What I found cleaning out the laundry room

In my last post, I mentioned our laundry sorting bins. In order to make room for them, hubby and I had to clean up an area in our basement.

This is what we found -

1. At least a dozen empty detergent, fabric softener or color safe bleach bottles. (We always forget to change this trash can on trash day.)
2. Lint.
3. Surprise beyond surprise - at least 2 dozen mismatched socks (of which, most mates were probably given up on, and therefore tossed, long ago).
4. A ski snowsuit given to us 2 years ago that is still too big for our oldest....
5. Old raincoat.
6. More lint.
7. Two tablecloths. I like to use them for special occasions and then wash them and they end up on the laundry line in the basement and then ?????
8. A sleeping bag and a couple of blankets.
9. Loose pocket change.
10. Spiderwebs! EWWW!
11. A "rumor weed" toy (Veggietales) that has probably been missing for over a year!
12. A teddy bear and stuffed puppy dog.
13. My basement floor!!!

Laundry, Laundry, Laundry (you get the idea)

I decided last weekend that I had to DO something about our laundry sorting technique at our house.

Old technique:
1. Let everything pile up in rooms and on floors, etc.
2. Nag children to pick up and put in laundry basket.
3. Follow after them to pick it up when they don't listen to nagging.
4. Trip over piles in my bedroom, because children find it a good dumping ground when they do pick it up after nagging. After all, out-of-sight....
5. Have a marathon sorting....

New technique:
1. Laundry sorting bins in basement laundry room with color-coded signs(for those in the family that can claim being unable to read).
2. ONE laundry basket in each bedroom.
3. Residents of each bedroom are responsible for transporting their laundry to the basket and the basket to the laundry sorting bins, AND sorting it.
4. Laundry not in the sorted bins, doesn't get washed.
5. Laundry not picked up off the floor results in allowance penalties. (I am hoping to go negative here - maybe I'll get paid the next couple of weeks LOL!)

What I hope to accomplish:

No tripping in my bedroom when I get up blurry- eyed in the night.
Responsiblity for your own stuff.
A nicer looking bedroom, too....

What I've done so far:
Made a place for sorting bins.
Enlisted children to make color-coded signs.
Nag to get laundry picked up.
Gotten annoyed at bins falling apart.
Smacked my head on cabinet above sorting bins, while retrieveing laundry to wash. (Hard enough to get dizzy! - Although hubby would tell you that I am good at smacking my head on anything - we often discuss putting up caution tape!)

Anyway - the best laid plans always have a few kinks to work out.

Obviously, I have to still help the boy and do Gigi's as well as being responsible for mine and hubby's....but, training has to start somewhere....

A regular Partridge Family and talents

Well, hubby is musically inclined. No mistake that God gave him an ear for music. The children are picking up some of it too, at least the enthusiasm, if not the talent.

It's really too early to tell. NiNi received an acoustic guitar for Christmas and is gung ho about learning. ShaSha is learning piano from Dad and today the boy informed me he wants to learn the drums!

Then NiNi explained to me that we are going to have a family band. Dad will play the guitar, too. (His most recent purchase - an electric guitar). NiNi generously offered the baby(Gigi) the moroccas (probably spelled wrong). When I asked who would sing, I was told that was my job. I graciously informed my daughter that God did not bless her mommy with an iota of musical ability and if she wanted this band to really work, she should look elsewhere for vocal talent.

She became serious and asked, "What ARE you good at?" What my insightful daughter didn't realize is that I have been struggling with this for the past few weeks. Feelings of inadequacy and direction (or lack thereof) and opportunities to put my gifts to work aren't exactly abounding at this season in my life. This blunt question from my daughter made me think and put voice to the talents God gave me. We are so caught up in a need to be humble that we sometimes feel like we are boasting, so we hold back. How is holding back helping anyone? How can our gifts be utilized if left hidden and unknown to those around us?

I realize that at this time in my life, my first obligation is to my husband and children and that the day to day just naturally presses in and takes over, leaving what we perceive as little opportunity to utilize our gifts. I know that I am imparting to my children, but as every mom knows, it is hard to impart, and impart, and impart, and give, and give, and give and feel like there is little fruit, or wonder if you are planting correctly. I may make no sense at all and this is more of a ramble than I first intended.....

Back to the family band - I told my daughter that I was fairly good at organizing things, to which she replied that I could be the manager!!

An aside..... When NiNi asked what I was good at - ShaSha piped up and said "cooking"! That put a smile on my face. If anyone would have told hubby 15 years ago that someone would think I was a good cook, he would have fell down laughing --- we ate Manwich, mac & cheese, Hamburger Helper and Pizza for our first 2-3 years......

Offense?

Have you ever torn yourself up over whether or not you have offended someone?

I am doing it currently.

Someone who seems to have put distance between us.

My husband is going nuts at my speculation and thinks I am reading WAY too much into it. I'm not so sure.

But why don't I ask? For fear that if there wasn't any offense to begin with, that I will offend by asking about the imaginary offense?

Make any sense? No, I guess not.....but, I probably still won't ask.