per my post below, the laundry has not gone DOWN!! Since I did that post...what....2days ago. I have done an additional 5 loads of laundry. FIVE. I SERIOUSLY am getting fed up with it. I have one in the dryer and one waiting to go in the wash right now. I would normally leave a bit of laundry before taking off, but this stuff is damp pool towels/suits and I NEED to wash it. Besides....there are some shirts that the girls wore in the pool that they want to take camping. *ugh* And of course when I *do* laundry, I or someone has to put it away. Me asking the offspring has been leading to the next speed bump.

S.B. #2 - Sighing and rolling of the eyes with the "I can't believe you are making me do this" tone.

"Mooooooooooooooooooommmmmmmm...WHY do I have to keep putting my clothes away?!?!"
"Because they are your clothes and you can put them away."
loud loud *sigh* here
"Where are all these clothes coming from? Why can't you just put them away?"
"Well, if you would stop wearing so many clothes and putting them in with the wet pool towels, then I wouldn't have to wash them again."

You see that up there...........oh yeah, with every load of laundry I fold I get that. Aggrivating isn't it? ISN'T IT?!?!?! Umm hmmmm. My patience is wearing thin on that alone. But wait, its not just that, the sigh/tude has been out with every other little thing I have asked them to do.

"Put your dishes in the sink"
*SIGH/WHINE*
"Pick up your playroom so we can get ready to go."
*SIGH/WHINE*
"Can you guys clean your rooms real quick so I can get *in* there to help you pack?"
*SIGH/WHINE*
"Can you help me...."
*insert sighs and cries of over work HERE*

I will stop there becuase I am sure your head is starting to ache just from reading about it. Afterall, the weekend is coming up and I am sure you have your own whines to deal with and if you don't....then maybe this will be a good birth control method.

S.B. #3 - The War of the Children

If you remember
THIS?

Then thats all I have to say. Because I am trying to get something *DONE* THIS has been magnified by oh................ONE MILLION!!!!

And its not just the mind games going on, its becomming physical! Like the sitting on someone and crushing their chest cavity because the other *thought* they took their flashlight. Or the indian burn because one said they wanted the one red sleeping mat instead of the black sleeping mat. And the neck hold because they were fighting over which suitcase they were going to take.

Oh yeah.....its been great. Really great. And guess what?? We are still not ready to go. Maybe we should go primitive this year. Bare necessities, just the clothes on our backs and a few basic tools. Hmmm......smelly, cranky kids and sharp objects. Whoah.....maybe not. It still might be interesting..........*thinking and pondering*

Anyways, wish me luck and hope that I can come off the beautiful NM mountains will my sanity and all of my children.