Laundry Day

Sigh.  I have 6 loads of laundry to do and I can no longer escape the inevitable.  The mountain is here and there is nothing I can do but to remove it, one load at a time.  Did I let it build up over time?  Not really.  It is merely the culmination of taking a break from laundry since we got back into town on Sunday.  It's really not as bad as it sounds, though if I just look in the washroom I have to fight the compulsion to run and hide. Fortunately, I am learning, slowly but surely, how to overcome that kick in the gut and just get in there and do what I need to do.

Generally speaking, I have around 2 loads a day.  When the kids wet the beds, it adds another load or two, depending on how many wet their beds.  And, thankfully, these days I am not doing it on my own.  Nyssa has been a doll about putting things in the washer for me in the morning and running a couple loads for me in the afternoon.  I am glad to say that she is learning very well how to do it, with a little supervision lest she get too generous with the detergent. 

The rest of the family are also starting to help.  Benjamin takes the dirty clothes from upstairs and puts them all in the laundry baskets in the morning, at least all that he sees.  Occasionally I have to follow and show him some things that he missed.  Richard carries the loads downstairs and Nathaniel carries them to the laundry room.  Benjamin then sorts the clothes.  Once Nyssa moves the clothes from the dryer back into the baskets, Nathaniel carries them back into the house.  Anita often helps me fold and put them on hangars, and either she or Richard carries the clean clothes back upstairs.  Then, we all put the clothes away....sometimes.

The laundry really is becoming a family affair.  Sometimes they don't kick in, but it is becoming a habit.  The good news is that for some reason, the laundry is something the kids all enjoy doing.  Even Gabriela enjoys putting her dirty clothes in the basket.  Now that I'm not doing it all, sometimes clothes end up in the wrong drawer and I fight the OCD that says they must be folded just this way and go on that side of the drawer.  I tell myself I am content when they just get into the right child's drawer these days.  I still get frustrated when the clothes in my room don't get put away for a few days, but I am also learning to say, "Richard, I need your help please now to put these clothes away."  Lo and behold, usually when I actually ask, he helps!  What a concept!

It's like everything else in my life.  A situation arises and it needs to be taken care of pronto before more gets added to the pile.  No it's not always fun, and it can be a hassle carrying those loads up and down the path of life, but it does help when others help me carry the load.  After all, part of the reason I'm in this boat is because I forgot that I needed to ask for their help in the first place.  Plus, when we all work together, we have so much fun laughing and joking around that the chores of life sometimes become a game.