Checklist, check. Planning, getting there.

So I'm trying to get better about the whole stay at home mom thing and I actually got two loads of laundry done yesterday (including folding and putting away) which for me is huge. Today Jim is home and we are spending the afternoon together. Okay, so he's asleep on the couch and the boy is upstairs napping and I am sitting in front of my computer listening to football and thinking how I should be working on another load of laundry. Anyway. . . I digress. So I am trying to get better at the stay at home mom/housewife thing. But I have a question, and forgive me if I have asked this question before but I really don't understand. Why do women (or the person responsible - in my house and experience it falls to women), who do we always have to come up with the meal plan? Why can't husbands ever take the reins, decide on a meal, and execute. I just feel like I have to plan these things and if I haven't started the day before I probably will be pulling out another jar of spaghetti sauce, ground beef, noodles and salad. LAME!!! Today (again!) I asked Jim what he might want for dinner and he gave me the usual answer "I have no idea, I can't think that far ahead." Honestly, if he can't think that far ahead then why do I have to be able to do that. Can't I just live in the moment too? Apparently I missed that in the marriage contract. No, no, we have to plan for all things. Whether it be 5 minutes from now or 5 years. This includes any and all scenarios such as sunburn because we decided to spontaneously go to the Garden of the Gods for a hike ("what do you mean you don't have water, don't you think of these things?") Or a baby having a poopy diaper in the middle of the grocery store with a basket full of groceries and no changing table in the restroom. Or what about the husband who flies into town so we can go directly to a football game and he needs a change of clothes along with the baby, all of his diapers and bottles for an entire day out, oh and don't forget his toothbrush because hubby doesn't want to have coffee breath.

Yes, we missed the implication in the wedding vows, marriage contract, the look in the hubby's eyes, all of which said that we are the keepers of the schedule. We will take care of all appointments for the children, all meal planning, the care of houseguests, feeding schedules, laundry schedules, regular cleaning, family entertainment, coordination and management of any repair persons and repair of small household items. But, in the alternative this is also why the husbands end up with the infamous "honey-do" list. I mean in business one person is not expected to complete all of their own tasks, they have to delegate. That's where we come in, we get to delegate to our husbands. As household managers we have to rely on the other members of the household to help, but the thinking, forethought, planning, etc. is all up to us. So in the future, when your husband complains about having to do something on his list, just remind him that a lot of planning went into that list and his inability to complete such paltry tasks are merely a consequence of his lack of planning.

Am I a Bad Person?

That's a rhetorical question! I don't want an answer.

Finally, we can breathe a sigh of relief that Jim's job is secure. I no longer have to worry about my husband calling me to tell me his on his way to pack up his apartment and return home because he is unemployed. Not that I wouldn't love to see his shining face every day, but the thought of no income with an infant and a house is terrifying. Perhaps it's a little selfish to say how lucky I feel that I can stay home with my son and I love every moment, so Jim's continued employment is key to my continued unemployment. That being said there are times when I would love to have Jim here all the time so that I could do the little things. Like getting my hair done, or completing laundry in one day rather than it being a daily task. I swear I have no idea what I am doing and why it takes me so long. On the other hand, I do tend to goof off a lot because I know I have time later. Of course later never seems to come or it comes sooner rather than later (ha ha!). I should be spending less time playing on the floor with the baby and more time getting stuff done but I just don't seem to be motivated to do that.

Some of the other moms with more kids than I have get more done than I can ever manage. Although on the days that I do manage to get out of my PJ's before lunch and get out of the house, I get plenty of things done. But when that only happens once every two weeks that seems to be a problem. Well, now that I am done procrastinating I will go change out of my PJ's and into some real clothes so that I can hopefully get something done around here. Hmmm, I wonder if the baby wants to play?