Maybe some of you 'stay-on-top-of-it-house-wives' will not have an appreciation for this post because you..well, stay on top of it. Not so much at the Nelson house. I hate laundry. I know hate is a fairly harsh word, and we teach our children not to say it. But, I think I really am feeling that emotion for the laundry. period. And I'm not afraid to admit it.
I do love empty laundry baskets. And I love the smell of clean laundry. But the laundry it's self is probably one of my worst re-occurring nightmares.
Maybe because it's never done. Done done. The moment the laundry bin is empty, you look at the clock - realize it's 8:30 p.m., the kids will be putting on their pajamas in 10 minutes or so - which means the clothes that were ON their bodies - will be going into the laundry bin. So....you spend the next ten minutes standing in your laundry room - for a moment of peace and tranquility, admiring the empty baskets that will be empty no more.
Argh.
As of late, I've not been all too fabulous at keeping the laundry circle moving. I can get it washed and dried pretty good, but once I'm one or two loads behind in folding - well, I might as well be 100 loads behind. Good Husband has rescued sad wife (more than I'd like to admit here) by holding late night family folding sessions. And sad wife always has load of guilt hanging over her head at her inability to stay on top.
But...brace yourselves people......for 14 days straight......
I HAVE DONE IT!!!! WAHOOOOO!!!!
Say it with me.....THE LAUNDRY CAN BE DONE!!!!
I know our mothers taught us not to toot our own horns, so consider this a non-tootage shout out that for the past 2 weeks there have been clean socks, underwear, and pants readily available for all to wear.
Let me hear a WOO-WOO!
Okay, lest I take all the credit and become lifted up in pride, I best digress a little. It might be helpful here to mention that for the past few weeks the boys have been doing their own laundry in order to pass off a line in their Faith in God and Duty to God.
So, maybe I shouldn't be quite so ecstatic about this situation - seeing as how the amount of dirty clothes I single handedly handle has been minimized by two bodies. OR maybe I should be completely thrilled at the seaming solution we have inadvertently found here.
I think I'm liking this arrangement.
8 comments:
Good Job!!! I have laundry problems too. The washing and drying I am really good at but the folding and, dare I say it, Ironing- not so much. So Kudos to you.
You know, I find this post kind of ironic because Jared says he remembers seeing you doing laundry A LOT when living at John and Carol's. Perhaps you are doing a better job than 99% of the women out there but that over-achieving, high expectation piece of you just won't let you rest. It's that same piece that wouldn't let you relax at 10:00 at night in Prague after we had walked non-stop through the streets of the city. And that piece that wouldn't let you stop at mile 10 during our half-marathon even though you were running on a hurt ankle. So...I think it's marvelous that you are giving yourself credit for keeping up with a never-ending task. But maybe you should also cut yourself some slack because you are just one small woman. Too early in the morning for an analysis?
Wanna' hear my secret? I start laundry the night before the day I intend to "do laundry". So technically it's spread out over two days, but doesn't feel like it because it's just the night before.
Also, I FINALLY realized that if the girls go an entire day or two wearing nothing but their princess dresses, that's at least 2, and possibly 4 outfits I don't have to wash. I was fighting a battle that was actually part of the solution to my laundry problem. Go figure.
And to make this comment even longer, it's very funny that you mention the bedtime-dirty-clothes-going-into-
the-finally-empty-but-now-empty-
no-more-baskets. I hear those exact thoughts in my head at the end of laundry day too. Sometimes I'll hold off one load and wash their clothes from that day before I go to bed... just to make the empty baskets stay empty for at least 7 or 8 hours. Bliss.
I hate it too when those baskets are to be filled by the clothes that are on the body. I have to say that I love the summer wear because you can put more cotton shorts in a load that you can with jeans(winter wear). :)
Great idea to have the kids wash their own clothes. I need to get my kids to that! I also have my hubby help fold at night might as well....its actually our nightly activity. I can't believe how much faster it goes with two people. He does a really good job at folding I just know it will end up in the laundry again, so I don't put as much care into it.
I'm with you on I hate laundry, if I was rich I would pay someone to do it.,,wouldn't that be great??
I think its so awesome that you guys are training for a half marathon. I actually have been running with a good friend for a while...We have ran 5 miles a few times. I thought I would die. My favorite is a healthly run of 2-3 miles. Good luck!!
You and Ali should form a club...laundry seems to haunt the two of you. :)
Laundry is my worst nightmare!! I applaud you for keeping up with it for so long. That is a great accomplishment that I would blog about if it ever happened to me but it hasn't and it probably won't ever happen to me. It truly would be a miracle for me too.
So, great job!!
I've been reading your blog from the beginning and have refrained from posting a comment so far. But, I must congratulate you on this accomplishment. I got so far behind about a year ago that John told me he was taking over his and the kids' laundry. At first, I felt like a total failure. But, I've been so thankful. I was too much of a perfectionist and couldn't handle four people's laundry that way. Now I can just be a perfectionist with my laundry--about twice a month. :)
P.S. I love the idea of listing things you're thankful for at the end of your posts. I have a running list on the side of one of my blogs. Let me know on Facebook if you'd like an invite to any of them. :)
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