From 15 years to 15 loads

I shared that Rick and I went to CA for our 15th anniversary last weekend. Well, not doing laundry for a week has brought me to where I am today, 15 loads. You see, laundry USED to be my favorite household chore. I did it one day a week, finished and waited until the following week. It was so easy. You just switch out loads and do other things. Then, when it is all done, it feels complete. I don't have many areas that feel complete in my life because right after I do them, they usually get messed up within minutes. Laundry WAS different. That system no longer works for me.



Now, with the addition of 2 more little people, I basically have to do laundry every day or every other day. It has been quite the adjustment for me. I am trying various "systems" and still haven't settled on one. I have done laundry according to bedrooms, according to sex, according to colors. I still haven't quite figured out what I will do. I also really struggle with running a load that is not full. I feel like I am wasting money by doing that.



I did some calculations and figured out that my 4 school kids wear about 100 outfits a week. This is due to wearing pajamas, school uniforms, regular clothes, play clothes, soccer clothes, and church clothes. I have also found that sometimes they will try something on and decide not to wear it. Instead of putting it back in the closet, they just slip it into the hamper. This doesn't count the 2 little ones, Rick, and me. I do have the older 4 children put their own laundry away. I only put away Isaiah's, Laila's and mine(Rick puts his own away, too).

My kids are getting old enough to do their own laundry, but I am kind of picky about how I like to see the laundry done. First, I am functioning with the mentality that these clothes must last through 3 boys and 3 girls. I am very picky about treating stains and have found a method of stain removal that works well for me. If I leave the laundry up to the kids, I suspect there will be no stain removal going on. Also, I like to separate according to colors. This is how I was taught and it is hard for me to deviate from that. I also don't dry everything in the dryer(like school uniforms) in an effort to make them last a little longer. I am very much a creature of habit and perfection. This creates problems in a lot of areas, but right now, we are just focusing on laundry. I do have the older 4 children put their own laundry away. I only put away Isaiah's, Laila's and mine(Rick puts his own away, too).



Today, none of this really matters. What matters is that I have 15 loads of laundry that need to be done. Below you will see the piles that I have created. Usually, I can fit my piles in the laundry room with only a little bleeding out into the hallway. Today, the laundry room is full, the hallway is covered, and I had to put the school uniforms on Cody's and Sam's floor because I ran out of room.

Hallway

Laundry Room
School Uniforms
Pray for my poor washer and dryer. They are getting a workout today!!
My favorite stain remover!! Works every time.
Maybe I will be done by Saturday!! All the while, more dirty laundry is being created in this house of mine.