The Laundry

I actually like doing laundry. I like the smell of clean warm clothes. I like the piles of sorted dirty laundry. I like being careful with the handwashing. I like Spray & Wash and Clorox 2. My favorite laundry tool is the 3 bag laundry sorter. The laundry room is right outside of the girls rooms, they just walk down the hall to sort their day's dirty clothes into darks, colors, and whites.

For a very long time I didn't need a missing sock basket, and socks were never without their mate. The sock snatcher appeared while I was pregnant with John and I now have a basket the lonely socks. The sock basket is a catch-all and also holds a collection of clothes that are too small, out of season, or things that I am hiding because, though Sydney loves it, it is just not cute.

To keep the laundry in order I do two loads a day. I throw in one load in the morning, then another in the evening. I rarely leave dry clean clothes in a basket - Emily and John like to help with the folding (and unfolding if I am not fast enough.) I fold the clothes onto the ironing board (I do not iron, so it needs to be used for something) making a stack for each child.

But I always seem to be living on the edge - just one missed day of wash away from complete disaster. If I don't wash the whites every other day, then I will be without underoos; if I miss washing a load of towels, I may have to streak out of the bathroom in a hooded ducky towel.

I have been flirting with disaster this week. I did not do a single load on Sunday or Monday. The sorting baskets were bulging with dirty socks and jeans. I moved the load of clean towels into a basket and did not fold them for two days. I had to wash a load of darks 2 times, because I did not move them to the dryer and they were not smelling so fresh. I have been catching up today, but just before I sat down to type this, I went in to fold the clothes in the dryer. Instead of warm fluffy......heavy wet. Dang. I forgot to start the dryer.