[Erin524]

My mother just allowed me to actually put clothing (dirty underwear and socks!) into the washing machine without implying that I'm going to somehow break the washing machine!

I think this may just be one of the signs that the Four Horsemen will soon be coming. (I dont think the Four Horsemen like clean terrycloth socks)

Never in my mumbleThirty-eightmumble years has my mother ever allowed me to touch her washing machine. (she's got some strange phobia that I'm going to break it...she doesnt even let my dad use it without supervision)

I think I got her at a vulnerable stage...she has spinal stenosis and is in some pain right now. (she's got a TENS unit taped to her butt to help with the pain) and she must have finally just not felt like fighting me on my attempting to wash clothing with her machine.

She did have to show me how much of the soapy stuff to add to the machine, and what settings to set it at, and how to wash my expensive underwire bra...but she actually let me touch the machine! (naybe Heck just froze over?)

I'm not kidding, she's never allowed me to touch the machine, and screams so much that I'm going to break it that I've always just given up on trying to learn how to use it and would just give up trying and then I'd bring up five huge baskets of laundry for her to do.

I'm in a little bit of shock. I do have a slight fever from my cold, and I can barely keep the fever under control, so maybe I'm having an hallucination. I wish I had a thermometer.

[Kitty]

Congratulations, Erin! Let's hope the washer doesn't choose NOW to have a mechanical problem!

I can relate to her fear of someone messing with her machine, though. I hate it when my son "tries" to do his own laundry. He will fill the machine up so far that the lid will hardly close - forget to set the water level to "extra high" (it's usually on low or extra low) and will add enough detergent for an army.

But. . . at least he's attempting to do it himself. If I hear him in the laundry room I'll find something that HAS to be done in there and supervise!!

Maybe she's had an experience similar to this? Who knows....maybe she just likes doing laundry!

[DM]

Our little girl *Erin* has grown up and has now graduated to the big toys.
I have a great idea~~~ You could come over to my house and PRACTICE on my laundry.... Practice DOES make perfect Erin!..


Hope you didn't accidentally put a red sock in w/the whites.

Next chore = vacuuming..

[sugarboo]

Erin, that's too funny! This is another thing that my Mother does. She is a doom's dayer to the max. Something is always wrong, everyone is trying to ruin her stuff, even after years of not accidently letting her dogs out, she still freaks out when you open a door....the list goes on!

The scary thing? Will we be like our Mothers in older age? OMG! I'm terrified of it!! If my DD says "Oh Mom, that's what Grandma would do/say"....I start back peddleing real quick like!! LOL!! Ohhhh Nooooo....NOT LIKE GRANDMA!!!

Perish the thought!!!!

I'm with you on the sick parade. Feel like carp, can't keep my eyes open, or focus on the things that need to get done! I did manage to do another test in school yesterday.....Hope I wasn't dilusional and I did as well as I THINK I did!!!

And like Kelly said: I hope it don't break because you used it! Murphy's Law!!

[MSacorn]

Erin
How wonderful for you. Maybe your mom only allows you to do laundry on Leap days. Have you considered that theory?

If so, at least you can use the washer every 4 years.

Feel better all you sickies !!

[ewizabeth]

Originally Posted by Erin524

I'm in a little bit of shock. I do have a slight fever from my cold, and I can barely keep the fever under control, so maybe I'm having an hallucination.

Sorry about your cold Erin! Congratulations on graduating to the big appliances though! BTW, I was never, ever allowed to use my Dad's lawn mower. I tried it once when I was about 12, but he took it away from me because I got to close to the bushes.

Originally Posted by daisymay

Hope you didn't accidentally put a red sock in w/the whites.

You hit the nail on the head DM. There's where the real fear comes in!

Originally Posted by greenjeans

And like Kelly said: I hope it don't break because you used it! Murphy's Law!!

Oh no, that would be a catastrophe!!

[Erin524]

Originally Posted by ewizabeth

Sorry about your cold Erin! Congratulations on graduating to the big appliances though! BTW, I was never, ever allowed to use my Dad's lawn mower. I tried it once when I was about 12, but he took it away from me because I got to close to the bushes.



You hit the nail on the head DM. There's where the real fear comes in!



Oh no, that would be a catastrophe!!

Well, it was just underwear and socks...and I dont wear any color sock other than white, so no weird color accidents.

I was going to fold the underwear and match the socks this morning when I got up, but I guess my mom was bored last night or this morning. I found a laundry basket full of folded underwear and socks on the couch.

I'm still wondering if I dreamed that I did the laundry, because my mom just never lets me touch it...when I crochet an afghan and I want to put it in the dryer to soften the yarn up, she freaks and insists on turning it on herself.

My mom can be a little (a lot!) irrational about a few things...comes from her having had a severe head injury (contra-coup concussion and a 5 week coma) when she was 17. She's not having a great retirement. She has spinal stenosis and has a lot of pain from that, and her short term memory is not the best...we havent gotten her evaluated yet, but we're thinking she could have an early-onset alzheimers going on, probably from her head injury. It's hard to deal with her at times.

I could tell that she was stressing out a bit when I was loading the washer. She did a fairly good job of not going off on me.

I'm guessing she was more receptive to me wanting to do my own clothes last night because of the stenosis. She's got a TENS unit now, and I'm not sure what else they can do for that back pain. I've been waiting for my chance to start using the washer...she's ruined some of my clothes by not following the washing instructions on the clothing. Now all I have to do is see if this was a weird abberation that she allowed me to even touch the machine last night.

Hopefully she'll let me wash all my t-shirts this weekend (I have lots of t-shirts. It'll take all weekend to wash them) I'm totally out of clothes, and have to get at least some of it done, and I just think it'd be easier to do it myself and it'd be less painful for my mom if I do it myself. Maybe I'll practice on a load of my towels tonight.

My only problem with doing laundry tonight, is the cold that is trying it's hardest to kill me today. I'm all hopped up on cold meds, practically o.d.-ing on Tylenol, and really really tired.

[Gazelle]

Moms are weird. But that's totally amazing that you got to use the "Big Girl" machine. Congrats!

Maybe it would relieve her anxiety if you asked her how she wants you to load the machine? She may have some set pattern she wants you to use. That way she can "supervise" your use of the machine.

Hope you're feeling better soon.

[Erin524]

Originally Posted by Gazelle

Moms are weird. But that's totally amazing that you got to use the "Big Girl" machine. Congrats!

Maybe it would relieve her anxiety if you asked her how she wants you to load the machine? She may have some set pattern she wants you to use. That way she can "supervise" your use of the machine.

Hope you're feeling better soon.

The Actifed and Mucinex are wearing off, so I'm getting a bit goopy again. I'm waiting a little longer before I dose myself up again. But, I do feel a little better...freezing to death tho. (this morning, I was melting!)

I did have my mom "supervise" me last night. That way she couldnt blame me if the machine broke. My dad must have given her a good pain pill before he went to bed last night, because she was actually pleasant and didnt stand there saying "you're doing it wrong!" really loudly.

I want to wash some t-shirts, but I feel carppy from the cold, so I guess I'm waiting till tomorrow to get some clean clothes.

[SallyC]

Congrats, Erin..

So sorry about your nasty cold. I hope you feel better tomorrow.........and the laundry will wait.