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Undomestic me

I knew I had to do it, but I was scared.

Scared of the unknown.

Scared of the unfamiliar.

I had done it before, sure, but a long time ago. In fact, the last time I did it, it was right before my first baby was born. I did it again right before my second baby was born.

There really wasn't a need, you see, for me to do it after that. And when you don't do something on a regular basis, you tend to forget how to do it right, you know?

But... I did it tonight.

I ventured downstairs, and started to panic, but I was determined to do it. How hard could it be, after all?

I soon found out - it was very hard. Not easy at all! I had no idea where to start, how to position it, what the water was for, what lines to follow, and where to finish.

I was swearing under my breath, mad at myself for never having listened or learned this basic life skill.

What kind of a wife was I?

What kind of a mother was I?

I felt like a huge failure. I hated Martha Stewart.

I almost burned myself.

But in the end, I did it.

I ironed my husband's shirt.

And never had I needed a glass of wine so badly...

I just have to add here that I normally send my husband's shirts to the dry cleaners, so I don't have to deal with the horror story you read above. However, he needed this shirt to wear to a function tomorrow, and I, being a nice wife, thought I would iron it for him. It was a failure, but I tried. It's the least I could do for the man who has cooked dinner for me almost daily for over 5 years!

Comments

Apple said…
Awwww.... I can't iron right now being Prego it makes me want to pass out.
A Busy Mommy said…
OMGosh....I love it! Awesome post!

I don't Iron at all!!!!
I am AWFUL when it comes to ironing! I used to watch my mom iron my dad's work shirts all the time, and she did such a great job. I have inherited ZERO ironing talent. I think I use my ironing board about once a year. And when my husband needs something pressed? He does it himself. I am no help whatsoever.
Unknown said…
You are hilarious! But really, ironing is over rated. Although I have been called an excellent iron-er by my mother in law. Something to be proud of I guess:)
Iva Messy said…
LOL LOL LOL!!! ohhhmygosh!! how hilarious are you! First time visitor and I love it! LOL Congratulations on ironing that first shirt!! :) YAY!!!
Summer said…
soooo glad you made it out alive!!!

Now never do that again!
We buy the wrinkle free shirts because neither one of us can iron! I used to hang them in the bathroom and run the hot shower to get the wrinkles out before Brooks Brothers started making wrinkle free shirts...
He cooks every night? How lucky are you?
Great post - it made my day! I am going to use this as ammo and show my hubby who daily moans at me for not being the perfect housewife (i.e his mother) - i have yet to master the art of ironing and his clothes reside in bags upon bags of crumpled laundry for upto three months ata a time untill i buckly and try to make a tiny tiny dent in the pile!! I hate Ironing!!!
Julie said…
you live in such a completely different world than I do. It's nice to visit. ;-)
Betsy Mae said…
I can't iron either...I can't remember the last time I touched it. My husband presses the girls frilly dresses and his dress shirts! He doesn't like the way the dry cleaners do his shirts so I wash them on delicate and he presses each one to his liking.
twinmomplusone said…
YOU are such a hoot! Well written post!!!

I actually, gasp, love ironing. Which doesn't make me a domestic goddess as I hate pretty much all the other tasks!
stilettochicken said…
You are adorable. Really. I can just see you in my head, eyeing the iron and rolling your eyes trying to figure out the settings. Love it!!!
Ha! I HATE ironing and whenever I manage to try it always looks more wrinkled than before I started. What is that about!?!
Shana said…
Sounds like you have a great hubby!!
Stephanie said…
LOL
It takes me about 20 minutes to iron 1 shirt!
You are not alone:)
Tyne said…
Don't you hate it? I don't have a dry cleaner near by and we are trying to adapt to the economic situation, so the other day I ironed 8 of Caleb's shirts. Puke.
Anonymous said…
I don't have the ironing "gift." I send shirts out when possible. Now, I have a couple of sons who do a fair job! My husband's really good at it, too. I'm not a perfectionist in that area:)
Kamis Khlopchyk said…
I loathe ironing with the power of a thousand burning suns. I can so relate. I still have scars from the last time I tried.
Cynthia said…
Would it frighten you to know that I LOVE ironing? I do:P
Christy said…
You tried! Good for you. My husband is the real chef in our family too - but since I now stay home, I'm in charge of meals during the week - and I actually like it!

You know what else you could try? Putting the wrinkled clothes in the bathroom and running a hot shower. Not very green of me, I know!
OMG that is hilarious! My mom used to pay me a quarter for each piece of clothing that I would iron... there were times that I tried to get away with ironing socks just to make more money!

Now... I maybe iron three or four times a year... ONLY WHEN I ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO!
Chantal said…
I can iron but I HATE to. My hubby does all the ironing. Love him for it!
*whispering*
I didn't learn how to iron until I was in my mid-20s! So I find it an entirely non-necessary chore, since I went so long without doing it.
Anna-b-bonkers said…
Ha, ha, sounds like my ironing! I tend to throw things back in the dryer and hope for the best....and am super glad Dave no longer has an office job;-)
melissa said…
hahahaha...
ahem...
i'll take the wine. but you can completely forget about EVER getting me near that ironing board and torturous looking device.
xo
Avitable said…
This is why I burn each shirt after wearing and just go buy a brand new one.
Anonymous said…
I stopped ironing my guy's shirts when he asked me to re-iron one I had just ironed. I definitely do NOT have the gift!
Sandra Wilkes said…
Thank goodness for the cleaners! Used to iron them in the old days....mucho better now!
Anonymous said…
Congrats your SITS day! In my house - if it has to be ironed, it has to be dry-cleaned. The only exception is right before a special occasion if it's just a touch up and then it's usually my husband that does it :-) But he doesn't cook me dinner every night.
Unknown said…
We need to keep the dry cleaners in business, LOL!
JD said…
Wait. There's another use for an iron besides straightening my hair?
OMG I love this. One thing I told my husband when were getting married is that I do not, under any circumstances, iron. Here we are almost five years in, and I think I've ironed his clothers maybe three times.
CK said…
LOVE IT!!!! Haha! Hate ironing.