I’ve mentioned before that my children are obsessed with all things fairy right now, especially Leo. This is fascinating to me because Leo has doubted the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus in the past, but he is convinced that fairies exist. He will pour over fairy books, take copious notes on fairy behavior, rush out in a snowstorm to make a fairy house complete with a food storage area, and will claim to see fairy dust on snowy hikes. I adore this fairy obsession phase and will be sad when it ends.
Tonight, however, I’d like to discuss a different type of fairy: the Laundry Fairy. Folks, if you happen to see that elusive Laundry Fairy flittering around, could you please send her to my house? I have a situation going on right now and it’s not pretty:
Laundry is one of those thankless tasks of motherhood. No matter how much you do, it is never done. You can never finish the task. It just keeps coming! I try to stay on top of it all by doing at least one load a day, but we just had a bunch of sick days followed by an extended power outage so our current laundry situation is out of control. Three children make quite a bit of laundry, plus Schizz and I both workout daily, plus it is now winter in New England and there are just so many layers.
I once knew a man who enjoyed doing laundry. He said he found it relaxing because he could accomplish something while lost in thought. I understand his thinking, as I feel the same way about exercising and cleaning but try though I may I simply cannot feel the same about laundry. I have tried to find my zen place while collecting and sorting and folding. I am so thankful that I have three beautiful children and a loving husband who produce mass quantities of laundry. I am grateful that we have laundry facilities in our home, and that when we needed to replace them a few years ago we opted for the family-sized washer and dryer. Folks, these machines play a little melody when the cycle is complete. Even the machines are trying to make laundry a happier event! I also tried to make my basement laundry space a little more zen by adding some acoutrements: a CD player so that I can listen to my favorite songs while sorting and folding, and a sign reminding me that laundry is a blessing. And yet, I feel anything but zen when I’m down there.
Folks, I kid you not. Schizz just came up to me as I was typing that last sentence and said, “What are you doing? Are you waiting for the laundry to fold itself?” at the exact same time that my dryer starting playing me a little ditty to let me know there is more laundry for me to fold! I could continue with this rant and question why children always wet the bed/get bloody noses/hurl within twelve hours of having clean sheets. Or, I could discuss what happens to all the socks (seriously, where do they go??). I could even go on and on about all the random crapola that I find in my dryer. Alas, my dryer is beckoning so I have to wrap this up.
So here I sit, finishing out my month of NaBloPoMo with a rant about laundry. And fairies. And Laundry Fairies. I wish Leo was correct: I wish that fairies were real. Especially Laundry Fairies. And maybe the Dinner Fairies, too. Wait, is there a Chuck it Bucket Fairy? Because that would be awesome.
Tell me, what household chore do you wish there were a fairy to assist with? Have you found a zen place while doing laundry? Share your thoughts and tips here.
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Even when freshly washed and relieved of all obvious confections, children tend to be sticky.
~Fran Lebowitz
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I know a man who enjoys doing laundry! My husband! I am so blessed! My children are now old enough to put away their own clothes (after some Ikea magic so they could reach everything)) All I have to do is put away my own laundry!
Lucky duck!!! 🙂