If You Give a Mom a Laundry Basket...

Confession: Some days it is just plain hard to get things done.

Am I the only one who sometimes feels like my days are like the book If you Give a Mouse a Cookie?

Not familiar? Let me run it down for you. Basically it is a series of cute kids books that describe a whimsical and funny chain of events that occur when you try to do one thing, but each of the things that you do, leads you into a continuing chain of events that actually preclude you from doing the very thing that you wanted to originally do.... sort of... well, that's how I'm telling it any way.

My husband sometimes wonders why it takes me an entire day to fold a basket of laundry. Yes, one basket. Maybe because what transpires usually goes a little something like this:

Pull clothes from dryer and put in basket. Place basket down on my bed for a second to go help yelling son wipe his butt. Come back to get basket. Notice on the way back to basket that dog has chewed up contents on trash can and strewn them throughout the family room. Start to clean up mess. Phone rings. Answer phone and converse briefly with sister-in-law on other end. What was I doing again? Oh right, folding the clean laundry. Have to finish picking up that mess the dog made first. Go to grab a trash bag. Notice while getting a trash bag from the cabinet that I am out of dish soap. Go to write dish soap on my grocery list. Where is my grocery list? Note that middle child has taken grocery list and turned it into an art project. Follow trail of crayons and markers to her room. Pick up crayons and markers from floor. While picking stuff up from floor notice seven pair of underwear underneath her bed. Remove said underwear and place in hamper (Is it dirty? Probably not, but I'm not taking any chances). What was I doing again? Oh right, folding the clean laundry. Back track down the hall, putting grocery list back, and finishing picking up dog's mess on the way back to where I left that darn laundry basket. Begin to fold laundry. Fold two shirts. Doorbell rings. It's a package. Put package aside. Walk back towards laundry. Here the calls of my son. He wants me to open the box. Spend 5 minutes explaining why I can't open the package it's not addressed to me. Listen to 10 minutes of how he needs said box to complete his fort masterpiece he has been working on for the Fort Olympics. Agree to help him find another box. Locate another box in garage. Oh hey there's more dish soap! Come back to the laundry basket, fold two more shirts... that's 4 if you're playing along at home.  What was I doing again? Hear the bus... here come the other two.  Time for after school snack... homework... dentist appointment.... dinner.... showers.... dishes . Gotta get back to that laundry. Stop to pick up the wet towels. Get everyone ready for bed. Distribute drinks of water to the parched masses. Collapse in a heap on my... oh hey what's that?... the laundry basket!
Better luck tomorrow!
So, which kids book is most like your life?


*Lovingly dedicated to Donna. Why? Well, because she liked it, and I'm that easy, that's why*