Animate container instead of child elements

HTML

<ul class="paging">
    <li>1</li>
    <li>2</li>
    <li>3</li>
    <li>4</li>
    <li>5</li>
    <li>6</li>
    <li>7</li>
    <li>8</li>
    <li>9</li>
    <li>10</li>
</ul>

CSS

h1, h2, ul {
    clear: both;
}
ul.paging li, ul.paging2 li {
    padding: 10px;
    background: #83bd63;
    font-family: georgia;
    font-size: 24px;
    color: #fff;
    line-height: 1;
    width: 180px;
    margin-bottom: 1px;
}
ul.red {
    outline:10px solid red;
}
ul.simplePagerNav li {
    display:block;
    floaT: left;
    padding: 3px;
    margin-bottom: 10px;
    font-family: georgia;
}
ul.simplePagerNav li a {
    color: #333;
    text-decoration: none;
}
li.currentPage {
    background: red;
    background: #83bd63;
}
ul.simplePagerNav li.currentPage a {
    color: #fff;
}
table.pageme {
    border-collapse: collapse;
    border: 1px solid #ccc;
}
table.pageme td {
    border-collapse: collapse;
    border: 1px solid #ccc;
}

JavaScript

(function ($) {

    $.fn.quickPager = function (options) {

        var defaults = {
            pageSize: 1,
            currentPage: 1,
            holder: null,
            pagerLocation: "after"
        };

        var options = $.extend(defaults, options);


        return this.each(function () {


            var selector = $(this);
            var pageCounter = 1;

            selector.wrap("<div class='simplePagerContainer'></div>");

            selector.parents(".simplePagerContainer").find("ul.simplePagerNav").remove();

            selector.children().each(function (i) {

                if (i < pageCounter * options.pageSize && i >= (pageCounter - 1) * options.pageSize) {
                    $(this).addClass("simplePagerPage" + pageCounter);
                } else {
                    $(this).addClass("simplePagerPage" + (pageCounter + 1));
                    pageCounter++;
                }

            });

            // show/hide the appropriate regions 
            selector.children().hide();
            selector.children(".simplePagerPage" + options.currentPage).show();

            if (pageCounter <= 1) {
                return;
            }

            //Build pager navigation
            var pageNav = "<ul class='simplePagerNav'>";
            for (i = 1; i <= pageCounter; i++) {
                if (i == options.currentPage) {
                    pageNav += "<li class='currentPage simplePageNav" + i + "'><a rel='" + i + "' href='#'>" + i + "</a></li>";
                } else {
                    pageNav += "<li class='simplePageNav" + i + "'><a rel='" + i + "' href='#'>" + i + "</a></li>";
                }
            }
            pageNav += "</ul>";

            if (!options.holder) {
                switch (options.pagerLocation) {
                    case "before":
                        selector.before(pageNav);
                        break;
                    case "both":
                        selector.before(pageNav);
    ...