OK so I admit it, I have may have overacted just a bit to Madeline's haircut. (Great, now I just outed my nameless six year old.) I think that my little rant in the "Under the Table" post may have been just a teensy bit dramatic. I guess that's what I get for attempting to post at midnight--after all, we all know that that is the most coherent and awake time in any mothers day! But I feel a need to let you all know, I am not as flustered as I may have appeared to be during the last post. Yes, I'm still annoyed that she took it upon herself to cut her hair. Yes, I'm still even more bothered by the fact that she lied to me about it and tried to hide if from me. But no, I don't really think that this is the start of a road that leads her to making bad decisions and from her trying to hide things from me. And No, I don't think she is a bad kid, just extremely independent and strong-willed. In fact now that I have had a while to think about this and to let the new look settle in, I know that this little incident is just one of the things that makes her who she is and it will be the story that we love to tell about her for years to come. And if I really want to look at this little incident objectively, I can sing Madeline's praises for being a great problem solver. After all, she was tired of her hair getting in her face and she thought that the best possible solution would be to just remove the offending hair. So really I should be singing her praises that as a six year old, she saw a problem, thought of a solution and then took it upon herself to act on it. Now I only wish that she had that kind of follow through when it came to cleaning her room!
I LOVE THAT GIRL!!!!
*And pictures will come soon--I promise
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Under the Table
I have decided that nothing good really ever happens under the table. I think that the most common reference for this phrase comes from the illegal exchange of cash, but seeing as we are a house full of kids rather than cash, the meaning for us is slightly different.
For example once our toddlers are aware of what they are doing in their diaper the preferred place to take care of business seems to be under the kitchen table. It always makes me laugh to see them there, totally red-faced and trying so hard to have some privacy. Another common under-the-table problem we have is the disposal of food. Sometimes those leaving their food there are totally innocent, simply spilling what they have due to their lack of age and experience. Other times a certain six year old child, who will remain nameless, thinks she can place the food she doesn't want to eat under the table. She actually believes that this method of operation will somehow make it possible for her to: 1-not have to finish the food on her plate, 2-help her acquire desert, and 3-actually work.
Well today, we added yet another under-the-table experience to our lives. The same six year old nameless child (I said nameless, not ageless) decided that under the table would be a great place to cut her hair. Yes, you heard me right my six, let me repeat SIX year old daughter took it upon herself to cut bangs! (Take a moment now to imaging me screaming at the thought of having to deal with that girls bangs again--the past memories of her bangs are a not so distant nightmare!) Now before I go on, let me say that she didn't cut full bangs, rather she thought it would be better to cut a small strip in the middle of her forehead so that she could look extra special. Now I don't mean to sound like a horrible person, but I am having a really hard time with this little problem. Every time I have looked at her hair this evening, I have cringed and had to turn away. It's not that I don't still think she is great and fantastic, I just honestly can't believe that a six year old would think that this was a good idea. I'm probably the most frustrated with the fact that she wouldn't fess up to the problem when I noticed it. She first tried to convince me that her hair just grew shorter today. Then when I kept pressing she finally caved and told me the truth. Like I said, I am super frustrated with this little problem, not so much because of the hair, because I know it will grow. I think the thing that has got me so flustered is the fact that I am loosing control and I hate that! I am also highly bothered by the fact that she already feels the need to hide things from me and not tell me the truth. It totally scares me to see my kids grow up and make their own decisions--especially the ones that lack common sense and good judgment. It scares me because I know that one day the decisions and temptations they have to face will be bigger than something silly like cutting bangs and I worry that I'm not doing enough to raise them with the good sense and judgment they need. And lastly it scares me because I realize that, at least this child, is nearing a point where she no longer believes mom is the best reference or resource to deal with life's problems and I don't think I'm ready for that day to come!
For example once our toddlers are aware of what they are doing in their diaper the preferred place to take care of business seems to be under the kitchen table. It always makes me laugh to see them there, totally red-faced and trying so hard to have some privacy. Another common under-the-table problem we have is the disposal of food. Sometimes those leaving their food there are totally innocent, simply spilling what they have due to their lack of age and experience. Other times a certain six year old child, who will remain nameless, thinks she can place the food she doesn't want to eat under the table. She actually believes that this method of operation will somehow make it possible for her to: 1-not have to finish the food on her plate, 2-help her acquire desert, and 3-actually work.
Well today, we added yet another under-the-table experience to our lives. The same six year old nameless child (I said nameless, not ageless) decided that under the table would be a great place to cut her hair. Yes, you heard me right my six, let me repeat SIX year old daughter took it upon herself to cut bangs! (Take a moment now to imaging me screaming at the thought of having to deal with that girls bangs again--the past memories of her bangs are a not so distant nightmare!) Now before I go on, let me say that she didn't cut full bangs, rather she thought it would be better to cut a small strip in the middle of her forehead so that she could look extra special. Now I don't mean to sound like a horrible person, but I am having a really hard time with this little problem. Every time I have looked at her hair this evening, I have cringed and had to turn away. It's not that I don't still think she is great and fantastic, I just honestly can't believe that a six year old would think that this was a good idea. I'm probably the most frustrated with the fact that she wouldn't fess up to the problem when I noticed it. She first tried to convince me that her hair just grew shorter today. Then when I kept pressing she finally caved and told me the truth. Like I said, I am super frustrated with this little problem, not so much because of the hair, because I know it will grow. I think the thing that has got me so flustered is the fact that I am loosing control and I hate that! I am also highly bothered by the fact that she already feels the need to hide things from me and not tell me the truth. It totally scares me to see my kids grow up and make their own decisions--especially the ones that lack common sense and good judgment. It scares me because I know that one day the decisions and temptations they have to face will be bigger than something silly like cutting bangs and I worry that I'm not doing enough to raise them with the good sense and judgment they need. And lastly it scares me because I realize that, at least this child, is nearing a point where she no longer believes mom is the best reference or resource to deal with life's problems and I don't think I'm ready for that day to come!
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Blessings
Tonight upon the news of the passing of President Hinckley I feel a need to express my gratitude for him and for my membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to learn from him for as long as I can remember. He was such an amazing man and a good example to everyone in the world. His selfless service and total dedication to this church made him a beloved prophet. He was "my prophet," the one I remember for most of my youth and all of my married life. Tonight I know that my feelings of sadness are only for me and that they are shared with members of the church throughout the world. I know that he is happy. He is in a better place and he is with the woman he loves and he has returned with honor to be with our Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ. While his passing is a sad moment for me, it is a beautiful one as well because I am able to take a moment tonight and reflect upon what I believe. I have a testimony of the things which he taught. I know I am a daughter of God and that my Savior Jesus Christ not only died for me, but loved me enough to do so. I know that Joseph Smith restored the gospel to the earth in the latter days under the direction of Jesus Christ. I know that Gordon B. Hinckley was a prophet who led this church under that same direction.I am grateful to have felt the love of President Hinckly and I am grateful for the influence he has had on my life. Last spring I started reading his biography (written by Sherri Dew) and there were so many things about him and his life that deeply touched me. I never finished the book, but plan to go back and do so because I have never been so touched by someone who I have never met. I will end by saying that I am grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from such a strong, bold, and caring man. He will be sorely missed!
FOUR!!!
Today I owe a great big happy birthday shout out to Ben!!! I can hardly believe that he has been part of our family for four years--time has really flown. He has been looking forward to this birthday since August and it turned out to be such a great day for him. We started the celebration last night when we went out to dinner at Chuck-E-Cheese with the our family and my parents. It was crazy and crowded, but he had a blast and that is all that matters! Then today we had a picnic lunch downstairs so that he could use his lovely new lunch box which he happened to win at Chuck-E-Cheese. (An by win I mean, had Craig and I spend way more money for the tokens than we would have if we just bought the thing outright.) After lunch we let him finally open his presents. He was so excited about everything he got and he was great to share all his new toys with his brother and sisters.Birthday celebrations and presents aside, I will have to say what a fun and sweet little guy he is. We are so blessed to have him in our family because he makes us laugh every day. He is slightly mischievous and completely full of life and every day with him is an adventure. I absolutely love his smile and his laugh never fails to light up my day. I think that my most favorite thing about him is his happy-go-lucky attitude about everything in his life. And while he has a super silly side, he also is one of the sweetest most tender-hearted little boys you will ever meet. He loves to snuggle and every day he has a moment when he just needs a hug and a snuggle from me. Those are some of my favorite moments because they remind me that while he is growing up and getting more independent, he still loves me, needs me, and wants to be with me!
I will never forget the day four years ago when Heavenly Father blessed our family with my little Benjamin--he was and still is just what we needed! I know that I am so lucky to be his mom and to get to play with him every day and I thank my Heavenly Father every night for sending him to me and letting me be part of his life!!
I love you Ben!
Happy Birthday!
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Because I can
Today as I was delivering some things for church, I was struck with the realization that it was a BEAUTIFUL day outside. The sun was shining and the frigid temperatures of earlier in the week were no longer an issue. As I was standing on one porch, I got the urge to run and as I felt the sunshine warm my back, I knew I would be running in shorts. Once I got home, I hurriedly fixed the kids something to eat and then forced all of them to lay down and rest. They were required to lay in their beds for 45 minutes--sleep was optional. Once they were all down, I went and dug my shorts out of my running drawer. Before I left I called Time & Temperature--embarrassingly enough, I have their number memorized--it's a must do for many early morning runs. The computer generated voice informed me that it was forty-one degrees--plenty warm for shorts. I walked out my door and I just knew it would be a good run and I was totally giddy! There is something about running in shorts in the winter that just makes me happy. It is such a liberating feeling and I absolutely love it!! Now I just have to look forward to the next warm winter morning, and before I know it, it'll be spring and the shorts will be out for good!
Thursday, January 24, 2008
"Andwew the powice is at owr howse"
In case you are wondering, that is a direct quote from Ben.
In case you are still wondering, "W" is his favorite consonant sound.
In case you are still wondering, yes, the police came to our house tonight.
Here is the story. I was thoroughly enjoying rocking her as she finished her bottle when I heard Ben's little voice, full of w's, in the hall saying, "Andwew the powice is at owr howse." Instantly my curiosity was peaked--what in the world were the "powice" doing at our hose? I couldn't wait to find out what was going on, so when Sarah finally finished her bottle I went out to investigate. From the tail end of the conversation Craig was having I surmised that someone had called and then immediately hung up on 9-1-1. Now I was quick to assume that Ben was the culprit--after all he has been very intrigued with the concept of 9-1-1 for the past two weeks. In fact he probably asks me at least once a day, "Mom, is this the 9 for 9-1-1?" Well just as I was getting ready to inform Ben that it wasn't OK to call 9-1-1 unless there was a real emergency, Craig and the officer resumed their conversation. It turns out that while our address popped up as the location the call came from, the call was picked up by a dispatch more than 100 miles away and it was not from our phone number. Craig and I even checked our redial to make sure that it wasn't one of our phones. It turns out that our kids were not the culprits and that 9-1-1 isn't as smart as I would have assumed. How's that for making you feel secure?
In case you are still wondering, "W" is his favorite consonant sound.
In case you are still wondering, yes, the police came to our house tonight.
Here is the story. I was thoroughly enjoying rocking her as she finished her bottle when I heard Ben's little voice, full of w's, in the hall saying, "Andwew the powice is at owr howse." Instantly my curiosity was peaked--what in the world were the "powice" doing at our hose? I couldn't wait to find out what was going on, so when Sarah finally finished her bottle I went out to investigate. From the tail end of the conversation Craig was having I surmised that someone had called and then immediately hung up on 9-1-1. Now I was quick to assume that Ben was the culprit--after all he has been very intrigued with the concept of 9-1-1 for the past two weeks. In fact he probably asks me at least once a day, "Mom, is this the 9 for 9-1-1?" Well just as I was getting ready to inform Ben that it wasn't OK to call 9-1-1 unless there was a real emergency, Craig and the officer resumed their conversation. It turns out that while our address popped up as the location the call came from, the call was picked up by a dispatch more than 100 miles away and it was not from our phone number. Craig and I even checked our redial to make sure that it wasn't one of our phones. It turns out that our kids were not the culprits and that 9-1-1 isn't as smart as I would have assumed. How's that for making you feel secure?
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Some things come back to bite you....
As a mom, I believe it is my responsibility to teach my children the tools that will enable them to be successful people in their lives. Now when I say successful people, I simply mean that I want them to be successful in the way they carry themselves and in the impression that they leave on others. I don't really care as much about success in material terms, but it is really important to me that they learn how to be good people. I try really hard to teach them character skills and and to teach them how to face adversity. Some of the points that I really try to drive home are:
*You don't have to be the best, you just have to try your best.
*You can't always choose the situation you are in, but you can choose your attitude and how you react to that situation.
* There's nothing you can't do if you put your mind to it.
* I'd rather laugh then cry.
* Work hard and play hard.
* Be nice to everyone.
*You have to face your fears otherwise they will get the better of you.
Now as I said in the title of this blog, some things come back to bite you....today I would like to take particular note of the "face your fears" life lesson and they way it came back to bite me this month. Craig took our older kids up to the Safe Kids fair a few weeks ago--which I highly recommend to anyone with kids. When I finally met them there, the kids couldn't wait to tell me about what they had already seen and done. Of particular interest was the creepy crawly booth. They were so excited to tell me about holding a scorpion, millipedes, snakes, and cockroaches. I told them that they were so brave and fantastic to hold such scary things while at the same time being secretly grateful that I had missed it all. And just when I was arrogant enough to think that, they all just got this sparkle in their eyes and let me know that they were waiting for me so tht we could all go back and hold the tarantula together. Now before I go on, let me say that I am completely terrified of spiders. I will do anything I can to avoid them. (This may stem from two rather unfortunate events I shared with my sister Heather--namely Victor the giant disappearing spider and perhaps worst of all, the camp out along the Salmon river where we pitched our tent on what must have been a daddy long legs nest and despite our complete and total fear, we were yelled at for being loud and forced to remain there all night long wondering if every tingling spot on our body was really a spider making itself comfortable.) With that said, I knew I was stuck. The kids know of my fear--they have even been so kind on a few occasions to kill a spider for me that I just can't bring myself to squish. Well this day, all the kindness was gone. They knew that I had to practice what I preached and they were ready and waiting for me to hold a giant spider. I knew I couldn't say no, because that would only make me a scardey-cat and a hypocrite. So off we went to the creepy crawly booth, where they excitedly escorted me to the small plastic cage holding one of my worst fears inside. Then, they informed the nice man who was working the booth that I needed to hold the tarantula. Despite my racing heart, and my eyes that were filling with tears, I DID IT!!!! I must give special thanks to the fence behind me that I could cling to until my knuckles turned not white but translucent and especially to the man who quickly took the spider out of my hand when I informed him that I was done!
After it was over, it took about 30 minutes for my heart to stop pounding and when I finally recounted this tale to my sister I ended up in tears because yes, it was that traumatic for me. I will say that it was totally terrifying, but I did it and that is all that matters. When all is said and done, I guess that all I can say is I am grateful that some of the life lessons I try to teach are sinking in--even if it is only for the reason that it means they get to torture mom! But apparently I get the last laugh because if they ever tell me that they are too afraid to try something, all I have to do is pull out this picture and tell them to suck it up!
*You don't have to be the best, you just have to try your best.
*You can't always choose the situation you are in, but you can choose your attitude and how you react to that situation.
* There's nothing you can't do if you put your mind to it.
* I'd rather laugh then cry.
* Work hard and play hard.
* Be nice to everyone.
*You have to face your fears otherwise they will get the better of you.
Now as I said in the title of this blog, some things come back to bite you....today I would like to take particular note of the "face your fears" life lesson and they way it came back to bite me this month. Craig took our older kids up to the Safe Kids fair a few weeks ago--which I highly recommend to anyone with kids. When I finally met them there, the kids couldn't wait to tell me about what they had already seen and done. Of particular interest was the creepy crawly booth. They were so excited to tell me about holding a scorpion, millipedes, snakes, and cockroaches. I told them that they were so brave and fantastic to hold such scary things while at the same time being secretly grateful that I had missed it all. And just when I was arrogant enough to think that, they all just got this sparkle in their eyes and let me know that they were waiting for me so tht we could all go back and hold the tarantula together. Now before I go on, let me say that I am completely terrified of spiders. I will do anything I can to avoid them. (This may stem from two rather unfortunate events I shared with my sister Heather--namely Victor the giant disappearing spider and perhaps worst of all, the camp out along the Salmon river where we pitched our tent on what must have been a daddy long legs nest and despite our complete and total fear, we were yelled at for being loud and forced to remain there all night long wondering if every tingling spot on our body was really a spider making itself comfortable.) With that said, I knew I was stuck. The kids know of my fear--they have even been so kind on a few occasions to kill a spider for me that I just can't bring myself to squish. Well this day, all the kindness was gone. They knew that I had to practice what I preached and they were ready and waiting for me to hold a giant spider. I knew I couldn't say no, because that would only make me a scardey-cat and a hypocrite. So off we went to the creepy crawly booth, where they excitedly escorted me to the small plastic cage holding one of my worst fears inside. Then, they informed the nice man who was working the booth that I needed to hold the tarantula. Despite my racing heart, and my eyes that were filling with tears, I DID IT!!!! I must give special thanks to the fence behind me that I could cling to until my knuckles turned not white but translucent and especially to the man who quickly took the spider out of my hand when I informed him that I was done!
After it was over, it took about 30 minutes for my heart to stop pounding and when I finally recounted this tale to my sister I ended up in tears because yes, it was that traumatic for me. I will say that it was totally terrifying, but I did it and that is all that matters. When all is said and done, I guess that all I can say is I am grateful that some of the life lessons I try to teach are sinking in--even if it is only for the reason that it means they get to torture mom! But apparently I get the last laugh because if they ever tell me that they are too afraid to try something, all I have to do is pull out this picture and tell them to suck it up!
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Run Baby Run
OK, I know that I am a total copycat to post this after Abi and Laurie have already done so, but it was too fun to ignore. Last weekend we took a girls trip down to St. George to run a 5K. While I have run several races over the past few years, this was my first road trip for a 5K. For my running friends out there, I have decided that this is a must-do requirement. I don't know if I could have imagined a more laid back and fun race environment. The pressure was off--there were no worries.
Who cares if we ate a very robust dinner at 8:30 the night before? And in turn who cares what it did to our digestive systems? Who cares if we stayed up 'till 12:30 just giggling about silly things--"You never told me it came out!" Who cares if we threw the idea race goals out the window? Really the only goal that I set for myself was to finish the race in under 30 minutes and to have fun! Well, this may stand as the best goal based race results that I have ever had. I don't think I could have laughed more and I was surprisingly thrilled with my time. I owe a super big thanks to a great group of "ladies" who let me be part of their fun. It's always a bit nerve wracking to attach yourself to a group of people that already have an established friendship and routine and just hope you fit in. But everyone was so great to let me in and accept me as part of their group and I really did feel like part of the crowd.
So not only did I get to run a great race and have some fun, but I made some new friends and we can't wait to do it again. Now I only need to find a way to jinx someone so that I have a spot on their Wasatch back team--any ideas?
Who cares if we ate a very robust dinner at 8:30 the night before? And in turn who cares what it did to our digestive systems? Who cares if we stayed up 'till 12:30 just giggling about silly things--"You never told me it came out!" Who cares if we threw the idea race goals out the window? Really the only goal that I set for myself was to finish the race in under 30 minutes and to have fun! Well, this may stand as the best goal based race results that I have ever had. I don't think I could have laughed more and I was surprisingly thrilled with my time. I owe a super big thanks to a great group of "ladies" who let me be part of their fun. It's always a bit nerve wracking to attach yourself to a group of people that already have an established friendship and routine and just hope you fit in. But everyone was so great to let me in and accept me as part of their group and I really did feel like part of the crowd.
So not only did I get to run a great race and have some fun, but I made some new friends and we can't wait to do it again. Now I only need to find a way to jinx someone so that I have a spot on their Wasatch back team--any ideas?
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
"But you are my mom...."
The past two weeks at church we have been battling the problems that come with a 9:00 a.m. start time. Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining, nor do I have an issue with the time, but it does come with problems. For example, getting everyone up, dressed, fed, and ready has been a bit of a challenge. Also the whole being prepared the night before thing isn't working as well as I had hoped. But perhaps the hardest thing about 9:00 church right now is that Madeline feels like she should still be sleeping and therefore tries to lounge across Craig or I throughout the duration of sacrament meeting. And when I say lounge, I mean lay directly across our laps with NON STOP movement. It is so bad that we both prefer having to manage Sarah over sitting next to Madeline. This week it was my turn after about 15 minutes of the constant motion and many requests to sit up and sit still, I was done. I leaned over to her and not so nicely whispered in her ear. "Madeline, sit up. I am not your mattress!" After she processed the information, she leaned over to me with a somewhat hurt look in her eyes and then, ever so sweetly whispered in my ear. "But you are my mom, and I just love you!" Guess what... she ended up lounging on me most of that sacrament meeting, because honestly, how do you say no to that kind of logic and reasoning. I was still annoyed with the constant movement, but I also loved it just a little bit because it reminded me that I am oh so lucky to have someone love me that much!
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
One little moment
Do you ever have those days where you are tired of a kid from the moment they wake up? Today was my day for that. This morning Sarah woke up ready for bed. She was so grumpy, clingy and and whiny all morning that I thought I was going to go crazy. I tried multiple activities to get her mind off of whatever it was that was making her so ornery, but nothing worked. Finally, when I didn't think I could take much more of it, she solved the problem for me. She was whining and crying and then she caught sight of her "de de"--translation "blankie"--in the corner of the room. She laughed her "I'm so glad to see that thing" laugh, went and picked it up, looked at me and in the sweetest little voice imaginable said "ni ni." Then she headed off to her room. I'll have to admit that she melted my heart. She had probably been awake for less than an hour and a half, but she knew that she needed more sleep. We just went to her room and read a story, sang some songs, and rocked for quite a while. It was so sweet and such a great little moment that helped me to put life into perspective.
I love how it only takes one little moment to completely change my perspective on any given situation and my feelings toward a child who has me at my wit's end. I'm also so grateful to have those little moments, because if I had to be completely honest, it's those moments that make motherhood bearable. Without them I would be lost in an endless sea of making lunches, wiping noses, solving problems, refereeing fights and, you guessed it--laundry. And without those moments, I would likely hate my job. But those little moments remind me that all the tedium and frustration is worth it because I get to make a difference in the life of a child and in some small way I get to change the world because of it.
*I hope you enjoyed the completely cheesy note that I ended on--true, but very very cheesy!
I love how it only takes one little moment to completely change my perspective on any given situation and my feelings toward a child who has me at my wit's end. I'm also so grateful to have those little moments, because if I had to be completely honest, it's those moments that make motherhood bearable. Without them I would be lost in an endless sea of making lunches, wiping noses, solving problems, refereeing fights and, you guessed it--laundry. And without those moments, I would likely hate my job. But those little moments remind me that all the tedium and frustration is worth it because I get to make a difference in the life of a child and in some small way I get to change the world because of it.
*I hope you enjoyed the completely cheesy note that I ended on--true, but very very cheesy!
Monday, January 7, 2008
Four is enough
Four is enough what you may ask? Hours of sleep--I don't think so. Servings of chocolate cake-- for my body, yes; for my mind, not by a long shot . Children--most definitely. Loads of laundry--ABSOLUTELY!
Let me explain, I have had a long-standing commitment to do laundry on Mondays. For almost as long as I have been married, Monday has been laundry day. When it was just Craig and I, with our washer and dryer in the hall of our condo, I could usually squeak by with doing one or two loads at a time. (Which, by the way, was almost a necessity because when your washer and dryer are in the hall, that means all your dirty clothes, and even worse, your dirty underwear, are also in the hall just waiting for an unexpected visitor to drop by). I always had to do whites, and then I would alternate weeks between medium colors and dark colors. Then along came Andrew, and not much changed. Then Madeline, then Ben, then Sarah and then WAM--all of a sudden I cannot get away with washing less than four loads of laundry every single Monday. And believe me I have tried --for example last week I think I ran the risk of permanently damaging my washer by stuffing so many darks in there that I nearly broke my wrist trying to fit it all in. And then, after all my pain and suffering, that entire load was rendered "not clean" because the washing machine could not physically wash that many items. Instead it just left nice soapy deposits on about a third of the articles of clothing placed in its care and I'm just assuming that the other two-thirds didn't even see a single soap sud because there simply wasn't room for them to find a path to them . That load was a total waste of time and likely energy. (Please don't report me to the green police). So today, I have finally faced the facts I have tried so hard to ignore and even alter. No matter how hard I try, I simply cannot get by with doing less than four batches of laundry every single Monday--and that my friends, is just our clothes. I can no longer deny the inevitable and I probably should have thrown in the towel to this fight over a year ago, but if I would have thrown in the towel that just means I would have had to wash it.....and that might make five loads which would most definitely push me over the edge.....what a viscous cycle.
And now the last thing I have to say is, what is my life coming to? I have not looked at my blog (or yours) for two weeks. I have completely ignored posting about my fun and exciting Christmas and New Year's. I haven't taken a moment to express how blessed I am to have such great friends and family. I haven't even mentioned some of the new stresses in my life (ie Primary). And I certainly haven't had a chance to tell some of the hilarious stories that make up my every day life. Yet now when I finally have the chance to sit down and express my thoughts, the one thing that comes to mind is, in fact, laundry. Maybe I am really going crazy. Oh yeah, one more thing, I guess you better watch out because tomorrow--I vacuum!
Let me explain, I have had a long-standing commitment to do laundry on Mondays. For almost as long as I have been married, Monday has been laundry day. When it was just Craig and I, with our washer and dryer in the hall of our condo, I could usually squeak by with doing one or two loads at a time. (Which, by the way, was almost a necessity because when your washer and dryer are in the hall, that means all your dirty clothes, and even worse, your dirty underwear, are also in the hall just waiting for an unexpected visitor to drop by). I always had to do whites, and then I would alternate weeks between medium colors and dark colors. Then along came Andrew, and not much changed. Then Madeline, then Ben, then Sarah and then WAM--all of a sudden I cannot get away with washing less than four loads of laundry every single Monday. And believe me I have tried --for example last week I think I ran the risk of permanently damaging my washer by stuffing so many darks in there that I nearly broke my wrist trying to fit it all in. And then, after all my pain and suffering, that entire load was rendered "not clean" because the washing machine could not physically wash that many items. Instead it just left nice soapy deposits on about a third of the articles of clothing placed in its care and I'm just assuming that the other two-thirds didn't even see a single soap sud because there simply wasn't room for them to find a path to them . That load was a total waste of time and likely energy. (Please don't report me to the green police). So today, I have finally faced the facts I have tried so hard to ignore and even alter. No matter how hard I try, I simply cannot get by with doing less than four batches of laundry every single Monday--and that my friends, is just our clothes. I can no longer deny the inevitable and I probably should have thrown in the towel to this fight over a year ago, but if I would have thrown in the towel that just means I would have had to wash it.....and that might make five loads which would most definitely push me over the edge.....what a viscous cycle.
And now the last thing I have to say is, what is my life coming to? I have not looked at my blog (or yours) for two weeks. I have completely ignored posting about my fun and exciting Christmas and New Year's. I haven't taken a moment to express how blessed I am to have such great friends and family. I haven't even mentioned some of the new stresses in my life (ie Primary). And I certainly haven't had a chance to tell some of the hilarious stories that make up my every day life. Yet now when I finally have the chance to sit down and express my thoughts, the one thing that comes to mind is, in fact, laundry. Maybe I am really going crazy. Oh yeah, one more thing, I guess you better watch out because tomorrow--I vacuum!
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