This is what I found on the counter after my Sweet Honey had left for work yesterday.  It's still there, I can't bring myself to put it away.  Sometimes it's the little things that melt my heart the most.

Please leave me some comments, let me know what you think.

Things that suck about being 43: #2

Things that suck about being 43:

#2

Gray hair, facial hair, body hair, thinning hair.  There are hair issues.   Trust me on this.  To varying degrees we will all experience one or all of these.  No one warned me.  That last statement isn’t entirely true.  My Aunt warned me, or should I say cursed me, “Do you see these chin hairs, Cristy?  You’re a Howland; you will have them one day! HAAAAAhahahahahaaaa (insert evil laugh here)!”  I didn’t believe her.  I should have listened.

I got my first gray hair a matter of weeks after my firstborn son was born.  I blame him for at least half of the subsequent grays.  Some of the rest belong to his brother, and his step-sisters, and of course my husband, my ex-husband, and my husband’s ex (ok, she gets a lot of blame!). 

Grey hair is pretty straight forward.  You either live with it, and look 10 years older than your husband who is actually 6 years older than you, or you fight it, and dye, dye, dye.  I have been dying my hair for most of my adult life, except for when I was pregnant or breast feeding;  I have dyed my hair consistently since I was 16 years old.  I have been every color except or black.  The problem with dying is that my hair always fades from whatever color I have chosen (which varies with my mood), to brass within a couple of weeks.  Dark brown , light brown, blonde, hombre, highlights, streaks, you name it, it all goes to brass.  Not pretty.

Then there’s the curse of my Aunt.  Facial hair!  I realize that there are a number of you who never suffer from this evil bane.  You all can kiss my heinie, and skip to the next paragraph.  It’s bad enough to have a little mustache or a few extra hairs here and there, but why are there hairs coming out of every mole and freckle on my face?  WTH!?!?!?!  I had finally come to terms with this when I realized that some o the hairs growing out of the moles were turning white!  What the actual F*@%?  I am conflicted.  Am I happy that the hairs are less noticeable, or am I sad that I’m so old that the scary mole hairs are turning white?

Body hair, ugh.  Dip me in Nair.  Seriously.  My mother once told me that she was fine with the grey on her head, but when her pubic hair turned grey, THEN she felt old.  The second wisest thing she ever told me.  

Thinning hair.  CRAPITY-CRAP!  Another family curse.  My grandmother, bless her, was the sweetest woman, and GOD blessed her with a permed see through halo of fuzz on the top of her head.  There wasn’t a lot to work with there.  I fear the fate.  I started to notice thinning around the age of 38.  The vitamins, careful brushing, and trimmings help.  The biggest factor (for me) that contributes to hair loss is stress.  If I can keep the stress to a minimum, I notice a real difference.  I guess Gramma was really, really, really stressed. 

Things that suck about being 43: #1

Things that suck about being 43:

#1

No one told me that I would run out of time to do crazy stuff.  There is a socially accepted and very limited window of time wherein you are able to do certain things like get a nontraditional piercing, dye your hair an odd color, take a road trip to nowhere, wear strange clothes/shoes, wear bikinis, swear.  Had I known, would I have done more of them when I was younger?  I think I may have been more conservative at 18 than I am at 43 (and I moved 2000 miles away from home, went to Art College, and lived in a hotel). 

Unfortunately, what I want to do is never the thing I should be doing as a 43 year old mother of seven and soon to be grandmother of 3.  I want to dye my hair purple, no blue, maybe magenta!  I want to get my ear pierced – forward helix.  I want to wear too much makeup, too much jewelry and tight jeans.  I want to leave town and all this adultness for a long weekend.  I want to ride a motorcycle to nowhere.  I wish I didn't look foolish in pigtails.  I want a henna tattoo.

I’m profoundly sad that I am too old or too fat to do so many fun things.  What would the women at church think?  What would my family say?  I would look like the crazy old woman who is trying too hard.  I hate it when people try too hard.  I think I may have missed my window.

                                                                                                                    maybe not...

doodles

I don't have a lot to say some days some days are strictly visual.  This is one of those days.

 Well I guess this one has a lot to say in itself.  so...

Laundry Instructional

Yesterday I posted about the Bathroom cleaning instructional.

Today I want to share the how to for Laundry.

Even if Boy doesn't get his own home for years and doesn't have his own washer and dryer until he's 35, he will always have clothes.  He needs to look (and smell) good.  I don't want him to be the kid who brings home ginormous bags of laundry when he visits. 

How to do Laundry

Sort laundry according to color and type of clothes.  Whites, dark colors and reds, medium colored, towels, and jeans.  (towels and jeans can be combined, or alternately jeans can be added to medium or darks according to color if you can't make a full load)

Treat any stains.  Spray stain treatment on the spot and rub in slightly.

Empty pockets. Rules are, money goes to the one doing the laundry.  You find it – you keep it.

Wash dark colors on cold always.  1 cup of detergent in the tub, and ¼ cup of softener in the middle filled the rest of the way with water.

Wash medium colored clothes on cold.  1 cup of detergent in the tub, and ¼ cup of softener in the middle filled the rest of the way with water.

Wash whites on hot.  1 cup of detergent in the tub, and ¼ cup of softener in the middle filled the rest of the way with water.  If necessary add ½ cup of bleach to the load when the water is full.

Wash towels on warm.  1 cup of detergent in the tub, and ¼ cup of softener in the middle filled the rest of the way with water.

Wash jeans on cold.  1 cup of detergent in the tub, and ¼ cup of softener in the middle filled the rest of the way with water.

If clothes are nasty (urine, excess sweat or dirt, or are sour) add ½ cup of color safe bleach to the detergent.

Transfer clothes to the dryer as soon as possible to avoid sour laundry.  Our dryer may need 2 cycles if the load is very full or if the clothes are heavy.

Hang clothes as soon as they are dry to avoid wrinkles.  Hang everyone's clothes together to make putting away simpler.  Hang clothes to be ironed separately so they get ironed before they are put away.

Fold all of the rest of the clothes. Everyone puts away their own clothes, unless you are feeling generous. 

Instructions for Kids on How to Clean the Bathroom

My sons have daily chore lists.  Most kids have chores of some sort.  Over the past couple of years I have realized that these chores, originally meant primarily to teach responsibility and community have now become instructionals for life. 

My oldest boy will be 16 in a few months.  That means that he will be a legal adult in a little over two years.  I had to ask myself, "Is he ready to be an adult?"  The answer was not just no, but a resounding, "HECK NO!!!"  He has no idea how to do his own laundry, cook anything, clean anything, or take care of himself in any capacity.  I had equipped him to feed dogs and chickens, and to get a job washing cars or mowing lawns.  I was neglecting the basics.  

The chore lists have been reassessed, and one of the new responsibilities for my soon-to-be-of-driving-age son is the cleaning of the bathroom.  I hate to repeat myself, but I find that I am pretty good at writing instruction manuals, so this is now taped to the back of my bathroom door.  I have gotten several requests for it, so here it is.  

How to Clean the Bathroom

1.           Shake out rugs, set in hall.

2.           Sweep out floor.

3.           Squirt toilet bowl cleaner into the toilet bowl, up under the rim.

4.           Spray bathroom cleaner in the tub and shower area, concentrate on any mildew or soap scum.

5.           Spray bathroom cleaner on sink area.

6.           Spray bathroom cleaner on toilet:  Handle, seat, under seat, and outside of bowl.

7.           Wipe down sink area with a rag. Rinse.

8.           Wipe down tub/shower area. Rinse.

9.           Scrub inside of toilet with toilet brush.

10.  Wipe down toilet in this order:  Handle, seat, under seat, outside of bowl, rim of toilet. (least germs to most)

11.  Spray mirror with Windex and wipe with a paper towel.

12.  Damp mop floor.  When dry, replace rugs.

Feel free to copy and paste. 

Mwah!