Friday, June 19, 2009

Dirty Laundry

This is the sight that greeted me today as I drove winding mountain roads to pick Child #2 up from church camp. This campsite had a major renovation over the fall and winter that would have made the writers at HGTV proud!! They demolished cabins that looked like cement blocks from the 1960's and designed super cool cabins with indoor plumbing and A/C! The kids were so excited! No more trips to the outhouse in the middle of the night carrying a flashlight!

But the aroma that permeated throughout the deck was overwhelming! After daily thunderstorms over the week, everything was soaked and smelly! Put 16 pairs of stinky tennis shoes in one area, and you've got a recipe to scare off any wild animals!
We packed up our camper's things (I just about went ahead and threw out all of his smelly stuff!), then met them under a shelter that must have had temps in the low 100's! And talk about humidity! Mercy me! I was dripping wet! I felt as though I had been running for miles...not just standing around waiting for the closing program to begin!
After signing out Child #2, we scooted to the mama mini van and took off. He desperately needed a "baconator" from Wendy's! And a Frosty! After a quick call to Daddy, he relaxed, and life was good again!

After a shower, he sat down to wait for his turn on the computer. Y'all, I promise I just sent one teensy weensy email! I turned to tell him that he could play a game, and look what I saw! Bless his precious heart! Child with long legs curled up in a ball on the tiniest chair that we own (still waiting for the slipcover to be made!!!)
It was time for the dreaded task--laundry! I proceeded to carefully take out all wet clothing from his suitcase, bookbag, dirty clothes bag, and Wal-mart bags that were thrown in for good measure in case something was still wet--ha!
Now, let me back up a bit. On the way home, he had explained in great detail some of the games that they had played. One involved teams using an obstacle course with those plastic baby pools. In each pool, you had either flour or Rice Krispies or other stuff to roll around in!!! I'm not talking one little bag or box--that pool was full! Of course, you were wet when you got in. Peanut butter was another yummy item slathered on kids' faces. Then marshmellows were thrown at said faces to see who could get the most marshmellows to stick. Gross!! But the kids loved it! Child #2 still had flour balls stuck in his hair and under his chin after bath number one.
Back to the laundry. I had almost all of the clothes in the washer when I touched something sticky at the bottom of one of the bags. Yucky sticky unknown item was pulled out. This used to be his cute orange bathing suit.
The white stuff was melted Rice Krispies--I told y'all it was hot! I felt like I was washing Rice Krispie treats! Oohh! Nasty! Tide did the trick though! I praise God for small miracles!
These had been brand new spanking white socks! I just chunked them! Not even worth it. He'll run around barefoot until school starts anyway!
"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Eph. 5:1-2 A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about being stinky after a run. This scripture from Ephesians was on my heart as I sorted the smelly clothes. I wondered what type of offering my child had been to others at camp. Could they see the love that he has for Christ by his actions? Or had he been self-centered? Knowing his personality, I know that he hates having attention drawn to him, but while away from family, kids tend to act differently.

Later, during supper, I asked him about a certain activity that really looked fun from the DVD that we had watched during the closing program. I wanted to know if his cabin had done it and did he enjoy it? He said that his cabin DID do it, but not him. Hmm....did he get time-out? Then he finished the story. Another camper had gotten hurt during the activity, and he needed to go to the nurse. Child #2 offered to help him get to the nurse's office knowing that he would miss the rest of that fun activity. I was so touched at his actions. He made the right call--he sacrificed a part of his camping fun to help out another child. Bless his heart!

Child #1 comes home from mission camp tomorrow. Yep, more dirty laundry! But, we'll all be together again. We can celebrate Father's Day together as a family. I pray that your husbands and daddies will be blessed this Father's Day. Even if your earthly father is no longer with you, your Heavenly Daddy will always be there beside you.

Blessings!

16 comments:

Lisa @ The Preacher's Wife said...

Hey Susan!

My kids are off to summer camp for the first time in a couple weeks. I'm a little nervous but I know they are absolutely going to love it.

And I love your boy helping his friend. Don't you love those little glimpses into their heart?

elaine @ peace for the journey said...

You are such a good mom! I couldn't help but think about your "stinkin'" situation a few weeks ago.

I know you'll be glad to have everyone back under one roof. My goodness, such a week. Makes me wonder what you have planned for next week!

peace~elaine

Ginger said...

Hi,
I'm stopping by from Elaine's at Peace for the Journey.

Just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed reading about your visit. I think it is really neat that y'all managed to get together.

I've enjoyed reading your blog...love the sock picture. Nothing like stinky laundry after camp.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend with everyone home.
Ginger

Kathleen said...

Well ... any friend of Elaine's AND Travis Cottrell's (don't you just love his rendition of "Jesus Saves"?), is a friend of mine!

I chuckled as I read of your laundry adventures. My own date back years; way back. In fact, my oldest dirty-sock-dude turns 40 in August.

So glad to meet you; I'll be back.

Be blessed,
Kathleen

Oz Runner said...

enjoyed reading this...great pic of your son tuckered out from camp, and wow, those socks could my my kids'...my son goes for his first church camp this next week (just 2 nights as a first timer)..

Kelly said...

Isn't it a blessing when our kids do the right thing? So proud of your son. He was so cute asleep in the chair!!!

Your a better mom than me, I would have chucked the bathing suit too!

Hope your 2nd homecoming is a sweet as this one was.

Pinkshoelady said...

Hey My Friend!
Thank you for your sweet words on my blog!
Oh how this brought me back to my own camp days. I remember one year being at camp for a week and coming home to a freshly painted and redecorated room. It broke my hardworking parents heart as my sister and I complained about our new pepto-bismol pink room with deep sky blue trim, did not meet our idea of a pretty room. Soon we realized that even though the room was ugly (that never changed we still think it was an ugly room to this day) it had been a lot of work and love that went into it. It now stands out as a great example of love.
Thanks for the memory.
Pamela

Yolanda said...

I'm thinkin' you are ONE BRAVE WOMAN! Touching that awful looking sock!!

Love ya

Sharon Sloan said...

Susan...you did such a great job writing this that I actually felt like I could smell that laundry! Oh my!


ahhhhh....here comes His lovely fragance! whoooeeeee...much better! :)

Unknown said...

Oh Susan, you are such a good mommy. Look at all that training and "teaching them the way they should go", showing up! What a blessing. Thank you for sharing, even the yucky laundry :)

Empty Nest Full Life said...

Hope you have found your way out from all of that dirty laundry. I know what you mean about the smell. My son used to go work at camp all summer, and even the washed clothes that he brought home sometimes smelled. Have a wonderful week. Jackie

christy rose said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
christy rose said...

I just deleted my last comment because I realized I called you Sharon. I have no idea why. I know you are Susan the runner mom. HAHA
anyways, I was just commenting about the laundry situation and how I know exactly what you were going through there. Every year my kids come home from camp with laundry that smells so bad. I dread it so much. But church camp is so worth it. I am willing to sacrifice and put up with it. :) It is pretty funny though, how you aired your dirty laundry!! LOL

Marilyn in Mississippi said...

I can so identify with all those "smells" you talked about because we raised two rough-and-tumble boys on an 80-acre farm in HOT & HUMID Mississippi! We didn't have to wait for camp to get wet, smelly clothes and sneakers! ha ha

I really enjoy reading your blog. Your sons are blessed to have a Mom so devoted to them.

God bless you!

Marilyn

Marci @All Things Wonderful said...

I know the laundry must have been rough...but it sounds like a great time at Camp! :)

Joyful said...

Now that's "dirty laundry"!!!!

Your son is a sweetheart...like his mom...although I'm sure he doesn't want to hear that...no boy's do. But, you're both like your heavenly Father - sacrificing and giving to others.

Blessings,
Joy