T.M.I.

*****  WARNING  *****

Do not read if you have a weak stomach

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Within our home exists many never ending cycles of need. 

FOOD - Nothing has changed since the first newborn entered our home.  Children must be fed every two to three hours whether they are infants or teenage boys.  Forget worry about nutrition!  They just want mass quantities of edible substances.  I hate it when I purchase a bag of pretzels or chips to use to make dinner or use as a side dish only to discover the bag of crumbs that remains after a child finds my hidding spot.  A continuous stream of food must keep coming into our home and be prepared regularly for consumption.  "MOM, we need more Cocoa Puffs.  I can't find anything to eat for breakfast."

DIRTY DISHES - Kind of linked to food, but truly its own issue.  Seven people and meal preparation for seven people just equals tons of dirty dishes.  Christopher long ago took on the role of official dishwasher.  I cook.  He washes dishes.  Once we moved into a home with a dishwaher, he stopped washing anything by hand unless absolutely necessary.  Even with the kids in school, it is not uncommon for our poor dishwasher to run three to four loads per day. 

LAUNDRY - Some days the olden days of long ago, when folks only had two sets of clothing sound so good!  I never seem able to get "caught up" with the laundry.  Washing alone is a HUGE task, much less folding and hanging clothes. 

I have attempted to delegate and train.  Caleb and Miranda each wash their own clothes on the weekends.  Unfortunately, they must be nagged remined frequently or they will totally forget to wash anything.  Plus they get so busy that they never have time to put anything away...to the tune of taking three laundry baskets just to hold all their clean clothes and such.  But one of the real negatives of this arrangement is that I reserve the washer and dryer for them all weekend long.  Come Monday morning, I am then faced with a mountain of dirty clothes.

Now that football season is over and I don't have three practices and a game each week for two boys filling up my washing machine, I have been so excited to begin to get caught up with the laundry.  Doing at least the minimum of two to three loads most days, I have been able to sneak in washing throw rugs or TV watching blankets here and there.  Just yesterday I was so excited because I didn't have a ful load of anything to wash until everyone hopped into jammies for the evening.

Wait for it...

Late at night, after staying awake to actually see the wearther forcast on the news, I was making my final checks - lights on or off, doors locked, dog kenneled.  Then I hopped on my computer for one last email check.

Then, out of the darkened doorway came a voice, "Mom, I threw up."

I turned around to see my 12 year old Josiah in his warm footie PJ's covered in vomit.  I asked a question, dreading his reply, "Were you in bed?" 

"Yes."

I hurried him to the laundry room so he could strip off his PJ's and toss them straight into the washing machine before heading to the shower to clean himself up.  On my path to the basement bedroom he shares with Elijah, I stopped to wake up Christopher and ask for some help.  This job was going to be way more than I could handle alone.  Of course as I woke him, I realized that Josiah had to have stopped by our bedroom before finding me in the kitchen.  Why does Mom have to handle all late night crises?

Josiah sleeps in a loft bed with a desk space below.  This had been Caleb's bed before the great switcheroo to get ready for Hadassah.  Caleb hadn't been sleeping in his bed but on the futon in his room.  The bunk bed in Josiah's room had seen better days.  Too many board were broken or bowing.  Josiah preferred to sleep up top.  So we gave Caleb the futon for his cool teenage-hangout-going-to-college-in-a-couple-of-years room and Josiah the loft bed.

Some how Josiah managed to cover not only himself but also every blanket and pillow in the bed (Thank you, God, that he wasn't still sleeping with all his stuffed animals!)  (Thank you also, God, for waterproof mattress pads!)  It was on the side of the bed and the wall.  It was on the floor on the other side of the bed.  Then there was the trail of chunks that showed his path around the house before he found me. 

YUCK!

Together Christopher and I stripped the bed.  He cleaned the wall while I sprayed carpet cleaner on the floor.  (Thank you, God for good paint too.  Christopher like how easily the vomit cleaned up off the recently painted walls.) 

Before heading back to bed, I started the washing machine.  As of now I have had to run four loads just to try to get all his bed linens cleaned.  Something have required two washings.  Yes, it was that bad.

Life around here is never dull.  Even in the wee hours of the night.