Finding Ninee » Sharing our parenting and special needs stories with heart and humor.

Moving Messes, a Party, and a Soon-to-be-Epic Box Fort

foto share for ftsf linkup

It’s 7:13 pm and I’m looking for a photo to share for a blog post that goes live in 47 minutes. I really need to get more pro-active. In my defense, we recently moved, I had a *gulp* birthday this week, and a bunch of (some?) people are coming over Saturday for a party. Because, PARTY, new house, and also, I’m utterly crazy thinking we’d be ready this quickly. Moving messes.

As in- the basement is a mess.

Side note: in throwing a party, there’s always that weird blend between wanting it to be intimate where there are few enough people so you can talk to everybody and the opposite of so-small-it-makes-you-feel-like-a-loser, am I right?

Anyway, I figure a few boxes (a whole lot of boxes) here and there is fine. Especially in the basement, where we’re in the process of fulfilling a promise to Tucker for One Epic Box Fort. There are a few boxes upstairs, but they’re full of things to donate (another side-note: CLEAR YOUR CLUTTER because ohmygosh, I can’t believe how much stuff we have even after clearing so much out before the move. Mostly, Robert is the packrat but I’m not without guilt. Goodbye, beautiful suits from 2005 that don’t fit and are out of style and probably somebody out there wants and fits into them!). The upstairs boxes will be in the garage soon, and a few more photos will be hung tonight and tomorrow.

7:21 pm and I found a photo! It’s of my brothers when my dad was moving out of our childhood home in the late 90’s. Another of a phone mounted to the wall with a cord that only stretched so-far because a phone mounted to the wall! Also, the whole thing of thinking my dad would live in the home I grew up in for forever…

7:23 pm and the photos are scanned. My brothers have red eyes but that’s just cool nods to today’s technology right?

7:28 pm and I realize I was talking about this house, this time, and an epic box fort.

7:29 pm and I have a photo of the incomplete box fort. I think it’s going to be epic but right now? It looks like a mess. Like any building still under construction, I suppose. The entryway is a little saggy…

epic box fort in progress

In fact, it’s not very distinguishable from the for-real, still-full boxes cluttering the other half of that room in the basement. See? Oh, and the two by the window that larger than the others? One’s empty and the other is donation items. Because donations for the win. Also, it’s not as bad as it looks. *cough*

See what I mean about the on-purpose soon-to-be-epic-box fort looking pretty similar to the unpacked mess down there?

Trust me though, the construction is solid, having already had the right half re-done to be able to go higher. We’ve taped and steadied. We have an entrance, and that’s something. Even though it’s a little skewed. Maybe we did that on purpose. Ok, we didn’t but it’s fine.

“Mom, can we keep the box fort for three years?” Tucker asks.

“Maybe, Sweetie. But right now, I’m not sure it’ll be on purpose if we do,” I reply.

7:39 pm and I just sent Kenya the link-up code, tell her I might skip this week. Tucker comes in and asks me to turn on the lights upstairs so he can play on the computer. Decide to not say anything right now about the fact that neither one of them put their dishes in the sink or the dishwasher. They’re still sitting on the table.

7:42 pm and I figure I can post this drivel. I can make up for the stupidness of this with a better blog post later. I hear Robert doing something in the kitchen. Hopefully, he’s cleaning up dinner because ohmygosh, this Finish the Sentence thing is once a week.

7:43 pm Go to PhotoShop to look at the pictures.

7:45 pm and the photos are horrible, but kinda funny. I think I might post this after all but do promise a new post once the epic box fort is complete. Even if it’s less than epic because to my nine-year-old? Anything he can hide out in that’s just-for-him is epic enough. For me, too.

7:36 pm and I think the noise I heard Robert making is him eating chips and not doing the dishes after all.

***

This has been a Finish the Sentence Friday post. My fabulous co-host Kenya Johnson of Sporadically Yours host Foto Share Friday, where you share a photo and the story behind it.

It’s 7:56 pm and I’m looking for typos and dumb stuff.

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by Kristi Campbell

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  • Lizzi - Always good to have a peek into your thoughts xxx Hope the party and the fort go really well xxAugust 24, 2018 – 12:20 amReplyCancel

  • Allie - Are you happy now that the move is done? I know unpacking sucks, but it’s also got to be fun and exciting – brand new, fresh start. Happy Birthday! Sorry I missed it. Did you do anything fun? Love the fort – Camden would be in HEAVEN!! He’s into the box forts right now. Rich keeps him supplied through his Amazon habit. Cam was doing parquor (SPELL?) the other day on my furniture and it made me think of Tucker. xoxo, AllieAugust 24, 2018 – 7:53 amReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - Yes, now that we’re getting the house more livable, I’m happier for sure. It’s hard not knowing where your favorite shoes are but I think we’ve gotten the most important stuff done. Thank goodness. Still, there are a ton of boxes with books and stuff in the basement. But, I don’t think I’ve donated this much stuff in forever, so that feels good!
      Birthday – we just went to dinner which was nice and then tomorrow the party is sorta kinda a birthday celebration. Awww to Camden doing parkour and you thinking of Tucker – LOVE that! xoxoxoAugust 24, 2018 – 2:10 pmReplyCancel

  • Kenya G. Johnson - I didn’t start reading with an adrenaline rush until you got to texting me at “7:39” and realizing the time difference – what you were thinking and going through just minutes before posting! You did good. Are there any kids (older) coming over that could possibly help with the Epic Fort on Saturday? I hope you have a good time and can relax and enjoy the company and then sleep all day on Sunday.August 24, 2018 – 8:53 amReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - I KNOW! I’m an idiot! Robert got home late. Tucker and I got home late. I should’ve started Wednesday but this week is killing me a little bit. Sigh. There are a couple of older kids coming – hopefully they’ll help with the box fort because I’m kinda over it. OOOH I like the idea of sleeping all day Sunday. I’m going to tell Robert you said I can. 🙂August 24, 2018 – 2:20 pmReplyCancel

  • Sarah - If only I had a cute kid who wanted a box fort for 3 years to justify how long my back room had boxes in it. 🙂 Thankfully, we’re finally getting rid of those and actually reclaiming that room into the office that we planned on it being.

    Also, we’re celebrating my birthday in a little over a week (I didn’t know we had birthdays so close together!!), and I have had those same thoughts about inviting too many people or too few, even though it’s just a cookout and no one is going to really care except me. But I want to look cool, even if I’m actually really weird and awkward. XD

    Thanks for sharing this random but awesome post. It’s something I think we’ve all gone through, trying to scramble at the last minute to write something. Definitely done that for one of these!

    Anyway, thanks for the weirdAugust 24, 2018 – 8:57 amReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - Yes to looking cool even though really weird and awkward. That’s me for sure! I hope your cookout is amazing and happy birthday in a week! And I promise I had too many boxes in too many rooms way before Tucker wanted to make an epic box fort. This move has killed me a little though so I hope I never keep so much unused stuff ever ever again. We’ve given so much away and still have too much STUFF. Ugh. Thanks for the sweet words!August 24, 2018 – 2:26 pmReplyCancel

  • Debi - How funny that we both posted photos of our basements today!!! I have been living in my house for twelve years. The things we shoved in storage under the stairs when we move in — do you want to take a wild guess about where they are now?

    Yes. In storage, under the stairs.

    Also, my daughters are 13 and 16 and I just found an unopened, shrink-wrapped Disney princess bathroom set (garbage can, toothbrush holder, etc.).

    You’re not alone! 🙂August 24, 2018 – 9:31 amReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - That is funny that we both posted about basements. LOL to the storage under the stairs. I hear that for sure. Finding unopened things they would’ve loved when younger is the worst. I found a game I bought Tucker when he was like four maybe. I was saving it as a surprise and yup, it’s unopened. And now it’s too babyish. Sigh. Thanks for the not alone comment! I appreciate it!August 24, 2018 – 2:29 pmReplyCancel

  • Dana - This post reminds me of one of my favorite kids’ books – I think it’s called Christina Katerina and the Box. The girl uses an old appliance box to make all kinds of creations, and each time one gets destroyed she just makes another. What an epic fort Tucker could make! Make sure he adds guest rooms 🙂August 24, 2018 – 12:18 pmReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - That book sounds awesome. I don’t remember reading it! I’ll tell him to add guest rooms! Although, I’m kinda getting over that fort. 😉August 24, 2018 – 2:30 pmReplyCancel

  • Pat B - We lived in an unfinished home for many years, so I can certainly relate to unopened boxes.

    Now we have boxes of some of my mom’s things in unopened boxes. Under the stairs is a great place for storage. An old sheet and/or some fabric pieces work great for concealing the boxes!

    I think unopened boxes may be something we deal with throughout our lives. What would we do without all those cardboard boxes?

    Kudos to you for posting and reminding us that life gets messy at times, but we are all in this together and are here to support one another. Happy birthday, again!August 25, 2018 – 1:16 amReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - Thanks so much Pat! And I bet most everybody has unopened boxes under the stairs, in empty closets/rooms… I really have been super aggressive about donating items that we don’t need or use any longer. It’s freeing.August 25, 2018 – 10:23 amReplyCancel

  • Monica - Box Forts sure takes off a little bit of the pressure of having to organize everything after a big move. Hope you had a great birthday!August 27, 2018 – 2:12 pmReplyCancel

  • Aaron - Moved 6 months ago, my garage is still filled with boxes.August 28, 2018 – 12:49 pmReplyCancel

  • Josie Two Shoes - I loved this! It reflects all the chaos of moving, and I think about the many boxes we have stored and stacked that still need to be gone thru after years! Working on it, finally. The box fort is AWESOME, what kid (or adult) wouldn’t love that! It will be fun to watch it grow! 🙂September 4, 2018 – 11:48 amReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - Thank you!!! Oh wow, to the boxes. I suppose we all have way too many of them. We’ll get there. Or, not, which is okay too. Thank you for the box for enthusiasm! I’ll keep you all posted! 🙂September 5, 2018 – 8:57 pmReplyCancel

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