Getting ready...

I don't know if taking a six-year-old to another country for almost two weeks is a great idea or a terrible one, but here goes. I'm trying to plan everything I can in advance to avoid any last-minute freakouts. First up: packing. My original idea was to pack one big bag for the both of us, so that I could have one hand on the bag and one hand on the child at all times. However, I've rethought this. Now the plan is to pack a carry-on for each of us: no waiting around at the airport, no worries about lost luggage. Besides, if Charlotte is old enough to travel with me, she's old enough to schlep her own bag. Packing for her should pose no problem; she and her stuff are very small. The only hiccup will be what to do about Hippo and Piggie. She sleeps with both of them in a headlock every night, but we won't have the space to pack them both. She's going to have to make a Sophie's choice, and I predict tears and recriminations.

My one carry-on, however, will be a feat of engineering and creative problem solving, neither of which I have any aptitude for.  I'm going to try to channel my dad, who is aces at packing.  To save space, I'm jettisoning my hair dryer, which I once considered a necessity. Lately I've been cultivating a look that I like to think of as summertime beach hair but more likely looks like the crazy lady whose house you scurry past. Either way, more suitcase space!

As far as clothes go, I'm trying to keep it simple. I've been checking the weather, but summer in the UK is unpredictable. So here's the plan:

-2 pairs of jeans 

-2 pairs of shorts

-5 shirts

-2 cardigans

-1 scarf (why not?)

-1 pair of sandals

-1 pair of sneakers

-flip-flops for dodgy hotel showers

-fleece jacket (my dad was worried I didn't have one, so I ordered one last-minute)

-rain jacket

God, that list looks long. I am determined to get it all in the small bag, though, even if I have to do it by sheer force of will. I'm pretty sure that's how my dad does it.