It is NOT impossible!!

I have been waiting a very, VERY long time to say this! Probably years. In fact, I don't know if I have ever said this since bearing children. Are you ready for it? Here it comes . . . THE LAUNDRY IS DONE!!!! (Excuse me while I do a happy dance!!). Wasn't that exciting, was it? I am sure you were expecting something a little more . . . dramatic - something a little less . . . mundane? Well, maybe for you it is mundane but for me it falls into the category of 'miracle'! The other day I was contemplating this daily household occurance called "laundry" (probably while I was either picking up dirty clothes, folding clean ones, putting escapee clothes back in their rightful spot, or any other such tasks that involve me holding some article of cloth!). I wondered why it seems that dirty laundry germinates around our house as easily as siberian elm on a hot dashboard. Then I got to thinking: 5 children, 7 days in a week, minimum of 2 articles of clothing per day = 70 pieces of clothing each week. Add in underwear (+15), pajamas (+17), bibs (+10), burb clothes (+7), towels, socks, blankets - never mind the clothes J and I wear. If you add in all the clothes RJ changes in to and out of, making sure to get each piece dirty, you are talking AT LEAST 135 articles that need washing per week! YIKES!! So, needless to say, the laundry around here is NEVER DONE! Well, that is, before today! Today was the culmination of days, weeks even, of hard work and dedication to getting the job completed. Want some proof? Check this out:

Laundry hampers?

EMPTY!

Laundry sorters?

EMPTY!

Laundry baskets?

EMPTY!

Washer and Dryer?

EMPTY

(though I didn't post a photo of this as I do see both of these empty quite regularily just before I throw more clothes in!)

It is ALL empty! Empty, empty, empty!!

I am so proud of myself! Maybe I will post these photos in my laundry room as inspiration, as proof, that it CAN be done!

One more thought before I head to bed

(and pray I don't dream of matching socks or sorting colors):

why is it I seem to place so much of my value, so much of my worth, on whether or not I can accomplish simple household tasks?

Really, does finishing all the laundry make me a better person? Does it make me a better wife or mother, better sister or friend? I know in my head there is no such connection, my heart has a harder time learning. In fact, if I spend so much time doing the laundry (or washing the dishes, or sweeping the floor or vacuuming or dusting or, or, or) and neglect my family in the process, then household chores can actually be detrimental. That, however, is not my point. My point is this: do I make value statements out of mere observations or questions? Case in point: Jay came home today and innocently asked me what I did today? Do you know what was the first thought to go through my head? "Obviously I did not do enough work, didn't make the house clean enough for him to notice. I am a failure." His intention? Allow me the opportunity to share about what it is I did, just like he asked. Making values out of questions. Or this: we go over to my parents to visit and the kids play with the toys. They leave them out just as kids routinely do. My dad says, "Wow! That's a lot of toys on the floor." meaning exactly that. What do I hear? "Your kids aren't cleaning up the toys immediately after playing, the house is a mess and it is all your fault. You are a failure as a mother. Go home." Yikes! That is quite a jump from toys to failure! But I notice myself doing this on regular occasions. I know full well my worth comes from the Lord, who created heaven and earth, and who intricately formed me and declared me good. So why is it so hard to believe? What do YOU believe? Do you make values out of observations?

Jay's Counter Blog

So my wife started this blogging thing. Hmmm, I suppose she is not busy enough doing useful things, like taking care of children, running her business, cleaning the house, working in the garden, preparing for church ministires, doing laundry or sewing all those projects she has been researching online. I've decided to call this Jay's Counter Blog. From time to time I think it is important to hear "the rest of the story" You know. The part Chantelle won't write. My grammer and spelling my not be as good as her, but at least you will get the whole truth from me! So here goes.

So Chantelle brought home an orange chair today. My first thought was which child will need to be displaced so that chair can have a home? My next thought was will any of my neighbours see me as a sneak this chair inside, and if they do will I ever get over the humiliation. I quickly realized as I pulled the florescent orange chair out of the van that sneaking it would be absolutely impossible and that humiliation may not be so bad as it would likely be a character building opportunity. For this I would like to thank my wife. I look forward to many more character building opportunities with her.

Here I am!

So, now that I am actually here, I wonder what it is I wanted to say? I have been composing posts in my head for a while but now my mind is blank! Part of me wonders why I chose to do this - I have never been that good at journaling. Yet, I love to share my heart and maybe, just maybe, if I know someone is actually reading this, even if it is only my mother, I will enjoy this new journey! I don't really know what will fill this blog but I do know it will include a small portion of the life that happens here in this little 1000 square foot home (well, it seems little when you put 7 people in it!!).

Today I bought the most beautiful chair at MCC for $40! Quite a steal when you think of the possibilities! I like to think of it as a diamond in the rough. A little bit of work and one day this baby will be a beauty. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not even next week. But someday soon! If you had this chair in your house and the ability to change its color to anything you like, what color would you make it? My choice? Well, that, my friend, is a secret!