Of Laundry baskets and bicycles

My fingers are crossed for you about the house. I mean, somebody has to sell houses…Somebody has to be credit-worthy, right? I am glad Dad enjoyed the tale of the flooded stove. That was just par for the course, really. It wasn’t even an unusual day.

Today’s big highlight was the purchase of two new laundry baskets. We lost a laundry basket sometime last year. I do not see how tt is possible–no one does–but there it is, it is lost and we have searched everywhere in the house that could possibly contain a laundry basket several times. Meanwhile we had two, when three was never really enough what will all the sorting and the whites and colors and darks and whatnot. Last night, as I made the piles on the bathroom floor and stuggled to fit the dry but unfolded stuff into a tiny little mesh carrier thing, I thought–why? Why am I still doing this? Why am I still waiting to go to Walmart, where I haven’t been in months and don’t want to go, when I could spring for the extra three bucks or so and buy whatever they have at the hardware store in town? Crushed as they may be, the family finances will still run to a couple of laundry baskets. So Ibought them, and I fully expect to get much enjoyment out of actually having a place to put the dirty laundry when I sort it. Very exciting, that.

Today after school Lily wanted to ride her bike down to get the mail. I argued, pointing out that while she can ride down, she has not yet managed to ride up, and that I would not push her or carry her bike up the quarter mile or so….she would do it, she insisted. She would.

She decided the bike was too risky and went with Wy’s tricycle instead and put on ther helmet and set off. I was watching, but I stayed in the yard–not that many cars and not usually going that fast, I don’t think, although she sure looked small down there. Krypto went with her.

When she got to the botton she realized that even if she could ride back up, she couldn’t do it carrying the mail. So she called me–could I do that for her? Wy heard too and went trotting down–I’m coming lily! I will help you! So there we all were.

I carried the papers and Lily tried to pedal, but she was getting no where. Wy got right in behid her. I got it, Lily! I will do it! Damned if he didn’t push her three quarters of the way up. Every so often, she’d put her feet down and kind of walk the trike, and she pedaled hard the whole time, and he pushed, and grunted, and they talked–you have to pedal Lily! Wait, I’m gonna push. I thought she would roll over him backwards a couple of times.

When they got most of the way up they were totally spent, so I pushed some. How could I help it?

And that, other than Wyatt partially taking apart Sam’s recent lego construction and Lily writing a book entitled something like “Sleeping Beauty Airplane Princess” which she would be happy to read you, except that she cannot remember the words, so you will have to read it to her, and you are pretty much bound to get all wrong. I will give you an advance hint and tell you that the princesses names are Silas, Karenna, Lily and Kate.

I am glad you are organizing and don’t blame you for keeping more of the kids’ art than I do, probably. I will never, every have to go through it. Lily was talking today about how excited she will be to see her cousins at Christmas, and remembering their names. SHe says she will play with Avery and love her, because she is a girl, and Wyatt says he will play with Charlie and love her, because she is a boy.


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