A Mom's Work is Never Done

I'm attempting to corral the kids into bed when I notice a mirad of coloring utensils on the living room floor. I return to their bedroom and send my youngest downstairs with the instructions to pick up her pencils.

I realize now that maybe I should have been alittle more specific, because she happily returned with her little bag filled with all of 5 pencils which she promptly dropped off in my bedroom. Don't ask me why. They apparently belong in there along with my oldest's hairbrush, their discarded pjs from this morning, a pair of slippers and a stray stuffed animal.

Meanwhile, in the living room, the remaining crayons and markers sat there, lonely for being left behind. At this point I figure I might as well do it myself...at least they'll get in bed that much faster! (Isn't that what it usually comes down to?) So, they're off to bed and I'm left holding the bag, so to speak...and picking up the markers, and crayons, and oh, yeah the coloring books. Let's not forget those.

I think "My work here is finally done for the night." Little did I know I had things to do in the bathroom before I could find some peace. When I flip on the light I'm greeted by the sight of what else? More markers, right next to some of those socks. I'm somewhat dismayed by this. Not because the fact there are markers in the bathroom...but because there's not a single thing to color on in sight!

Believe me, I checked every hidden inch of wall space and no masterpieces were to be found (whew!). I guess I can just chalk it up to another one of life's great mysteries. At least now I can take a well deserved break. I think I'll turn in early...right after I write this post, check some emails, catch up on my favorite blogs, pay some bills...

Those Socks are Tricky

It's not so much the dryer eating socks that baffles me anymore. In fact, I don't think this phenomenon has occurred in our household for quite some time. I finally got a new washer and dryer a couple years ago and apparently the sock monster that resided in my old set went with it. (Won't he be surprised when he finds he's in the middle of an appliance graveyard and not a sock in sight!)


But this mystery does involve socks. They're tricky little things, you know. And it's not just the little kid socks. It seems to plague my husband's socks as well. When socks are shed at the end of the day, they seem to want to lie among the dirty clothes in little wrong-side-out balls, prompting me to have to put them back to rights before I load them into the washer.


Now, I know for sure that this mystery cannot be because my family takes them off incorrectly. Because I'm fairly certain that I've told them time and time again that if they pull their socks off from the toe, this will not happen. They are all well aware of my plight, and I'm sure they can grasp the idea that if socks are in a little ball, they do not get cleaned and dried properly. Still, the socks end up coming to the laundry room all wadded up.

No, I'm convinced there has to be a mean-spirited sock fairy lurking somewhere in our home who's goal it is to drive me nuts. Surely my family would not make this extra work for me. Would they?