Laundry Trauma

I have been in charge of laundry in my house since its conception (our house, not laundry). I don't think about the details of what I am washing, it comes to me dirty and I make it clean. To reward this task well done I get more dirty clothes that need to be washed.

After 17 years of laundry, I don't think anything would phase me. I have found all sorts of unique things in the laundry basket or in pockets. The worst is when you don't discover the hidden treasures in the pockets until the the dryer has melted it.

Now that Maddy is learning how to do laundry she see it as our individual clothing that she has to touch. This is very interesting to me and has had some interesting effects on how she and I do laundry together. She has declared that she will be happy to do all laundry, but under no circumstance is she to EVER touch her Dad's underwear. She does like when we are shopping and I buy him new underwear, she has repeatedly told me that certainly I could take care of this when she is not with me.

I am not sure why this is, but in her mind I suppose the worst insult to the Maddy/Daddy relationship would be to see or touch his underwear. I am working hard on her independence and teaching her these skills, but a part of me is just dying to chase her around the house to watch her squeal in horror that she might have to come in contact with male underwear. As of this blog entry I have behaved like an adult and not terrorized my child.

The other day she was helping me load the washer and I was just handing her things and she was tossing them in the washer. I was in "get things done" mode and for a brief moment forgot the Maddy laundry rules. As we are working through the pile of clothes I hear "OMG" and a squeal of horror. Yep, she had touched underwear, and was furiously rubbing her hands on her pants to get of any cooties that might have appeared on her hands. After I could stop laughing long enough to talk, I let her was her hands and that seemed to stop the cootie invasion.

If she ever gets married, lets hope he does the laundry!