Love Never Fails (and Neither Does Laundry!) | Mom Life with Five

Love never fails (and neither does laundry!)

According to the long range forecast we’re nearing the end of winter, but for now, it’s still cold and snowy - a familiar season for any mom navigating winter with kids. True, we do experience the occasional teaser day of warmer temps, but this only creates the perfect storm of ice, snow, slush and puddles. And the after shocks of this storm are soggy boots and soaking wet snow pants…usually with varying degrees of mud depending on the temperature and how bare the hill ends up that’s being slid down. There’s wet mitts, extra sweaters, changes of pants and multiple pairs of wet socks. Usually all rolled together into one big unrecognizable ball!  This weather brings extra work for moms, but the kids just see opportunities for fun.  It’s like a silent alarm rings inside them signalling to get as much winter play in as possible before it all melts for good (even though, for me, it feels like it’s never going to warm up!).

So, while I cringe and sigh thinking about the extra laundry all this fun is creating I also try to focus my mind on the positives that come from it.  There’s the squeals of pure joy, cheers of glee, snow men wearing the carrots that are only usable as noses (and sometimes arms) because they got lost in the back of the fridge, snow fort construction (and sometimes deconstruction), sledding, and my favourite - unexpected help shoveling the driveway.  

There’s rosy cheeks and twinkling eyes looking out over cups of hot chocolate.  Little heads wet with exertion and mussed hair from snowy hats, excitedly telling me the tales of the great outdoors and conspiratorily making plans for the next trip outside.  

Are there arguments or differences of opinions while they’re outside together? For sure.  

Do they need Mom to put on her “Mediator” hat sometimes? Absolutely.  

But there are also moments of the Bigs helping the Littles.  Teaching them how to roll all that flat white landscape into an incredible snow man! Showing them the best tunnel building techniques or how to properly stack ginormous clumps of snow into a perfect fort. Moments, I’m sure, they don’t even realize are happening.  Memories that they’re creating with each other completely unaware.

After the final head settles into their pillow I find myself facing the mountain of evidence from their time outside.  I have to do a double take because it looks like their clothes have magically multiplied in a matter of hours!  *sigh*  Do I enjoy the task of laundry? Nope. The sorting, the hanging to dry, the folding…none of them favourites.  Especially when that one sock just up and disappears…honestly, how does that happen?! I do it because I love my kiddos and by showing them my love (even in the mundane daily tasks of motherhood) I know they will learn how to show their love to others as they grow up and start raising their own families.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter who got more turns on the “better sled” or who hit who with snow because the love is still there.  The love we try so hard to show each other each day, no matter what, because that’s the kind of love Jesus has for us.  So, you can find me hanging out with my washer and dryer, tackling the extra loads of clothing because while our love may not always be patient or kind with each other, it never fails…just like the laundry!