I insisted this summer that the kids DO their own laundry. They already knew how, but it's good for them to do all of the steps. It's one more skill that they can master in our effort to raise independent kids. I was expecting some backsliding heading back into the school year, but there really hasn't been. Annie and Maddie noticed they needed to wash their shorts last night, and so they started a load of laundry. I can't say enough about what a lovely reprieve it has been not to have been the recipient of, "Hey, where is my [article of clothing]? I put it in the laundry room last night right before bed and mentioned in passing when you tucked me in that I needed it today..." This morning Maddie switched over last night's wet clothes into the dryer, cleaned out the lint, put in the dryer sheet, and started the dryer. An awful noise immediately rumbled out of the laundry room. I asked if there were rocks or shoes in the dryer, and with eyes wide in confusion Maddie answered that she didn't think so. We gave it 30 seconds or so, but the noise didn't stop. I stopped the dryer and shook out all of the clothes and towels, looking for any kind of culprit.
Nothing.
Hm.
I started the dryer again, and again the loud noises rang through the laundry room and kitchen. I stood next to the machine trying to identify what on earth would be making that kind of racket. My best guess what the band thingy spinning the drum of the dryer sounded... off? So I did what all non-handy wives do, and called Ryan. I wanted to know how serious of a problem this was. Can I still run the dryer?
Ryan said sure, as long as I keep the door to the laundry open and watch for a fire.
I'll take that as a "no." One of my childhood reoccurring nightmares was a house fire. Thanks, but I will pass.
Annie still wanted her shorts, so I set them out with a fan blowing directly on them. The rest of the items were draped over chairs and benches at the table to air dry. It's not glamorous, but it gets the job done.
After I dropped the twins off at school and made it back home, I was feeling rather sorry for myself as I was surrounded by this:
Isn't that cute?
I remembered a text message from my mother-in-law from early this morning (yippee, seminary started this morning...) with a photo of the sunrise through her bathroom window with the reminder to watch for the beauty in life because sometimes it is fleeting. At 6 am I am rarely appreciative of anything besides my bed and sleep, and I'm afraid I rolled my eyes because, you know, early morning seminary is a sacrifice for students and parents and blah I still strongly dislike early mornings. But as that message ran through my mind again, I realized I did find something beautiful. Ryan and I were very, very blessed with a check to buy that dryer (along with a washer we replaced 4 or 5 years ago) from his grandparents when we moved to Sunnyside 15 years ago. We were as poor as church mice with a one-year-old, and that first paycheck from working was a solid two months away. We had an itty bitty rental house and because of that gift, I could do laundry at home as many times as I have needed since that day. Trust me, with as much laundry as we have done since, with babies and toddlers and stomach flu and a husband who had a dirty job and the general filth of every day, that was an enormous gift. And now we are in a place financially where we can take care of this type of thing ourselves which is no less of a beautiful thing.
Don't get me wrong. Not having a dryer is the pits. Likely having to buy a new one- that stinks too.
::Cue the Piano Guys: "It's Gonna Be Okay."::