Laundry

I have a few chores that I am really good at.  I have a few chores I am really bad at.  I think I could count on one hand how many times I've dusted since we moved here 4 1/2 years ago!  I'm also pretty bad at vacuuming on a regular schedule because it's a pain to have to clear the floors and I have a noise-phobic Abby (and before I had her, I had a noise-phobic Emmy). 

Anyway, back to the chores I'm good at.  I keep the dishes in check simply because it drives me crazy to have a sink full of dirty dishes.  And I am pretty good at getting laundry done and put away.  It takes me two days of my chore-a-day plan, but it gets done. 

Until now. 

On Thursday (do-the-laundry day), the first load came out of the washer dripping wet, so I ran another spin cycle.  Still drippy wet.  I ran another spin cycle and stayed to watch it.  Plenty of draining noise and very little spinning.  So I called my mom for some pity.  She suggested I talk to my dad who can fix anything.  He called me that evening and suggested a few things (like unplugging it and plugging it back in and running a different cycle).  When that didn't make a difference, he told me to call an appliance repairman.  I found one who charged $40 to diagnose and then would refund $20 if we had them do the work.  Repairman came on Friday, spent almost an hour diagnosing, and came back with bad news.  Bad motor control board.  $620 to replace it!!!!  Seriously?!?!  That's almost as much as a new machine! 

Brett and I are discussing what our plan is now, and I need to do a bit more research tomorrow.  But in the meantime, I feel like my whole house is falling apart simply because I can't do laundry.  I know that's silly.  I can still pick up toys.  I can still do dishes.  I can even pick up the dirty clothes and put them in the hamper.  I just can't wash the ever-growing piles of clothes.  And with Aaron going through 3 outfits today, those piles are growing pretty quickly.  :) (Don't worry too much about us going naked, though.  We have a laundry date at my parents' house in the next few days.)

I know this is such a tiny trial and I feel bad even complaining about it, but I can promise you that I will never take my washing machine for granted again!