We don't always know what the other one is thinking.
It's been a hard last few days here - the barfing pestilence has taken down both children in turn and B has been fighting off a cold. We've been trading night-duties with the kids (wow, so this is what four am looks like! I haven't seen this in years!) and the resulting sleep fog and general uncertainty has made for some harrowing conversations.
Because while I have sympathy for those feeling ill, I do not have unlimited patience with trashed houses and things left undone.*
Being sick brings out the worst in us as a couple. I snap because I am so freaking busy, are you kidding me? and B feels like I am targeting him and gets defensive and mulish.
So this morning I was at the computer, reading about something and B called my name.
I was sure he was going to ask for a drink. Or could I do something....and I'd just sat down, and 'WHAT!' I ungraciously trumpeted back, barely stopping myself from clutching my head with the injustice of it all. Could he not see that I needed a few minutes to myself? Why didn't he see that I was going to explode if he didn't just get the goddamn tissues himself!!
There was a small silence. 'Happy Birthday' he said.
I spoke around a mouthful of leather. "Thwanks."
*We picked up something from that Gawd-awful kid show the Big (Blue??) Couch (CLOWN/woman and her clown/rag doll have adventures in their livingroom. It's RIVETING stuff.) about a ten-second tidy. I don't care if you are near death, you can do anything for a minute. One child gets the toys, one gets the shoes/assorted crappe and the adults get whatever's left. It's fairly effective and keeps me from going batshit crazy from the clutter.
16 comments:
Um, Jess? Could you bring me a drink? Uh, I mean, Happy Birthday!
Oh, and that riveting show? The Big Comfy Couch. You're welcome. ;)
(just tell me you didn't hide all your crap under the cushions...)
Jess! Happy Birthday! Can you bake us a birthday cake to celebrate? How about a cup of coffee?
I gotta tell you the 10 Second Tidy doesn't work anymore when they are teenagers. More like, get the backhoe, get off the couch and clean the hurricane damage that is your room.
On that happy note...
Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday! And get well soon!
Yeah, happy birthday Jess! And tell everyone in your house to get well and tidy up pronto from me. I've done that WHAT? to my kids only to have them say "I love you Mummy"
Happy B-day, Jess! We do the 10-second tidy too. Though Rae complains about the injustice of having to spend *all that time* clearing up.
Happy Birthday! Maybe you can give yourself a nice new pair of shoes to chew on as a gift?
Happy Birthday! I hope things sart looking up riiiiiight...NOW.
Don't you HATE it when they choose those moments to be so good? D****D husbands. Oh, and happy birthday!
Oh, and Big Comfy Couch! Otherwise totally annoying (although I did like the old Lunette so much more) contributed much tidying here, too. But, alas, it only worked for a couple years, and now at 7 my daughter is full of teenage angst. "OHHhh, it's all so difficult" wiping her bugers under the cushions. poor her...
Me again..."bugers" are not to be confused with burgers...I meant boogers, or buggers, or snot. Sorry.
Happy birthday!
We're finally, I think, coming out of the cold season here and Emily is experiencing some minor hearing loss, resulting in lots of "what"s being tossed around our house.
And 10-second tidy sounds like a GENIUS idea. Will have to work on implementing it.
Hey, Happy Birthday. I hope it was at least soft, chocolatey leather!
Happy happy happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday Jess! Nothing like a big dose of guilt! Hope you all feel better soon......
A belated happy birthday, Jess.
Is Big Comfy Couch still on? They used to run it down here when my two oldest were small, but I haven't seen it in years. And no, that's not where I got my blog name from....
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