Step By Step Instructions For Vacation Packing

I pride myself on thinking of everything, but it seems I always forget something! For instance, last month when we traveled to the mountains I left my 9 month old's nasal aspirator at home. Why would I need that on our weekend getaway? She got congested and I was kicking myself for forgetting our super awesome battery powered aspirator as I struggled to clean her nose with wet wipes and a cheap drug store bulb syringe.

I'm in good company though. Alison Wilkinson, mom and blogger for Disney's Babble, recently wrote about the struggles of packing suitcases for your kiddos. I chuckled as I read the list and nodded in agreement. This is exactly how it will go…

• Call to your two older children to pack their backpacks for the plane. Give yourself a little pat on the back for raising such self-sufficient children.

• Time to pack. Start with the oldest. Grab three pairs of pants and throw them in. Smugly think to yourself that the hardest part is just getting started. You’re already practically done.

• Decide maybe you should bring a pair of shorts just in case.

• Dig around in the back of the drawer until you unearth last summer’s pre-growth spurt shorts. Realizing your son might protest at approximating the look of Richard Simmons circa 1986, leave the shorts out.

• As you put the third shirt in the suitcase, think — well, probably makes sense to bring an extra one just in case. What if there is a repeat of The Great Milkshake Incident of 2014? Or the What Fits Down the Toilet Mishap of 2013 for that matter? Throw it in.

• Then realize you should also include a few t-shirts. Just in case. Throw them in.

• Notice the carry-on is filling up alarmingly fast and you still have two children to go. Realize you are so not practically done.

• Throw in one pair of PJs. He can reuse it. Wonder if that’s enough. Then throw in one more.

• He needs like seven pairs. Because again, who knows what will happen?

• Oh my gosh, socks. Why do kids need so many clothes? The just-in-case six pairs of socks are overflowing out of the carry-on.

• Take everything out. Put everything back in.

• Repeat steps with your second child.

Why is it so hard? I'm not sure, but Alison hit the nail on the head because that's exactly how packing for vacation turns out at my house too. Read a dozen more humorous steps for vacation packing at Babble. Then, give us some great advice for making it work in the comment section. We need it!