Monumental Occasion

I did something so fantastic today, I felt the need to share it with the World (wide web). I accomplished something that stresses me out almost daily, and causes me a certain amount embarrassment and insecurity because it seems so easy for some. I have struggled with this on-going issue since the age of 18 and have never quite figured out how to beat it. Well today my friends, I not only beat it, but I kicked it's ass.

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I ACTUALLY FINISHED ALL OUR LAUNDRY TODAY! That's right! Every last sock and onesie, shirt and undie. Not only is everything washed and dried, but folded and put away too (except for Carl and Joice's - they can put their own clothes away - I have to draw the line somewhere!)

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Some of you already know that my father is a laundry genius. Every Wednesday and Sunday, without fail, he does all the laundry in the house. Not only does he get this chore done without any problems, but he folds as though it is an Olympic Sport. His lines, perfect. No wrinkle can get past this man. If I got to choose between Martha Stuart and my dad to do my laundry, I would pick my dad any day of the week. Because he is so good as this chore, I never really had to do it when I was growing up. Magically, twice a week, all my laundry was folded for me and neatly stacked on the game table downstairs. He made it look so easy.

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I suck at keeping up with the laundry. At almost any given time, I have at least 5 loads of laundry to do. The only time my laundry is done in full is if my mom or Grandma Judy is on kid duty. I just can't seem to ever get the job done.

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Of course, I blame it on my job. I work. I come home. Kids do homework while I make dinner. We eat dinner. I clean up dinner. We play. We bathe. We read. We sleep. Laundry just never makes the list. Sometimes I try to start a load after we get the kids to bed, but then I always forget about it and it stays in the washer all night, and then I find it (sometimes days later) wet and stinky. Then I have to start all over again. Because of this, it always gets bumped back to the weekends. Oh, how I love my weekends. Excepts for the part where I have to clean for two days and then grocery shop for the next week. That's right folks, when I have to do a bunch of laundry on the weekends, I usually feel pretty bad for myself. Poor Anne - has to work all week and clean all weekend. Boo-Hoo. I honestly feel that every working mother (or any mother for that matter) should get a free cleaning lady. Come to think of it, I might try to get that into my contract the next negotiating year. You think the School Board would go for it? :)

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I actually had time today because I was at home caring for a sick Claire. She has a deep cough, an ear infection and pink-eye. Poor baby.

(she likes to wipe her own nose - she thinks it hurt less)

So, I got busy right away in the morning with the 1st load. A smarter woman would have taken one look at that laundry room and walked right out. But I just put my head down and started working. After the first load, I started stock-piling the clean clothes out of the drier and just kept washing. That way, when it was Claire's nap time, I was able to fold about 4 loads all at the same time. While everything was going, I got some much needed one-on-one time with Claire. We played Barbies and babies, and read lots of books. Because she wasn't feeling the best, I even got some extra cuddles! :) I finished up the last load before dinner time. It is done, and it feels good!

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The best thing of all . . . I didn't even mind doing it! I wasn't mad all day because I was doing a chore that I usually can't stand. I wasn't cursing Carl's name when I sat down to match and fold is 9 bazillion pairs of socks (seriously - this man has the most socks of any living human). I was a woman on a mission, and I wasn't going stop until that last load was put away. I just kept thinking, "you don't score, until you score" (name that movie!)

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Well, I am sure I bored you all to tears with my laundry story. But I am sure many of you can sympathize with me too. One thing is for sure, my (clean) pillow is going to feel fabulous tonight!