My new trick for keeping up with the laundry

It’s sort of a depressing thought– but I can now add “keeping up with the laundry” to my resumé, thanks to the example of my mother-in-law.  Since her last visit nearly two months ago, I’ve been applying her trick: wash and fold one load of laundry per day.  Which, (bless her heart) she did not mention– she just did.  Just like my mother does when she comes.

This morning my husband said to me, “Oh honey, I’ve been meaning to mention– I haven’t done any laundry for a while!”

“Yeah, I know,” I responded, “like two months.”

“You’re doing a great job!” he said.  One thing I appreciate about my husband is that even though I internally roll my eyes or occasionally gag at all the skills I have mastered since becoming a mother (cleaning up crumbs below the high chair, washing rags used for bums, repeating instructions 50,000 times, making dinner every night, organizing children’s clothes, –I’ll stop boring you with my list.), my husband never does.  He sees these as real accomplishments– and he always appreciates them.

In the past, to solve our laundry dilemma (i.e. a week or two or three, uh-hum, of me ignoring the folding and putting away aspect of doing laundry) I would host what I called a “laundry party.”  I always put out all kinds of invites out on Facebook.  I even mentioned every time that I would provide a movie, popcorn, and beverage of choice to whoever came– but my husband was always the only taker.  Because our laundry party consisted of those items, plus the folding of heaps of garments and linens that had accumulated on our spare bed.

I digress– but once my dad surprised me for a visit.  He took one look at our spare bed and said, “I only need a third of the bed.  Let’s just push those clothes over.”  And we did.  And he did– sleep with our clean laundry as his co-pilot for the whole length of his stay!  Bless his dad heart!

So it appears as though our “laundry party” tradition may be at an end.  I’m so sorry if you feel bad and never got the initiation. I know there are going to be ripples of disappointment on Facebook about this! 😉  But now, my husband and I will just get to relax with the beer and popcorn minus the undie folding!  (Just kidding I don’t fold underwear.)  Woop!  Woop!