Fun on Friday!! (38)

As I was doing my laundry this morning I thought about some of the things that I've learned in my many years of doing laundry.  I don't want to contemplate the number of loads that I've put through...it's a very big number.  Anyways, here's what I know for sure:

Checking pockets and shaking things is a REALLY important part of laundry.  In doing so you may avoid washing some of the following objects:

• money
• tools
• nuts, bolts and screws
• pens, crayons and pencils
• ipods
• MP3 players
• panty liners
• headphones
• wallets
• cell phones
• kleenex
• paper clips
• magnets
• important receipts
• cheques
• small toys  and....
• Bibles (yes, I washed an entire Bible once, made a huge mess)

I realized there are also some things I've learned about plumbing.  If your toilet isn't working properly you may discover one of the following in there fouling up the system:

• apples
• watches
• small trucks
• plastic cows
• lentils
• diapers

yup, we've had all of those in our systems...

If you are smelling something odd in your home and you have small boys, you might find urine in some of the following locations, just follow your nose...

• pails of nails hidden in a corner
• the pile of coal where the old chimney used to be
• vases
• crocks
• pop bottles or cans
• toy buckets
• my personal favourite (only because it didn't happen to me!) the shampoo bottle - yes - shampee!  I'm sure my friend Darcy was really thankful it WASN'T shampoo!  I laughed for days over that one...

I hope you've had a few chuckles and learned a thing or two about living with boys in large quantities.  I solemnly dedicate this post to Holly and Darcy Van Loon, our partners in raising many boys in one home, I'm sure they could add a few more things to this list - except for laundry - Holly's way more diligent than I am on that front!

They look so innocent don't they?

And I can't post without a few gifts of grace from God over the last day of two:

• waking up to "Be Born in Me" by Fransesca Batestelli - love that song, an excellent way to begin a day
• Lizzy dancing to some great songs this morning in the kitchen
• working on a particularly funny paragraph assignment with my son - it's good to be able to work, laugh and actually accomplish homework with him.  That kid has a great sense of humour.  When his older brother contributed it made the whole process even better.  A lovely breakfast moment.
• sewing for the first time in my sewing room yesterday.  IN the process Abby was doing homework on one of the other work surfaces, Lizzy was painting on the high counter, Sam was being creative on the floor and the other boys were playing PS3 where I could see them and hear what they were doing.  How I love having everyone engaged in a space in a happy way.  Delightful
• the song I'm listening to right now, "Sing Over Your Children" by Matt Maher - such an amazing song out of the scripture in Zepheniah - You sing over your children, you take delight in us.  How amazing that He sings over us...even when we find cows in the toilet!