Ode to Mount Washmore

Laundry is Life. That is my motto. As my family has grown, so has mt. washmore. He has gone through quite an evolution. In the beginning, he was more of a lump. There were just 3 of us and at the end of each day, I'd do all the laundry, fold it, and put it away. No biggie. Occasionally the rebel in me would skip a day or two, which added little to no change in the laundry routine. Even as we added another child, and became a family of four, Mt. Washmore became little more than a hill. We had a basket in each room and every other day or so I'd carry them down to the basement and back up to the top floor once all was nicely folded. At the time, we lived in Alaska. I quickly became pregnant with child num 3. We moved into a bigger house, and soon the Mountain began to grow. How can a baby add soo much laundry to a household? She is so tiny, its just not possible. Just when you think you have it all done, you discover yet another full basket in a room you forgot, or a pile that was hidden under a bed in order to make room for laundry basket races down the stairs....I swear that elves take our clean clothes and dirty them before we can even wear them, but nonetheless a change had to be made. The mountain had to be conquered and eliminated , and I had a solution. A laundry basket in the living room! sounds bizarre but that was the plan. This couldnt be just any old basket, it had to be a beautiful one. you know those baskets that you see in stores and you think, who in their right mind pays so much for a laundry basket?? Those are living room laundry baskets! You see, at some point it dawned on me that everyone was undressing in the living room. Dad came home and disgarded socks there, snow clothes were dumped there, and of course the ever naked toddlers were allways abandoning everything there! One strategically placed beautiful basket solved all my probs. I was tossing laundry over the balcony right into Mr. Beautiful while it waited to get thrown down into the basement. Crisis Averted! until once again a wrench was thrown into my well oiled laundry moving mommy machine........

This wrench came in the form of a Ranch Style home. It was pretty, it was new, and it was a deciever! I no longer needed Mr. Beautiful so he was disgarded like the lingerie after the first anniversary. Instead of 3 floors, we now had 1. So out the baskets came. Once again each room had its own basket, we added another baby, then another, and my old friend Mt Washmore moved back in. I hadnt even realized he was here in all his energy sucking glory, then one day i called all the kiddos to bring me their baskets. I have a decent sized laundry room, and 3 full average sized baskets left me with a waist high mountain worthy of a 3 day climb. i had been gathering from room to room for a year or so before I got a call from mr. beautiful. he heard Mt washmore was back in town, he was jealous, and so he moved back in too! no longer would he reside in the living room but instead he found a nice spot in the back hallway next to all the bedrooms. There he collects everyone's laundry every night. He is amazingly the exact size of one completely full washing machine and when he is full i know its time to do a load. Long gone are the days of hunting and gathering for nuts, berries , or laundry. Who has time for that? I love him, he is my friend, one of my many assistants. Currently Kempe Inc employs Mr. Beautiful Basket, Miss Dish-washer, Madame Clothing cleaner, Dr. Dry-it-up, and employee of the year Mo Mopper. sadly Mo Mopper will be taking a well needed vacation after the move to colorado, But never again will I be deceived into letting Mr. Beautiful go. Not sure where his next residence will be as we make the adjustment from 1 level to 4, but he is sticking around for good. Mt. Washmore has since moved out, don't invite him in if he knocks on your door, he is a horrible house guest and all ways brings over nasty friends like dust bunnies and MILdew, yuk!

Just in case you were wondering , yes most days, that one load is it. 2 adults, 5 kids, one load a day, not including diapers or sheets. As for sorting, just say No. I do whites or colors, that's it. Nothing bad has happened. I only ruin one or two things per year. Well worth the time saved. No bombs go off if i wash towels with bras or denim with delilcates. The world still turns.