I've always hated unpacking. Packing is fun; packing means dreaming of a new destination and all the new experiences to be enjoyed and memories to be made.

Unpacking means sorting through dirty clothes, half-empty sippy cups and trash from luggage pockets, under the car seats or anywhere else it can be stashed. Worst of all, we usually get home so late that the last thing I want to do is unpack, and sometimes I'll wait til morning. Better yet, I'll take the next day off (if it's a workday) and use that day to clean up, do laundry and the rest of the tasks that need to be completed after returning for a trip. That way, I don't feel rushed or too tired to get it done and the kids can even help. My three-year-old is getting pretty good at sorting out whose clothes are whose and can help carry items from one room to another. She and I can usually get things back in order fairly quickly, and she loves the feeling of helping out Mom.

How do you cope with the unpacking blues?

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