Fluff and Fold Baby
Today was another day of laundry fun. The excitement is killing you, I can tell. Oh boy…. I thought if I did laundry every week instead of every other week, I’d have half as much laundry to do. That would make sense. I thought wrong. I still had too much laundry to take over in one trip in the bugaboo. Where is all this laundry coming from?
One word: baby.
This time Toby felt sorry for me and decided to take us to the laundromat in his van. It’s just across the street, but when you have to make four trips with giant over-flowing bags of laundry, it’s easier to drive. The plan was he’d take the laundry over and I’d walk over with the baby strapped into the sling. But then Toby had to go and get paranoid about us crossing the street. He’s a very over-protective first time dad. But he does have good reason to worry about us crossing Pacific Coast Highway. It is a major highway and there are a lot of morons on the road.
I have to cross at a light and no matter how careful I am, there always seems to be somebody turning right and cutting me off either just as I’m about to step into the street or just as I’m coming to the other side. It’s scary out there when you have a baby. Everything seems like a potential life threat.
So we did something even more dangerous. I rode in the van, hiding in the back with Baby Bug strapped into her sling. I didn’t put her in her car seat. I didn’t put my seat belt on. I pulled a Britney and broke the law!!! I felt horrible for it too. Like I was just asking for trouble. Toby said it was probably safer than crossing the street in front of cars that want to run me over. We were only going across the street but still, I felt like that time I had to drive home from a party and I’d had one glass of wine. (I hardly ever drink so I’m paranoid) I know I can drive just fine but watch me get pulled over for a fix-it ticket and then end up with a DUI. Call me a prude but I worry about these things.
While Toby sang some song by Judas Priest about breaking the law, I cowered in the back and imagined a hundred and one ways that I could end up through the windshield with my baby. Of course we made it to the laundromat just fine and my worry was for nothing.
Toby says, “why are you telling the whole wide internet about that?” Because I have nothing else to talk about. For being the best years of my life I have surprisingly little to talk about. I did laundry ALL DAY TODAY. I started at 11am and finally put the last matched and folded sock away at 7pm. What a life.
Baby Bug was a very good laundry baby today. I call her my fluff and fold baby. I put her up on the counter where we fold clothes and she waved and batted at the bright sunlight coming in the window. She loves bright windows. When I carry her away from the window she cries.
She likes shadows and lines of light. I figured this out because when we go on walks, she talks to the moving shadows that criss cross on the canopy hood that shades her from the sun. When we go under a tree or into the shade of a building, she cries because her friends the shadows are gone. It’s the funniest thing. I used to feel bad for her because when she is laying down inside the bassinet of the stroller and I have the canopy up, she can’t see anything but red felt. She can’t see the sky or the trees or the ocean. Going for walks must be awfully dull for her, I thought. But then I realized she’s fascinated with the moving lines of light and dark that reflect on the bassinet walls around her. Maybe she will grow up to be a graphic artist.
18 Comments
Marissa
I think I would choose a laundry day instead of the boring sitting-at-a-desk day that I had! But then again, the weather in California hasn’t been too outside-friendly this week, eh?
Anna
Although I love having laundry facilities in my own home, I have to admit that it would be kinda nice for an additional reason to get out. I am always looking for inexpensive reasons to get out of the house everyday, so laundry would work well.
Julie
I used to love going to the laundromat, but then again I was single. I thought it worked out great for two reasons. 1. Get it all done at once using several machines and don’t do a load here and a load there. 2. I had time where I was just stuck somewhere, so I would do my bills or read or organize a project. It was kind of like found time that I couldn’t goof off with. But I can see how it would be a lot of work to with a baby. But think of all the weight you’ll lose schlepping that stuff back and forth in the stroller!!
wookie
I hate to tell you this, but with 2 adults and 2 kids (1yr and 3.5yr), I do between 6 and 9 loads of laundry a week, depending on wether or not I’m ambitious and do the linens.
If you can convince Toby to be on sole baby-bug duty, it does provide a nice opportunity to leave the house with a book and not come back for 2-3 hours. With the laundromat so close, he could bring her over to nurse if she needed to.
aunt kathy
Where did you get the cute booties? Are they knitted?
They aew so adorable and look like real shoes!
Julie
Sorry I should have introduced myself and given background before I just start posting. I am 37, pregnant with my first child due in July 5 and live in Shawnee, OK where I moved to from Chicago. Love your blog and am thoroughly addicted.
josephine
They’re little socks and they are the best! They are called “trumpettes”. They don’t fall off!
Here’s a link: http://www.designerdribbles.com/ordersocks.html
ginger incognito
Careful with the fluff and fold baby: my daughter loves laundry days and insists on helping. The way she sees it, she has been there to help since the (her) beginning. As she’s now almost 3, the laundry now takes five times longer to fold, what with her bringing me the same shirts to fold over and over and over and . . . I secretly wish she’ll one day fold them herself (now, that would be helping!).
laura
When I look at the pictures, I can smell that nice laundromat smell. Detergent and hot, drying clothes. I’ll bet Baby Bug ends up with a laundromat-memory-smell. You know how scent triggers memories and all…
Xangelle
Baby Bug is sooooooo cute!
I remember laundromat days! I loved getting everything done in 4 machines all at the same time. Now that I have a machine at home I feel like I do laundry 24/7. I don’t look forward to it quite the same way.
Kristin
I feel extremely sorry for myself having to creep down the rickety stairs to my haunty/cobwebby basement to do laundry and you are no less than the Mother of All
Domestic Goddesses for uncomplainingly crossing the street.
I love, love, love the above picture of you and Baby Bug.
Clownfish
I totally agree with Xangelle about multiple loads. I would do laundery during off hours at our appartment, load up 2 or 3 machines and be done in no time!
Captain Mom
I love your Baby Fluff and Fold. And I think you are so brave to go to a laundry mat to do your wash! I thought I would die the 3 weeks we were in between washers and dryers in our home…I am ashamed of myself now! I’m also not telling that you cowered in the back with Baby Bug. I won’t even tell you how many time I just went ahead and nursed in the back seat while we tore down the road. Bad me. Bad bad me.
deesse
Honey, I know time, money and space is tight, but I will personally contribute to a fund which lets you and Toby buy a washer/dryer. It was ok when it was just the two of you, but precious outings are not supposed to be traumatic!
There has got to be a way to fit in a washer/dryer into your space and avoid washing the bug’s adorable clothes with the rest of the worlds’! Start a fund, I’ll send a check!
Cara
Those pictures are too cute. I love the one of you two. Beautiful!
You need a laundry room of your own! If I could I’d send my brother there to build you one!
Take care.
Jamie
Baby Bug is ADORABLE. I feel like the laundry monster is constantly nipping at my heels! Ack! I think it was definitely safer for you to “break the law” and drive across the street rather than try to walk across with precious Bug! When my oldest was 3 months old we rented a cabin at a state park and on the way home from dinner I held her and nursed her while my husband drove the short distance from the lodge to our cabin (no one was driving through the park at that hour). So I pulled a Britney, too. Don’t feel bad. At least we’re not as bad as her! :)
mipmup
i love this post.
Shada Bagadassarian
Cute baby. Here’s where I go for fluff-and-fold service in Los Angeles I think they use baby safe chemicals. Hope this helps.