Another slow morning for me. After oatmeal duty I did my second least favorite thing, fold laundry. It really puts me in a bad mood. My number one least favorite thing is getting stuff together to do our taxes. I ordered some new camis, $3.99 a piece.
I was able to escape the drudgery at 12:10 for a lunch date with Connie, her mom, Angelica, and Kim. We went to the Square Grouper. Lush! Kim and I even shared a dessert, a piece of sour cherry rum cheesecake. De-lish!
Before I knew it, I was back home again in the sweat shop folding laundry again. The band went over to set up for the gig at Springers. Tommy and Shannon went to their guitar lesson. I watched Callie an they took Jake to the gig. Then Naomi and Joe came back with Jake. I fed them supper that Angelica left for them and even Jake ate it. They ate it all.
Then Garrett, Tommy, Charlie, and I walked and rode bikes with Jake and Callie over to Springers. Garrett almost got hit by a car. He was on the wrong side of the street in the middle of the lane with his head down messing with his gears.
The little kids sang. We ate some pizza and beignets. The bugs were horrible. Angelica took her kids and Tommy home. Charlie and I stayed (to eat more food) till they were done playing.
When we got home, Tom and Nina were putting together a bunk bed that Nina bought on Craigslist. Ed spent a lot of time cleaning the girls room today. Now it is finally looking good.
I read to the boys just before midnight. We are getting close to the end of our Indian captives' book.
The boys didn't get much schoolwork done today so tomorrow we are doubling up. I can do it if I get an early start.
Thanks for your daily entries ... Bart and I are enjoying keeping up with your family, from YOUR perspective. I pictured the near accident with Garrett on his bike. We've all seen a child do that and we thank God under our breath when it happens.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned your second least favorite thing. Reflecting, I DO like to fold laundry but then I have only ever folded the most for a family of seven, and the least for my mom, dad and brother, starting when I was eleven.
In 1956, Mother had to leave housekeeping and take a job in Harrisburg in one of the capitol offices. Suddenly we were given chores, although as a farm kid I believe we were helping in many ways but they weren't labeled "chores". So we became what today they call latch key kids, living 5 miles from the nearest town, in the country, on a dirt road with Amish neighbors on one boundary and an old bachelor living with his elderly father on the other.
At this time, Dad was either sleeping from his night job on the RR, or he was off putting in time with the crops. Whichever, he could not watch over us when we got home from school at 3ish in the afternoon. So this became the time to do the chores. My younger brother by five years seemed to get the easy jobs, like picking up his room and sweeping the porches, but I, the female was taught to pare potatoes, fold any laundry left in "the" basket for me AND iron the t-towels and pillow cases and some other easy pieces.
I soon was ironing dresses, shirts and blouses with Mom's "how to" tips. I also had to have the table set for dinner so when Mom hit the door, the potatoes were ready to be cooked, the laundry was all done, and the table set. Our reward was her cooking, always, day in day out, we ate her home cooked meals!
Do you suppose I still enjoy laundry - even ironing if an occasional piece needs it, say to wear on a date with Bart, to a community or school event or to church? - because it was a pleasant experience as a child? Was it because I got to do it at my own pace, alone? Or is it a brain thing, I'm hands-on, and like things squared away and in piles? Hahahahaha!
My youngest daughter had two sets of boy-girl twins, now 18 and 11. Years back, she would complain about laundry. She used the word "hate", she said she was a slave to it ... and I could not understand how one could have 4 kids and not have taught at least one to fold laundry or each one to fold their own. I only ventured out once or twice to make that suggestion. It fell on deaf ears, mostly her response was about them "not doing it right", so why bother.
Then one day 4-5 years ago I visited and there were two big laundry baskets on the long kitchen table. Hannah was folding laundry, the oldest girl, the one who least liked chores. She was doing a good job. I was quite impressed, commented about it, and she said she did all the kids' laundry, but did not like it. Hmmmm, I thought, then realized that I had folded all my family's laundry at her age ... and ironed everything as well and returned all of it to the drawers or closets.
Recently she visited us in Key West for a week. We did lots of talking and the subject of folding laundry came up. She said, "You know what, Gramma, I LIKE doing it now! It's no big deal!"
What? Whoooa, did I hear correctly? Yes, she said the longer she did it, the faster she got and it wasn't that bad at all - and she added,"It helps Mom!"
Yeah, I used to get told that. But now I am wondering, is loving folding laundry a DNA thing? Could it be? Hannah IS the granddaughter I think is the most like me ... OR, or, or - is the real question here that even Hannah and I, both folding, would be overwhelmed with the mountains of Doerfel laundry? I can't imagine the amount! I'm going to guess that I'd feel exactly like you do. Wish I could give you a hand ...because it must be so monotonous, same clothes, basically, same big piles, just a different day, different week. God Bless!