Romance and Clothes Lines

Day 17

Put clothes on the clothes line to dry has always been a romantic idea in my mind.  It wasn't until I moved North that I even realized it was a feasible thing I could do.  When we went house hunting, a place for a clothes line was top on the list of MUST HAVES.  One of the first things Josh did for me when we moved here is set up my clothes line.  It was a very exciting thing.  My dream of free and efficient clothes drying was coming true!  The sweet smelling warm breeze blow through my hair as I hung clothes on the line.  Perfectly clean and bright clothing flapping in the wind.  Children laughing in the distance, with the sun glistening in the sky.  *deep sigh of satisfaction*

Unfortunately this little honeymoon the clothes line and I were on is very much over.  Some where between the cloudy, rainy days and dirty hand prints on the clothes I realized this wasn't as whimsical and romantic as it thought it would be.

First of all, it is a pain in the butt to put underwear and socks on the clothes line.  I think that if nothing else I might just throw those things in the dryer.  That would be SO much easier, and I would be hanging everything else, so it would save me some money.  Next...BUGS.  Yes, bugs.  I found a spider in Little Princess' underwear when I was taking it down off the line, and folding.  Eeeeewwww!  Then I found two flies doing their nasty thing on one of my socks.  EEEEEEWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!  NOT RIGHT!  Next is the dropping factor.  I am clumsily.  It's a true fact.  I continually drop clothes on the dirty ground.  I admit, I do shake them off and put them back on the line, but that's not the point.  It's annoying.  Next is the weather factor.  I only planned to do laundry today because I checked the weather and it was going to be a nice day.  After putting everything on the line, it starts to drizzle a bit.  If my clothes had been dryer, I might have taken them all off, but I just couldn't bring myself to take it all down.  Even if it had down poured and the clothes were wetter than when I started, I still might have left them up there....maybe.  Thankfully it was just a bit of drizzle, and then it was gone.  And lastly we have the dirty kid factor.  SOME HOW, someONE had dirty on their hands, or hat or something, and walked under a towel hanging kind of low, and just caked it with dirt.  It was ridiculous.

Anyway, I keep telling myself I am saving so much money, and building muscles and teaching the kids lots of good lessons.  But I am not sure how long that will keep me putting clothes on the line to dry, instead of in my dryer that is so conveniently located by my washing machine.  I think I know why lots of moms out there don't wait to do their laundry all on one day!  Sheesh!  My plan is to have a laundry basket for darks and a laundry basket for lights, and when they get filled, wash them.  But my only reservation to that is the kids would wear the same 3 of 4 outfits over and over.  That could be a good thing....