A few weeks back, I lay half-dead on the couch (tired, not ill. Thankfully). I wanted to go to bed. First, I had to complete my mission: fold laundry. I called to Reg: GRAB ME THAT BASKET OF CLEAN LAUNDRY UPSTAIRS IN FRONT OF THE DRYER.
Reg couldn't find it. I must've moved it. I sent him to my bedroom. On my bed? The floor? Oh, I know - I moved it to the top of the stairs to bring down and fold.
Nothing.
I was bewildered. There WAS a basket in the family room. Not far from where I lay. Oh, wait a minute. Maybe I already folded it. Yep, that's what happened. I folded a huge load of laundry WITHOUT even realizing it. It's a gift, I've decided.
I'm counting folding a basket of clothes while on autopilot a strength. Let's combine that with the fact that I'm also able to get BOTH of my socks in the same load of laundry, thereby making sorting a cinch. My children weren't born with this talent. Is it something they will acquire as adults? One can only hope. It continues to baffle me. Where do you put the other sock while you deposit the favored sock in the laundry?
I know that I just managed to escape to Arizona, but as spring break approaches in a few days I WANNA GO SOMEWHERE WARM.
My next strength is not one that most people would be proud of, but I.Am.A.Pest.
Coach gave a firm 'NO' when I suggested we drive to Florida, stay somewhere cheap, and hit the beach . . . even for a few days. Despite his 'NO', I spent time searching airbnb and vrbo sites for a cheap place to stay, with a nearby beach . . . or a nice hotel's heated pool that's just begging to be 'borrowed'. Kidding.
Let's rename this strength: ability to dream. Preferable to pest.
In my rental search process, I came across some doozies. I almost feel like I SHOULD stay at one of these 'deals' in order to report back. We could call the trip BLOG RESEARCH, right?
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| What could be more fun than the 6 of us staying in a camper? For $50 a night. That can't be beat. Note: I hold very little hope of convincing Coach, thus the title for my saved 'finds': never gonna happen. |
I promise to share updates, but not holding by breath. I think I'm stuck in the chilly Midwest next week.
Becky brought her tots over to play yesterday. It was beautiful out. We hung out on the deck wrangling three 2 yr olds and four almost 1 yr olds. Fashion was not my biggest concern. Mini later told me that she could see me out her bedroom window. She said that she almost hollered out her window: I LIKE YOUR JEANS. DID THE HULK WEAR THEM BEFORE YOU?
Um, does it sound like it's time for someone to go back to school?
My strength: taking my teens with a grain of salt.
I STILL have to write a post about the day Mini helped me clean out my closet. When I pulled out my pile of skinny jeans during the purge, Mini frowned. She said one pair needed to GO. I put a '?' on the tag of the pair that she thought was the culprit. I wouldn't know if this was the bad pair until the next time I wore them. Most of my jeans are JAG jeans, so I wasn't sure which was the offending pair.
*Yes, the '?' pair is the pair I had on yesterday.
Technically there is nothing wrong with this particular pair of jeans. They are skinny jeans that just tend to lose their 'skinny' as the day goes along. They get baggy. Real baggy. Especially in the buttocks region. So I look all saggy and loose. Mini likens this to me borrowing jeans from the Hulk. To me, crap jeans are the perfect attire for babysitting.
I'm also a problem solver. Mini asked if she could e-learn today with her besties. It was the official last day of e-learning.
*Translation: my kids are going back to in-person and I'm losing my built in live bodies for when I need to run out during nap time. Seriously, it's gonna be an adjustment.
The problem? She asked last night just as I was climbing into bed. Bad timing, my mind was already asleep. I had a 2:00 dentist appointment and I needed her to be here to babysit during nap time, so I initially said no. She wasn't happy.
A moment later, I realized: she could go to her friend's house so long as she was back by 1:40. Only missing the last hour of time with her girls.
Look at that - my tired, old-person brain figured out a solution.
Anyone else have a 'strength' that isn't necessarily a strength to the general public? What's your spring break dream?
16 comments:
Hahahah oh, Mini. Hulk jeans, I love it. I hate when jeans get baggier throughout the day but that actually sounds kind of perfect for working with small children. Comfy!
You DO have a laundry folding gift! Socks and everything!
You have way more strengths than I do! I wish I could 'sleep fold' laundry.
I have some 'hulk' denim shorts; they're great for the first hour, then it looks like I suddenly lost 12lbs and they're droopy and hanging off me. I never would have called them Hulk shorts (droopy drawers) but I love Mini's creativity.
Taking your kids' comments with a grain of salt is a strength that surely comes in handy with you and yours.
Spring break. What is that? Is that Suzanne's life all the time?
SORRY, didn't mean to rub it in.
I am on auto-pilot daily too. I feel ya.
Someone else talked about spring break on a blog post and I was like, 'what is this spring break you are talking about?" LOL
A spring break dream? What is this concept of which you speak? We'll be here in our little bubble of course. Is that a dream?
As for a strength that may not be considered one, I'm good at seeing through people. I get fooled once in a while, but for the most part I'm very good at spotting the deceitful ones and the users before they know it.
My two in high school have "Orientation Week" this week- mostly to give the current freshman some time in buildings they've never been in- and back to school for real on 3/30. Monday is Cesar Chavez day, a day only celebrated in Phoenix, and only at the High School level for school closure days. I don't really understand, but I guess it's like Evacuation Day in Boston. My Junior was in classes yesterday and by 11 AM was losing her mind from having to stay in one spot for an entire class. She's so used to wandering the house, taking class in the kitchen, eating while on class times, that being kept in a seat is awful. The Sophomore goes in today and is lamenting the fact that she'll need to keep clothes (specifically pants) on for HOURS- she does most of her classes from the couch or bed. Her car also doesn't have a parking pass, so hopefully she doesn't get towed.
Oh I’m so envious of you all in the US. You can travel to all different parts of your country for a complete change of scene and break. It’s illegal to go on vacation abroad from the U.K. currently, so NO chance of any sunshine for us. It’s actually also currently illegal to leave home for any other reason than work, shopping, school or exercise. I wish I could go down to Florida for some rays, but hopefully I’ll be heading up to Derbyshire (2hrs away) on Easter Day for the first visit with my parents and sister’s family since Christmas Eve. We spent 3 hours in their garden then and that’s all we will get to do at Easter as well. No indoor mixing until at least mid May. From Monday 29th it will be the first time this year we have been able to leave our local areas and meet in a private garden. I am so ready for normal life (including sunny vacations!)
Oooh magic laundry folding skills, I wish I had that talent!
I vote you do go try out the FL accommodations, surely it can be written off as a business expense if it’s blog research?? Maybe too far of a stretch?? Haha... I was hoping for a long weekend in Southern CA for my birthday, but my schedule got filled up, the puppy will be getting fixed, the kids have swim lessons and it’s also Easter weekend. No beach birthday for me this year.
I hate when something fits well when you put it on and sags shortly after, but that just makes those staying home clothes (babysitting clothes!) and they never leave the house again :)
-AM
Nicole - The things my offspring come up with. They keep me on my toes. The funny thing is I thought since it was early in the day, the jeans were holding their shape. Not that I was paying attention. They usually look saggy by dinner.
I don't bother asking the kids to sort the laundry anymore. Not worth the complaining. Plus they don't know whose stuff is whose, or they pretend they don't.
Suz - Yes, the Hulk comment was classic and inventive. Weird that my 6 pairs of other Jag jeans don't sag. I buy Jag because they are the only brand that is long enough for me, usually AND I can get them on sale. I guess I wouldn't own 6 pairs if they were traditionally a saggy brand.
My lack of spring break plans is KILLING ME. Now Curly is getting braces, I think. Two of my families need care over break, so now Mini is handling their babysitting . . . in my house. So, that's relaxing. Ugh. This is a rare year when we don't have a world championships to go to for dancing, so WE.SHOULD.GO.AWAY. Plus a last hurrah for other upcoming stuff. ;)
Kari - I find the same with the dishwasher loading/unloading - faster to do it myself because I am a speed demon, especially if I happen to be chatting with Delilah on the phone. I hang up and think: oh look, I just did that.
We rarely get to do spring break anywhere as it is too close to when Irish dancing worlds happens, and this year we are free from that ordeal - all the more reason. (I'm pouting)
Ally - You are not alone being home this spring break. Life is super hectic here at the moment and I could use a break - if I'm here it is going to be all closet cleaning and organizing stuff. Sigh.
Oh, seeing through people is a very good gift to have. I'm usually pretty good at that myself. My skills might be a bit off though - haven't really crossed paths with people other than the babysitting moms.
Kara - Honestly, how nuts is it that kids are going to struggle to wear pants and sit still because it is required at school. So funny. Curly gets exhausted now after being at school all day. She's bummed because her friends ended up getting assigned the same lunch room and she is with no one she wants to hang out with.
Charlie - Against the law! Wow. I'm glad you get to go hang out in the garden for Easter at least. I hope you have nice weather. It is all over the news that the spring breaking college kids are having to be put on curfew because there are so many kids down there. I was hoping for more of a quiet beach or a house with a private pool. Instead we will be doing braces for Curly and Mini is now sitting in my house. NOT relaxing.
AM - Oh, southern California sounds dreamy. The weather here is gradually improving and I will survive. I think I will probably make a long list of things that I want to accomplish since I am home, and then I will work my tail off getting them done and not feel like much of a break. (sobs softly). We will be getting Curly's braces on, so I hear you on getting things done.
I hope you still have a great birthday, despite getting the dog fixed. ;)
All of my jeans are just a little too big and also stretchy because I have sensory issues so they have to be big enough to pull on without doing the zipper up and down and not be uncomfortably tight (I have one Very Special pair of work jeggings that my friend miraculously found for me while shopping and they buck all the usual criteria). I used to eschew belts also, but once while walking down a hotel hallway in Elmira with my hands full of ice bucket I had a serious wardrobe malfunction and well, now in public I have to wear belts. Fortunately the hallway was empty.
Ali - I have a belt that I wear with all my jeans that was crazy expensive for a belt ($60) but I found it on sale while in a Boston boutique on a girls' weekend and felt it was kind of like a souvenir. I literally have worn it SO MANY TIMES and have owned it for like 8 years. Fortunately I didn't buy it because of an embarrassing episode like the one you survived. So funny.
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