Working for pennies

When you have small children, you can con, I mean, get them to work for mere pennies.

I've just taken a small break to pay Middlest 13 cents for folding wash cloths. I smiled at her as I counted out only 12. She plopped into the floor and said, "Let me count these..." I dropped another penny in her lap and she smiled up at me. "I have 13 pennies. Thanks, Mom."

Youngest was folding cloth napkins. I would hand him three napkins from the clean laundry basket. He raced into the other room, folded them, put them away, then returned to me with his Piggy Bank in hand. He was working really cheap: two cents for every three napkins. Then it got old and his attention wandered. I guess a dozen napkins folded is all I can expect from a Four Year Old in one morning.

Oldest is currently upstairs making her bed. We are doing a medium cleaning this Saturday. Pillows are being frozen in the chest freezer for about two hours. I was told by my D.O. that this should kill the dust mites, although she admitted she didn't remember the recommended time for freezing your pillows. Washing the pillows isn't so hard; it's the drying them later that is annoying. Last month I washed and dried my pillows. One I had dried for over two hours. I finally said, "It's dry enough." On went the pillow case and I dropped it on the bed. When I finally got to go to bed that night, the pillow underside was damp. Ick. I tossed it off the bed, admitted my defeat, and crawled under the covers.

Our allergies aren't too bad, but then no one really wants a drippy nose. Ever. I have a better handle on my Mystery Allergy since my consultations with the allergist. Acting on his suggestions should help the whole house to be more healthy. Here's hoping for an allergy free Spring. Of course, a good hard cold snap would do wonders for killing molds and cutting the pollen levels, but watch while I don't hold my breath.

I'm off to check the washer again.