Proof...Yeah, I've got it!

It was just another normal evening.  

The kids had enjoyed another hot, sweaty, NC afternoon of fun.  

I've got proof...

Country living kind of fun...you know, burning a big trash pile on the edge of a soybean field, kicking up dust with the 6 wheeler, playing princess, and even hurling themselves onto a homemade tarp slip and slide complete with baby oil and soap suds...

Yeah, we totally know how to have fun...and we are quite good at it.  And after a day full of making memories, my bathroom floor is proof of every single one of them.

I've got proof...

The off-white porcelain tiled floor is cool to the touch, but if it could talk, it would tell such warm stories of the happy feet that have traipsed over it throughout the day.  To a passerby, it would appear that the floor is just full of dirty clothes, but to me, those clothes tell a story.  

I've got proof...

In the far corner, there is a boy's pair of basketball shorts, inside out, with a muddy paw print on the left thigh.  I'm pretty certain this means that at some point my son played a game of fetch with our beloved labrador...who I am sure accidentally missed my son's hand when he wanted to "shake" with his paw.  Laying relatively close to those shorts in the corner, is a balled up NCSU t-shirt.  It smells faintly of a distinct mixture of diesel fuel and Axe body spray.  It has perfectly placed sweat stains below the left side of the neck hole...for that's the part of the shirt that he grabs and uses to wipe his face when he sweats.  From observing his shirt, there is no doubt that my boy mowed the grass today, and it was HOT.  I gather up these clothes in my arms and am grateful that my son knows both how to play hard, and work hard.

I've got proof...

On the edge of the tub is a perfectly placed colorful sundress...the kind with a skirt that has just enough soft pleats to allow the perfect amount of blouse at a 9 year old girl's ankles, as she twirls like a princess.  It's colors are perfectly matched for the personality of the girl who chose to wear it...fun, bold, and playful.  I love how a simple dress can make any moment turn into an event worthy of a royal court...the potential to use her imagination has been clinging to her small frame all day long...and I love it.  On the counter, next to the sink, are two purple hair clips that have held her beautiful, thick locks of hair out of her face as she played.  Earlier in the day, those clips began higher in her hair, but after a few rounds on the swing set, the clips began to slide down.  And that's more than ok, because sometimes you have to just let your hair down and have some fun.  I'm grateful for her beautiful spirit that fills this house with grace and laughter.  This daughter of mine certainly had fun! 

I've got proof...

In the threshold of the bathroom door, another piece of evidence lays, awaiting to be discovered.  There is yet another sundress, but this one is different.  This one has a few mud stains right along the bottom hem...likely acquired when this little girl hopped on her brother's 4 wheeler to take a quick spin.  The colors on this particular dress are more on the subdued side, but the cut is more than stylish.  This dress is roomy enough to run across the freshly cut grass, straddle the seat of a 4 wheeler, or bend completely over to reach your toenails for a fresh paint job.  As a matter of fact, there is a tiny drop of turquoise nail polish...neighboring right up against one of those mud stains.  I am grateful for this adventurous girl of mine that can always find fun, and is always willing to share in her joy.  Her dress tells a story...a wonderful day of events, and mishaps, that will surely be filed in my daughter's memory bank.

I've got proof...

At the end of the day, when the kids are tucked in and my house is quiet, I like to think that my children are dreaming of their future adventures...and the fun that they will share together...

The fun that they will share with ME!

Eventually, the clothes will make it to the hamper, and likely overflow, while awaiting their turn for a wash.
All the while, my bare bathroom floor will wait patiently to be the landing spot for the next chapter of Summer memories...memories so cleverly disguised as dirty laundry. 

I've got proof...

XOXO,
the Laundry Fairy