Tables Turned

Sorry Jason, this laugh is at your expense.

I'll mention lots of redeeming qualities about you as a father and husband after I laugh about this.

Today I worked. I work like ten days a year. It's so infrequent that it isn't really convenient for me or my husband when I do. My husband does appreciate greatly the income that it adds to our family. He would just love it if I could find a way to do that without inconveniencing him so much.

When I work, he has to do all the things that I normally do in the mornings and afternoons. I leave the house by 6am so he is left to do for the kids as they wake up. Of course, he still has to get dressed in a suit and tie and be ready to leave for work so I admit he has an added challenge. Then he has to either get them to the sitter or in today's case just get the sitter situated, as she came to our house. In the afternoon, he comes home usually around 4 and has them by himself until I get home around 5:30. Mothers of toddlers across the world know that the hours of 4-7 are the witching hours. But still, this is what I do EVERY DAY. He only has to do it approximately 10 times a year.

So this is the phone call I get at 4:10 today.

"Hello"
"Hi. What time does the GPS say you will be home?"
"5:03. But I have to stop and give Sallie all these materials so I'll really be later."
"O.K. Well just get here as soon as you can. And I don't think you're going to get your ten minutes to unwind. I am ready for you to be home!" (children screaming in the background)
"Alright, honey. I'll be home soon."


Please tell me you find this humorous. If you could hear the desperation in his voice surely you would find this humorous. Not that he was desperate, but that he was so overwhelmed by the job I do Every. Single. Day. Maybe now he can understand why I'm ready to hand over the screaming infant the moment he walks in the door. But I refrain. I try to give him the time he needs. It's hard some days, isn't it?

In his defense, he had come home early to be with Amelia (because of her arm) and had been dealing with her crying since about 2:15. I totally get this. It would be really stressful. Also, let me just mention that yesterday I worked also and although he was equally anxious for me to get home, he had a full-out dinner ready when I got there. I was expecting sandwiches but he had a real meal.

He is quite wonderful and I don't mean to diminish the stress he was experiencing. So, let me turn the tables once more.

I have come home the last two days absolutely exhausted. I mean, completely incapable to function as a mom and home-maker. Good thing he had dinner covered both nights or we would have been eating PB&J. Good thing he insisted the kids have a bath or they would have gone to bed dirty. Good thing he's O.K with letting the kids watch T.V. because that's all we did from the time I came home to the time they went to bed. I was spent. My body ached. I was tired of talking all day. No quality time was spent with the kids.

Do you see the ridiculous in this? I mean, Jason works every day and still manages to come home and be a normal functioning person. We don't get the leftovers. He still has plenty left to give us. I work two days and I can't just suck it up and find some inner something to keep going for three more hours? Quite dramatic the exhaustion I feel after a days work.

It boils down to whatever you're not used to is hard. That's it. Enough said.

Good thing most days he does the working and I do the mothering!