Airing Our Clean Laundry

When we got our couch a year and a half ago we relocated the futon into the playroom with the intention of moving it down to the basement. Then we discovered that it's really nice to have somewhere to sit while in the playroom, so the futon is still there. And, because it's a short walk from the playroom to the laundry room, the futon has become the default dumping ground for clean piles of laundry. The piles generally don't stay there for long, but there are some weeks when the couch has more clothes days than not. And now that no one comes over to our house anymore, we don't have the added incentive of company seeing the inside of our home to clear the space quickly.

Recently I've had the goal of finishing the laundry so that the futon is clear on Sunday for church. We don't use the futon for church, but it is in the sightlines of the room where we gather. That means Thursday is now my day to wash everything so we have a little time to put it away. That involves sorting the laundry into piles and then having the kids (except for Topher) deal with their own pile, then I usually fold what remains.

After a day of running the washer and dryer, I was determined to sort everything last night after Topher went to sleep. He's a busy little guy and loves to help by indiscriminately adding clothes to whichever pile he chooses, so it's a job best done while he's not around. However, my energy has been running low the last few days and my brain has been a bit foggy, so I totally spaced on the sorting until I was on my way to bed. At that point it was so late that I decided I would just do it today instead.

With that exposition in place, you will understand my surprise when I came downstairs this morning and found the laundry divided into piles on the floor, and a large chunk of the clothes missing completely. I quickly discovered that our early riser Sophie had gotten up and sorted the clothes almost totally by herself. Peter helped a little after seminary when she wasn't sure where a few of the items belonged, but otherwise she did it. Then she and Peter carried their own piles, plus Cooper's and Phoebe's piles upstairs to their rooms, which is why there were fewer piles than expected.

I was genuinely surprised and thankful and told her so while I hugged her. Then I continued to thank her again throughout the day.

She had a really good day today, no meltdowns or tantrums or anything of that nature. When I asked her at bedtime why today had been so good she told me she thought it was because one kind deeds leads to another, and since she had started the day by doing something nice, it made the whole day better.

She is a wise girl.