Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Welcome to my Universe

Sometimes I feel like I'm in an alternate reality. Like this morning, for instance. I'm pulling on a sweater, and there's this string hanging off it. I know I shouldn't, but I give it a tug. It's not a stray thread, like I thought it was. It's fishing line, with a couple of weights attached to it.
"Hey, look at this- it's fishing line!" I say to my husband.
He snorts, and answers "Better check for a hook!" I laugh, but decide to do it anyway. Sure enough, there's a rusty fish hook caught up in my sweater. How? HOW? The only one that even fished last year was Ammon, and that was only once or twice!

Then I'm making lunches. Someone who shall remain nameless asks me "Mom, if you're wearing two shirts, which one is the dirty one?" That's a tricky question. On an adult, it would be the undershirt. But on a boy? The outside is likely dirtier than the inside! "Uh, the inside one." I don't think any more on it until I see him standing before me ready for school. "Why are you wearing two T-shirts?...Wait a minute, aren't those the same two shirts you were just wearing before, but reversed?!"
He gives me a sheepish grin. "Well, you said the inside one was the dirty one, so I just switched them."
"Take them both off! Hey, aren't those the pants you (gulp) slept in? (side note: I send the big boys off to bed. Brushing and flossing their teeth are a component of their allowance, but I don't do pj checks. I'm too worn out by then.)
"CHANGE INTO CLEAN CLOTHES!" I insist. "AND CHANGE YOUR UNDERWEAR TOO!" I add for good measure. It's never safe to assume. That's a good rule for laundry too, never assume it's just fishing line in your sweater!

10 comments:

Kristin said...

I think it must be a boy thing because random things like that happen at my house too. I get tired of washing clothes that have been worn only once and are still "clean" so I told them they need to check them and put them back in the drawer if they can be worn again. I think our definitions of "clean" need to be clarified because I'm seeing and smelling some weird things in their drawers.

Michelle said...

I just want you to know that you're in good company. This very morning I had to send my son back upstairs to change because he was wearing the exact same TWO shirts that he'd been wearing yesterday. He tried to put on a clean outer shirt, but I made him take off the under shirt, too. And, my boys do occasionally sleep in their clothes because I'm too beat to hound them about PJs. It's not like I don't say, "Get changed for bed." I do, but I'm not going to follow them around until they find something suitable to sleep in.

Sleepless In St. George said...

Do we live in the same universe? I think so!

Sweet Cherie said...

It reminds me of when my mom would check Randy and David's teeth in the morning before they headed to school and she'd see their yucky, slimy teeth and ask "Did you brush your teeth?" to which they would answer yes and she would follow up with "TODAY??!" and would usually be greeted by a response like "Oh... today..."

Anonymous said...

We must be neighbors in your universe. I usually check my boys before they leave, but they still manage to sneak one by me more often than I will admit.

Sometimes my youngest two come home from school with their shirts on backwards and I know they've worn it that way all day. And I am waiting with dread for my youngest son's school pictures to come back. Thanks to his big brother's attempt at a spike (with spit no less) while they waited for the bus, his hair looked like he combed it with a tornado for picture day.

Dweezleboss said...

My dress standard was appropriate for the weather/activity, modest, and clean. If it didn't smell or look dirty, they were good to go. I figured it was their lives and reputations. The girls cared more than the boys but somehow they learned to do their own laundry and become socially acceptable human beings.

Kersten said...

That same thing happened to me this morning! So hilarious. "But Mom, sleeping in clothes does not make them dirty!" They act like your killing them when they have to wear clean clothes

Home of the Muddy Kids said...

I have to questions my girl every morning about her underclothing as well. "But MAMA! These are my FWAVOWITE PWINCESS Panties!"

Doran & Jody said...

Ah ha ha ha. Lol lol. Oh, what are boys?

Jenn said...

Mothers of boys are busy from son up to son down!