Yep, thats a bargain. It cost me more than that to board just Lucy Lou while we went to Hawaii. I just love critters but am having to learn to enjoy them at other peoples houses or look at pics, lol. I used to drag home all sorts of animals but that was when I didn't work or go anywhere. Good thing the boys took most of them when they moved out, lol. Maybe you can find some younger kids in the neighborhood to put into early training for when they grow up, lol. John was even eyeballing the pics of the chins saying how sweet and soft them look, lol. He was crushed tonight when I told him his firebelly was a toad not a frog like he thought. He said but I don't like toads as much as frogs. I said ok pretend its a frog, lol. They are so funny using their hands to stuff crickets into their mouths. The tadpole turned into a leopard frog I think. She is a cutie.

It sounds like you are doing such a great job of socializing them Debra! I don't know much about cats, but I do train dogs and it seems like you are doing a lot of the same things one would do to work with a dog to help him become less fearful of humans. It takes so much patience, and I imagine it takes even more patience with cats, what with them being more independent by nature. Are you going to try to socialize the kittens for adoption or placement with an organization who rescues kitties? I wonder if Mama Tuxie used to be a house cat at one point in her life? I'm worried about little Midnight too. He has become my favorite. I love an underdog (cat). I think you need to keep Space Cowboy. :D hee!

Tipping...yes...definitely, it's expected here..but I'm east coast. Maybe it is regional??? I wouldn't let them pack your kitchen unless you feel like you can keep control of what is going in which box...or that the boxes are extremely well labeled. Are they UNpacking you, too? If not, it could be days before you open the right box looking for that whatever you have to have right now! That's a REAL pain. It's certainly easier (more expensive, though) if they pack it! That IS the one room I'd hover in and I'd have BIG stick-on mailing labels to record items as they pack. Then slap that label on the box. If YOU mark it, you're more likely to know what's in the box vs leaving it up to them to describe the insides! You could just use a sharpie and write it on a box, but trust me, you may not be able to get to the box that easily while they're packing it. It's easier to have a clipboard with big labels and jot as you observe. Stick the label on when they seal the box. Your food sounds good. They'll be happy! Have plenty of napkins or picnic wipes. You want their hands clean! Keep everything you'd normally keep from your fridge. Just toss it in a box right before leaving and unload it right when you get into the new house. Doing a cooler with ice is too much work for that short a distance. You could always get that the next day...or the day before! Speaking of clean hands...OT to this thread...but a note on your other thread...It sounds like you have great movers who will be respectful of your fine things. However...if you have fabric on furniture, get a roll of that shrink wrap from an office supply store and shrink wrap your furniture (or tarp them). They'll have blankets to cover things, but they may be dirty. I had some nasty dirty fingerprints on a fabulous fabric chair once. The only chair I didn't wrap! I would personally wrap the furniture I care most about and not leave that to their discretion. If you've got the time, to do it, of course. Just don't take too many chances with the things that you care most about. Good luck! Very exciting!

RFla, what a sweet, sweet post!! I remember all those feelings when my baby -- the only boy after two girls -- left for college. I though I'd never recover! He's now 37, with a sweet wife, a 6-year old and 2-year old twins of his own, so he's experiencing the overwhelming love I felt for him. It sounds as if you're doing it exactly right -- you've raised him to have both roots and wings, and that's not an easy balance to achieve. You're making it "easy" for him to leave home -- which is healthy and appropriate -- yet making it clear that he's still a huge part of your heart and your home. You're helping and supporting, and I'm sure you'll find it possible to gradually back away as he achieves more and more independence. My daughters both moved away from us after marriage . . . and now, after 15 and 19 years, we'll all be building homes next door to one another on a Tennessee ridge. Having established their independence by living away from us, they're now able to reconnect without feeling stifled. We're enormously excited about having them and half of our grandchildren next door!! Treasure the past, enjoy the bittersweet moment, and look forward to an exciting future.