Meanwhile, back to the real world. I did have lots of good ideas and even half-written posts on giftedness and education. But instead, you get ironing.
That's not to say I haven't done any ironing since then, but only the essentials. Which means the basket has slowly been piling up and up until it resembles Mt Ironmore.
Today was the day I sucked it up and conquered the mountain of ironing before we all had no clothes in our cupboards. I started with a brand-new ironing board cover. My old was not fit to put clean clothes on and had lost the elastic out of the sides, which meant it bunched up and made my ironing life hell. So I went out and splurged $19.95 on the deluxe Premium pink with birdies and pegs ironing board cover at Woolies. I know. I live an exciting life.
One (the only?) good thing about the process of kids turning into adults is they grow taller. I seem to also be purchasing new socks and undies at Woolies at an alarming rate (because the sight of Video Boy walking and having to 'adjust' himself every 2 minutes because his mother had not bought him new undies for several years was beginning to get embarrassing). They are also now officially tall enough to bring the dry clothes in off the line and (drumroll, please!) to stand over the ironing board.
Wombat Girl came over today and asked if she could learn how to iron something "real" (hankies and tea towels and pillow-cases are soooo boring, apparently). How could I say no? There is something lovely about passing down knowledge - about 30 years ago my mum showed me her method for ironing shirts and here I am showing my daughter the same thing. Although I do note that there are variations in the ideal method (Martha ends with the collar, but that's where I start) - but I've been doing Mum's way for 30 years now and I don't think I can change.
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Unfortunately for me, the novelty wore off after twenty minutes and one shirt. But it's a start!
In any case, for all my procrastination and moaning, I actually like the process of ironing. Of creating order from chaos, smoothness from wrinkles, full basket to empty basket. I get my iPod out and listen my music. Actually, it would appear I've been listening to the same music for the last 30 years because my playlist still has mostly 80s on it...but it is effective:
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| All done |
But don't get too complacent - there is more of that where it came from...
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| Kids! Go and bring in the washing! |
Do you start or end with the collar?
What's your most hated household chore?
My most hated chore....probably cleaning the kids bathroom, old and looks "dirty" no matter how hard I scrub. I do very little ironing now, the last few times I have dug out the iron was to iron on name tags! However in a prev life when I nannied I did a lot of ironing, I was allowed to buy a movie on cable (in the US) and iron in peace in front of the tele!
ReplyDeleteI truly hate cleaning our bathroom too! I also like to watch movies or better yet, ballets (because I can listen to the music without having to watch).
DeleteHere's how I iron: don't buy clothes that require ironing. Ta-Da!
ReplyDeleteI hate cleaning the kitchen. Absolutely hate it. I like it when it's all done and sparkling, but the minute I make one peanut butter sandwich in there, it feels pointless. Oh, and folding laundry. I don't like that either. I don't mind the sorting or the washing or the drying... but the folding? Blech.
I hate folding!! It is often the case I have laundry baskets everywhere awaiting the folding. I actually do a lot less ironing than I used to (despite what that photo shows) - but some clothes just need ironing!
DeleteI start with the collar too... Martha be damned lol. My mother used to say, "the only thing domestic about me is that I live in a house" ... I'm not THAT bad, but I do not love to fold & put away laundry..and I really loathe ironing. So, I tend to not buy many clothes that require it ;)
ReplyDeleteYeah - what would Martha know??? A lot of the ironing was "dress shirts" which we don't wear often. Our everyday uniform of t-shirts and trackpants don't get ironed. I could not iron my hubby's work shirts, but old habits are hard to break!
DeleteI don't even own an iron!
ReplyDeleteMy least favorite chore is... washing dishes, but Lu does that.
I'm all for having the kids do the nasty chores!
After I pressed "publish" I realised all these people would come out of the woodwork claiming never to iron or that they don't own an iron. How can you not iron??? It's a mystery to me.
DeleteOur kids unload the dishwasher. And as the kids get older, their chore ratio keeps getting improving! I like to think of it as life learning, rather than child labour ;-)