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Finding Joy in Cleaning

It was time to clean the family minivan. My hands were sticking to everything I touched, including the steering wheel. So I made up a new rule today. When I clean the van, I get to keep what I find. This has been true for laundry for a few years. However, I rarely find anything I really want and I (nearly) always return money and ruined Chapstick.

Here's the breakdown of the exciting prizes I won today:
  • 6 pencils
  • 4 pens
  • 2 used straws
  • a block
  • five shoes (none of them matched)
  • multiple hair accessories
  • 2 used suckers (which I had to pry from the seat and carpet)
  • a candy bar (I thought about eating that one)
  • weeds that were being saved as a "flower" collection
  • my ever elusive scout folder
  • multiple Happy Meal toys
  • 64 cents
And the grand prize. . .

Wait for it. . .

My very own rub-on "tramp stamp!"

*Applications are being taken now for the next scheduled van cleaning in 2010.

Comments

  1. Lisa Page RosenbergJuly 3, 2009 at 3:33 PM

    That glorious tattoo sure beats my cheerio/goldfish cracker/melty raisin/dog hair wad.

    ReplyDelete
  2. wendyJuly 3, 2009 at 8:45 PM

    What a wonderfully validating post! :)

    Happy Fourth!

    ReplyDelete
  3. KimberlyJuly 4, 2009 at 7:41 AM

    I cleaned out my car last week but I will tell you, my prizes were not as wonderful as your tattoo! I also remember having a van and boy things can disappear in one of those things and not return for years!

    ReplyDelete
  4. The MomJuly 5, 2009 at 7:30 AM

    I can't tell you how much I hate a messy vehicle, I also can't tell you hoe much I hate to clean out my vehicle. So where does that leave me.... yelling at the kids to clean out the messy vehicle.
    At least you got something cool out of it!

    ReplyDelete
  5. KathrynJuly 5, 2009 at 11:12 AM

    I think the stuck on suckers are the best find!
    My kids have to clean the van, and we have the same rule for them. They get to keep what they find. Their ability to pick the van clean is amazing! They've also found some real prizes, but they would be very jealous of finding a tattoo!

    ReplyDelete
  6. JarinJuly 5, 2009 at 8:23 PM

    You should have left the tattoo on! Give the neighbors something to talk about. :)
    Jensenites--

    ReplyDelete
  7. Booklover1212July 5, 2009 at 8:51 PM

    Nothing is worse than 3-day old sippy cups with milk! Ewwww!!! Loved your posting! Hopping on by on this lovely Sunday evening!

    ~ Jennifer
    http://thetoyboxyears.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  8. OctamomJuly 6, 2009 at 4:12 AM

    Whoa, Baby! You hit the jackpot today!

    One of my favorite finds was a complete cheeseburger lurking under a van seat--no mold, no mess, just perfectly preserved and intact--terrifying, actually....

    Blessings!

    ReplyDelete
  9. FoursonsJuly 6, 2009 at 6:21 PM

    Love this! The last time I cleaned out my van there was a spiderweb that touched every single seat in the van. And it's a 7 passenger van. That spider was set up with all the drink, food, and mold growing down there!

    ReplyDelete

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