Lovin' My Man with Dishpan Hands

A few weeks back, I found myself wondering why my bedtimes are getting later and later, while my Dear Husband is already nestled in bed reading his magazines and catching up on sports highlights way before I have even made a dent in my mental to-do list. I know that this is partly due to the fact that I'm a freak about keeping things up around the house and obligate myself to doing a little bit of my mental "everything" so that "everything" doesn't just come and overtake me one day. A freak, I tell you.

I implored said Dear Husband to give me a little more help around the house in the nightly chores that seem to be sucking so much of my time. Before I go any further, I must first issue a full disclaimer that Eric (Dear Husband) really is a great help around the house and doesn't have to be told, nagged or reminded what needs to be done. While we don't have specific rules of who-does-what, we are always able to divide and conquer the workload to keep things running relatively smoothly and keeping peace within the home.

Lately, I have been feeling like my nights with the kids are going by so quickly. Often I feel cheated that in the few short hours I get to spend with them each weekday evening, at least one hour is spent in the kitchen, cooking, eating (which is hardly enjoyable) and cleaning up. The rest of the time I try to be exclusively theirs. What ends up being my free time boils down to only 2 hours and with two kids, well, you can see where this is going.

So, my Main Man stepped it up a notch. And consistently. And without complaint. And without hesitation. Eric had previously cleared the dinner table while the rest of us finished eating, but has since taken on washing dishes, loading the dishwasher and packing leftovers for my lunch the next day. Isn't love grand?

In the 20 minutes that it takes him to do this, I am finishing my dinner, coaxing Picky Pickerson to finish 3 more bites (because she's 3) and wiping child faces and hands. Just overlapping the workload while we both work to jump the mealtime hurdle has really made a difference in my evenings. Once dinner is over, we can both enjoy more time together with the kids and I'm not feeling so pinched for time. The one problem that I now have made for myself that I need to kick is adding even more things to my mental to-do list now that I'm not so beaten by every single night chores. Is freak coming to mind?

Thank you my Dear Husband for coming to my rescue. Some people like to get flowers? Me? Come do my dishes! Be sure to bring your apprentice.

Happy Sweetest Day Darling!