Why is it so hard to pack for vacation??

Bug and I are headed back down to stay with my grandma for the week. BooBoo is already there and missing us terribly. While I love going to visit my family, I hate having to pack. It is literally an all day event to pack everything. I have to make a "Don't forget to pack" list. Since we are leaving in a few hours, I spent all day Saturday packing and re-packing. What could I possibly need to pack that takes an entire day, you ask?

Well, it is not so much what I am packing as it is who I am packing for. I have to pack for myself, Bug and BooBoo (because she only has two outfits to wear at the moment). That is at least one week's worth of clothes for each of us, bath supplies, extra shoes, hairdryer, straightening iron, and ring sling in our ginormous duffel style suitcase. Then there is the diaper bag which has an extra change of clothes, cloth wipes, 3 diapers, camera, bibs, burp cloth, sippy cup, and toys. (There is more but I cannot remember it all). Next is my purse (small size), which currently holds my wallet, keys, cellphone, dayplanner, makeup bag, bottle of lotion, body spray, deodorant, ibuprofen, and sunglasses. Plus, a smaller duffel which is strictly for Bug's cloth diapers and detergent. Ok, dolls and toys get stored in there as well! I also have to take the Pack n' Play, stroller and a tricycle (not coming back with us). That is a lot of stuff! Thank goodness we have an SUV or I don't know what we would do. Now, I know that some of you are reading this and saying "Well, you could just take a couple of outfits each and just wash them". This would be true if we did not live in Ohio. Because as most Ohioans know, it does not matter how many times you check the weather it is bound to be the exact opposite. So I had to pack a couple of short sleeve shirts, a couple of long sleeve shirts, pants and shorts each. Packing is exhausting and gives me a headache. What sucks the most is that we are planning a summer trip to visit my grandparents in South Carolina. If I am this paranoid about what to pack for a trip two hours away, imagine what I will be like for a 12 hour trip!!!!

To my readers, when you take your little ones on vacation or even an over night trip, what do you bring? How do you decide what is absolutely necessary? Do you find it harder to pack for multiple little ones?