Sunday, August 9, 2009

Challenges...


Challenges.

Life offers me many challenges. I love the challenges that photography holds. Photographing babies is a challenge. Photographing Alysha this weekend was not the most challenging, as you can see above, but it was VERY fun!

This morning my almost 5 year old challenged me. He decided it would be impossible for me to kiss him 100 times. "Oh yeah?!" I said chasing him around the apartment. I scooped him up feeling the strain in my once young body and thought to myself - "wow - he is not a baby anymore"! He is getting so big and heavy! I tossed him down on the tiny leather love seat and proceeded to "power kiss" my way through the 100 kiss challenge. I smacked little tiny kisses on his sweet chubby cheek calling out "TEN", "TWENTY", "THIRTY", ... as I made my way to 100.

Giggles erupted from deep within his belly and I was laughing too by the time I hit "FORTY". I made it to 100 and he declared a "FOUL"! He told me I was suppose to count EACH KISS. He then decided he would show me the way. He wrapped his little arm about my neck, pulled me in close and tried to kiss and count his way to 100. By the time he reached "FIDY SEBEN" aka 57, he had planted his wad of gum on my cheek by accident. We both started laughing hilariously and he did not make it to 100.

Oh well, the 157 kisses we shared were enough to get me through the rest of the day! Is it enough though to fuel me through my most dreaded challenge?

I now am faced with the challenge of laundry. I am sure that I am not unlike many other women in the world who do not see this task as one that falls high on the "Fun things to do with your Sunday" list. You see I really do not mind doing it all that much, I actually kind of like the challenge of finding all those spots made of chocolate, mud, ketchup, juice, grease, caulk, drywall mud and the like and blasting them with SHOUT or SPRAY-N-WASH. I feel victorious when I can conquer the dreaded stains and feel the glory when I see as I pull the garment out of the dryer that my efforts have paid off.

The challenge lies here, in the apartment dwelling life. We have a laundry room that fills up early in the morning and stays as busy as a bar on a Friday night, all day long. The machines are small and it costs us a small fortune to "clean our clothes". I am quite sure that by the year's end we will have spent a college tuition on doing laundry. Sorry boys - one of you will need to get a scholarship - cuz all the money we have is going to keeping your clothes clean! I hate having to carry dirty soiled towels, linens and eh, hem... unmentionables out into the public eye, down stairs and across a parking lot. I am fearful that something, just something will drop from the basket and will be glaring at me when I make my way back home.

The laundry soap, bleach and softener are all heavy as is the basket. I detest getting this sort of work out and then having to pick up the pace when I see the unthinkable. The NEIGHBOR loaded down with their laundry trying to race me to the laundry room. I break a sweat, my brow and upper lip moist from "kicking it into high gear" in a race to the laundry room. We arrive at the same time.

DARN IT! I will have to be polite and say "No, No, YOU go ahead." Cursing in my mind and dreading that she will fill ALL the empty machines. Just as I predicted this is the case.

I can not leave my soiled laundry there - so I have to lug, pull, and schlepp - MY basket back through the parking lot and up 2 flights of stairs, set a timer and then attempt to beat the next neighbor down to the laundry room for try #2.

THIS IS A CHALLENGE I CAN DO WITHOUT!

I dream of the day when we can move again into a home, one with a washing machine and dryer and a space for an ironing board and iron. Ahhh, a simple pleasure, a luxury in life. Your very own washing machine and dryer...who would have thought - these would be part of one of my fantasies in life?!

MY DREAM LAUNDRY ROOM
If only it came with little people who popped out and did the laundry for you! That would be some fantasy!

Thank goodness for Mom and Dad. I can load my dirties into my van and go do my laundry in the comfort of my parents garage. I think - this challenge sounds like the best idea. I can have the pleasure of their company and see my little dog Romeo at the same time.

Now, if only Stace were home, so I would not have to drag the boys along!
I guess I can't have it all!

xoxo
Janean