Friday, September 12, 2008

Hanging Out to Dry...

Hero got home late last night. I don't remember much of it because my semi-comatic state barely registered his attempts at cuddling me. I feel a little bad about that.

This morning I got the munchies off to the bus, and then went back to bed, and woke up at ten. I was supposed to get into work by nine today. In my feeble (and half-asleep) fashion this morning, I discovered that the basis for any outifit I might choose to wear were all in the dirty clothes hamper.

Off I go downstairs to clean clothes. Mutual benefits: I won't go back to sleep. I can play on the computer. I won't be tempted to wake up Hero, who didn't sleep much. One load should do it except that our dryer has developed a bit of a 'tude.

The door won't stay shut. You have to prop up something heavy against the door to make sure that the door won't pop open, thereby stopping the drying sequence, and extending the length of time you are graced with my musings. Currently there is a full clothes hamper and a full storage tote propped against the door. I also had to turn down my music so I could hear if the dryer did stop.

I do have a clothesline in my backyard, and when it is not raining, I am not in a big hurry, and I am going to be home, I will actually use it. There is just something about fresh laundry from an outdoor line. It just smells, and feels, good. Why is it that the best things in life come to those who wait???

I thought once about a story I read where a mom decided she had had enough being a grown up and wanted to be a dog for awhile. Aside from the sanitation issues of relieving oneself outside and eating from a bowl that sits outside in the dirt all day, I can see her point.

One of my girlfriends was having a rough day with one of her sons. She had fed him his favorite dinner, bathed him, and then put him in his dark bedroom with one book, quiet music, and then removed everyone else in the house to another floor so he could go to sleep, by himself. The child did not appreciate this. I wanted to know exactly how bad I had to be to get this "punishment".

I think sometimes, as women, we forget that we need to take some time to just hang out to dry... Let all of the stuff that runs us through the ringer (i.e. the washing machine - the cleaning, child care, the husband support, the church stuff, the community stuff) and just let it all seep out in the wonder that is sunshine and fresh air. Yeah, we could hurry through the dryer, run the risk of shrinkage and static, and most of the time, we do. But sometimes we just need to HANG OUT! The great thing is, the fam loves this kinda stuff too. Munchies love hanging stuff on the line, we talk and we laugh. It makes it so worthwhile. Then they play while I sit in my chair on the back porch and read my book, taking pictures of how cute they really are, because I know that isn't going to last either.

I didn't realize how big they were until last night when I picked them up at Enrichment nursery last night and they were the ones "in charge." They were the oldest ones in there, taking care of 6 other children, and doing a pretty great job. When did that happen? Suffice it to say, they earned an ice cream, and we enjoyed it the whole way home.

My pearl of wisdom for the day - Take the time to hang out and dry!!! (We could all stand to smell and feel pretty good!!!)

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