6 Miles

I knew my life would change once we had kids.  One of the things I DID NOT expect was how BIG the difference in laundry.  See, when I was single, living without a washer/dryer, I could go three weeks before I had to wash clothes (back when I was professional, had a large wardrobe, etc.).  I had what I called Limiting Factors. (* Limiting Factor in an ecosystem is something that will limit further growth of an organism in that system. Thanks Ecology 101!)  For me, the Limiting Factor of my laundry ecosystem was usually socks or underwear. But when you’re a single & working, you can just add to the collection to allow for a three week span in laundry. So, about once a month, I’d pack up the laundry, papers to grade or a book to read, and hang out there for a few hours.

Then I got married. My husband had fewer items, so we had more liming factors.  Yet the laundry mat was right down the road, in a small town. About every two weeks we’d pack everything up, start up the washers and go back to our apartment.  25 minutes we’d run back, throw it all in the dryer, and go home.  40 minutes later we’d go back, and franticly fold as much as we could before the owner came to lock up.  Since James knew her, we’d usually chat with her a bit while we finished up.

And now.  Oh my.  First off, with the weight changes & the loss of one income, my clothing choices are a bit more limited.  When Alex was born, I was reminded how many clothes a baby can go through.  Between the spit up, the leaks, and the attempts of feeding solid foods, Alex makes both of us messy.  And Will. We’re still going through multiple pairs of underwear/shorts in a day.  I just did SIX loads in the last two days…not because the kids have Limiting Factors (I do though), but because the piles were SO BIG. And, when I thought I was all done, and I might get a break for a few days, Alex spit up on me. Twice. And Will had another accident.  And another. And a new pile has begun.

**That's my guess at how much it cost for 4 years of private school…I think it averaged about $15,000 a year then. Of course I didn't pay that much.  But it sounds impressive, doesn't it?