Mom's laundry back in business

Our house went from having two girls this weekend to having five.

Marissa invited three college friends home with her and Meghan surprised us all by popping home to see, I am sure not me, but her sister whom she had not seen since going to college on Aug. 19. (That is maybe the longest the sisters had gone without seeing one another.)

Not only did all those girls bring their smiling faces to our home but also their dirty laundry. Of course. All kids hate doing laundry at college, in fact, Meghan said the dryers were not working in her dorm so she had "no other choice" than to leave her wet clothes in the washer when she left Friday. She expected that they would still be in there waiting for her when she got back - that is hardly likely - they were most likely either totally gone, claimed by someone else, or strewn throughout the laundry room.

Marissa and her friends told me the machines at their college just work real inefficiently and they have wasted too much money in the machines. They have even tried out the laundromat in town but that experience was even more costly.

So, Mom's Laundry is where they came, offering washing, drying and folding free of charge.

Their dirty clothes were all thrown together -- fortunately a majority of the clothes would be going back to the same room as three of them are roommates and hopefully the fourth girl got her clothes back somehow!

I could not believe all the clothes those girls had -- another difference between boys and girls; they need to change clothes far too often.

The three visitors are from Nebraska so it was natural for them to have Nebraska Ts and sweat shirts; I know that my Hawkeye boys wouldn't have ever approved of having anything bearing that name in our washer and dryer. Better to not even tell them that.

When college kids come home, it is also a treat for them to have home-cooked food; cafeteria food appears tasty at the beginning of the school year but soon it all looks and tastes the same.

I made sure to provide items that most likely were not on that cafeteria menu and they ate 'til their hearts and stomachs were content.

And jabber, jabber, jabber - that they did - slamming the male population, their difficult classes and the lack of money they each have.

I loved their visit and being mom to all of them for the weekend. I welcome them back again - but not too soon; I need to rest. I think I have carpal tunnel from washing and drying and folding.

* Lorri Glawe is a staff writer for the Pilot-Tribune. Reach her at lglawe@stormlakepilottribune.com