I guess sometimes I get a little resentful that I live with MacGyver.
Ricardo does a lot around here. And me working part-time, I'd say half the time, I expect him to do everything, and the other half, I feel guilty for expecting him to do everything. He fixes everything and then some. He makes just as many meals as I do. He does as many household chores as I do if not more. I try to not depend on Ricardo so much but its like dieting - the harder I try the worse I am about it. Ironically enough, I might have had a couple of Christmas meltdowns and perhaps I suggested I put Christmas up, I can take it down. I was feeling a bit overwhelmed and underappreciated.
Somewhere in the aftermath of the holiday version of what I refer to as Mommie Dearest Moments, Ricardo told me I can't just cancel Christmas like that. Yes I can. No you can't. Yes, huh. Uh, no. Fine. But I CAN take down the advent calendar. And I did. That turned out to be very effective.
And also in the midst of it all, I've been griping about our washer and dryer. Not really griping, but I have friends with the new fancy ones, and they've explained things like, "Dude, the clothes dry in the same time it takes to wash a load." That's an option? My dryer is taking well over an hour to dry clothes. So, Ricardo, being the MacGyver he is, and motivated at my big idea to get one of those fancy dryers, unclogged all the lint and got a new connector thingie. And voila! He fixed it. But I wasn't buying it, so he went even a step further to offer to do the laundry. Oh, you're on bucko.
I didn't want him to do the laundry out of spite, but rather to appreciate it a little more. Respect the laundry. I don't always get it all put away. But it's a lot. I'm talking A LOT of laundry. It takes about 2 days just to wash all of it. Then you gotta fold it AND put it away, all while living in a house with a dog and children with demands and needs. He did a lot of what I do like leave all the hanging clothes hanging in the basement and he never quite got the last load out of the dryer or leave a basket of folded clothes upstairs so long by the time it was due for the kids to bring down their laundry and no one knows where Lucy's hamper is? Well - its in OUR room full of clean folded clothes that have been sitting there for a week. Because I waited for him to finish unpacking the laundry, and it never happened. Ofcourse.
So while I emptied that out I found some matched up but not paired together socks and some not matched up socks and none of my clothes put away. Then I started this week's laundry. And that's when I discovered the power play move in the laundry room. Ricardo had gone down and thrown a load of laundry into the washer. I had separated all the clothes into piles. The dark pile is about 3 1/2 loads. So, there was a 1/2 load left. There was also a green pile way off in the corner, a large red/pink pile, and a lights & whites pile. So, he took the darks, threw them in, and then made an extra effort to pick an item from each of the other piles, even the far off green pile. Not just maybe the lighter greys in the light/white pile, or just some greens. He took one from each pile. And from the layout of laundry all over the laundry room, it was apparent, he was making a statement. A statement like, "I'm gonna jack up your precious laundry process."
It took me hours to get over that. I think what got me over that was a line from A Christmas Story that I'd just watched 7 times - "You used all of the glue on PURPOSE!" Stupid, I know, but when laundry takes up most of your day, and you realize the quality and precision you put into it, only to find a mixed load of laundry in the washer. Well, I'm sensitive. I'll admit it. I just resolved I would simply do EVERYTHING. Overreacting, I know, but I was on a roll.
I decided I would show him. I was going to have the damned laundry finished,folded, and put away by the time Ricardo got home from work. Bold goal. But revenge was my motivation. I'll show HIM a statement! I resolved all that while driving the kids downtown to The Rose Theater for some good old fashioned "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" production. As soon as I turned in to park - the low tire pressure light came on. Dammit - I can't change a tire - well I could - but I wouldn't want to drive on it after I changed it. And lone mama in a downtown parking garage with two kids changing a tire? For the love of my children and my sanity and then I guess their safety - it was not a good idea to change the tire myself.
I must admit when Ricardo offered to leave work to come change the tire - I got a little giddy in telling him not to worry - I can call AAA. Mwahahaha. So I called - they can be here by 10p.m. What? Dammit. I tucked my tail between my legs, accepted defeat and called Ricardo. He came to our rescue.
The kids and I found a coffee house and had cocoa and cookies while we waited on our knight in shining armor to come save us...again! I guess I depend on the guy a bit. Its okay to depend on your spouse, right? I hope he depends on me - for something - I can't think of anything right now. Well - apparently I am a self-proclaimed champion of laundry, and maybe grocery shopping. Still, I need him and appreciate him desperately. Lesson learned. Laundry is still not finished.
That's how I roll.
