April Laundry

One of my favorite rules of childhood: it does not matter how long you have actually worn a garment, nor what kind of activity you have engaged in while wearing said garment; once the article of clothing has touched your skin and been removed, it is automatically dirty and should be discarded into the laundry hamper.  Note: all horizontal surfaces in bedrooms and bathrooms can be used for a hamper at any time.  Exception: if you have an "accident," it is perfectly acceptable (indeed, preferable) to hide the offensively odorous garment in a tight corner of your closet or drawer.  Moms like finding those presents.

I just finished folding the weekend's accumulation of laundry.  The strange assortment in each family member's size does tell the diverse (if unremarkable) tale of our April weather. Sweatshirts and long pants, t-shirts and short pants, churchy clothes, fishing clothes; we wore it all in two days.  Plus pajamas and as many pairs of socks as we could find.

This afternoon, when Dad the permissive returned from work, the kids went swimming.

It was not warm enough, but it satisfied some need buried within them.  Plus now they know where their swimsuits are when the temperatures hit the 80's... tomorrow.

Smelling the Summer

I came downstairs early today, courtesy of Ginger and her night of good sleep. An open window filled our house with the smell of a wet summer morning. It is a cool, fresh smell; before the heat of the day turns the dampness to sticky, almost mildew. Smells are strong memory cues, and summer is resplendent in their happy reminiscence.

Insect repellent is a family camping trip, delighting in the pain of sleeping outside.
Pond water is late nights with college friends, proving our adulthood by staying up too late.
Wood smoke is a charred hot dog, a toasty marshmallow, laughing and singing songs no one likes except by fireside.
Cut grass is a chore that I was willing, but not called upon to do. (I guess straight lines matter to some people.)
Coppertone is hot, sweaty sunshine on the beach, by the pool, atop the trampoline (sorry for the grease spot, brothers) anywhere that I could spread my towel beside a friend and lay about for lazy conversation with our eyes shut against the UVB.

I love me some summertime!