Another link up party with Jen... for more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!
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On Monday, I had two guest post's featured on two blogs I follow. I wrote "Skinny-sh vs. Fat-ish" wars for Samantha and a book review for Mandi. Go check these ladies blogs out if you're looking for something new n' fun to read!! :)
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Also on Monday we went to my grandparent's grave site to put some fresh American flags down for Grandpa. He was a proud WWII Navy veteran. He was on the boats working as a mechanic to make sure the engine didn't conk out as the boats came in on the Normandy D-Day invasion. When the movie 'Saving Private Ryan' came my Dad and uncle took Grandpa to see it because they were worried how it would be for him re-living the experience. After the movie they asked him if it was portrayed as he experienced and remembered it. Grandpa's response? "It was worse; much worse."This June 2 is the 2 year anniversary of Grandpa's death, and to remember Memorial Day and also honor his life, we could think of no better way to do so than visiting his grave with flags.
Love and miss you Grandpa!
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Last Saturday afternoon, Jim and I decided to have a spur of the moment date night. All day long I had been craving a good strawberry shake (it's crazy because I NEVER go for fruit in dessert, but it just sounded so good to me...and no, there is no bun in the oven:). We decided to walk from our apartment to this ice cream shop nearby and then decided to walk through a cute downtown area near where we live. Turns out they had live music and dancing; the streets were all blocked off and lots of families where there with their little ones. We loved just watching all the people dancing and the little kids running around "thinking" they were dancing. It was a light cool night out and we just had fun people watching and walking around...we even got a dance in together to a Frank Sinatra song. Afterwards we walked back home and headed to bed earlier. Simple, low-key night, but we had a blast!!Tuesday night was my first meeting for a women's small group I am starting to attend through the young adult group we have gotten involved with. I was kind of nervous the first time because I don't really know any of the gals at all, and at first when I'm in a room full of folks I don't know I'm kinda quiet, but they all seem really nice and half are married and the other half are single, so its a good mix. We're going to meet twice a month; I'm looking forward to meeting other Catholic gal's and making some new friends.
On Sunday after we got home from church, Jim went and played out in the woods behind our apartment. Well clearly I'm not married to a wilderness expert because he got a rash (we think it's poison oak) on his left leg. He refuses to see a doctor, but he has been putting a wash and cream on his leg several times a day. I am just worried he is gonna spread it to me; I more or less demanded he wear long pants to bed so he doesn't get his leper cream all over me/the sheets. It probably doesn't help that I tease him and call him "my little leper." Hopefully it clears up soon!
Monday night we happened to catch the last half hour on a special documentary of the royal baby of Prince William and Princess Kate. I love following the royal couple, even though it is harder since I canceled my People subscription, but this show was a pleasant surprise. And how can you not love the modern chic Audrey Hepburn-ish fashion style of Kate??? Her fashion sense is flawless...if only to have her lovely wardrobe for a day ;-) The show we watched talked about all the preparations for the new royal baby, traditions in the royal family for a new heir, and also got a look into the official nanny school that has been taking care of royal's since the 1800's. Crazy!
Do any of you ladies who are married ever argue with your hubby about chores??? Holy. cow. that seems to be the cause of many rifts lately! I'm a control, schedule freak. Jim is more laid back and easy going...no he is not lazy, but in the heat of a moment I may have been quoted in yelling that at him; not one of my finest moments as a wife. I live and thrive on to-do lists; I actually write things on the darn list just so I can cross it off later?? Weird, I know.
So we have tried a chore list and me helping Jim come with a list for each day, but those failed. So our newest attempt at smoothing my anal retentive nature and his care free spirit, at the beginning of each week we create a to-do list together. For things we both have to do individually and also for up keep of our home, and then we have the week to complete those things. Of course on the first day of this new trial run, I FLIPPED out one day when I came home cause only 1 thing was crossed off....let's just say I have a long way to go in patience and being flexible.
If any of you gals, have idea's you and your husband use for a chore system, I'm all ears!!!
Happy Friday and have a fantastic weekend:)
We are kindred spirits regarding chores and list making :). What helps me when I am irritated is to ask this question . . . "What matters? Tat the task get done, or who does it?" If the answer is that it gets done, then I just suck it up and do it. If the answer is WHO DOES IT, then I realize there is something deeper going on and I have to examine that feeling fore deeply. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteOkay patty! For real two things. One, I had to cancel my subsciption to People as well. How much does that stink? Two, Aaron and I constantly fight about chores, I was actually going to write it in my quick takes as well this week. We are just different in our approaches. The worst is fighting about getting the lawn mowed. He is totally cool to let it grow up to your shins and then mow it, and I like, can't be THAT girl in the neighborhood. Just yesterday, I called him at work and I was like, 'I am not spending all summer fighting about the lawn, you either mow it once a week or we are hiring someone'...not the best method I am sure.
ReplyDeleteRe #5, be careful, hard to catch poison oak from him, but if it's not that & something else, you could catch it ( trust me I've done it ) I have a good dermatologist locally if you need his #, he's open saturdays too. He can generally give a steroid shot to stop the pain/itch,etc & will give some cream. I am allergic to a lot of trees and things in the woods, so I visit him frequently.
ReplyDeleteTo your #7. My husband is usually the one making the lists, but only when it gets really really bad, or their are unusual/seasonal things to do, but also when we will both be around to help w/ the household duties. A lot of chores are split. Like he starts & changes the laundry & I fold. I clean 1 bathroom he cleans the 2nd. He mows the lawn I clean the floors inside. He empties the dishwasher I load it. We compliment each other with our likes/dislikes. It maybe something that develops over time too. I will admit to not cleaning something for a long period of time, to see if he notices, or will step up, because I'm either overwhelmed or busy.
#6: Do you follow the blog What Kate Wore? If not, you might like to :-)
ReplyDelete#7: Yes, I think we all argue about that. I have absolutely no good advice for you on how to make it better of fix it. I've been at it for almost 4 years and it only seems to get worse :-) I can tell you that what makes it worse for sure is becoming a stay-home wife or working only part-time. When I became a haus-frau while we lived in Germany I did EVERYTHING and I think my husband sometimes put dishes in the dishwasher and sometimes put his clothes in the hamper. It IS easier to just take care of things yourself at the rate you want them done instead of arguing (our arguments always center on the frequency that a task needs to be done), but then what kind of precedence is being set? Will you ever get help again? As I said, I have NO answers for you :-)
I'm a list type, too. The same kind that writes stuff for the sake of crossing it off. ;-) Also kind of a perfectionist. We both work full time and split the chores, though I'd say it is probably 65% me and 35% him. This doesn't bother me a lot, because one of the biggest household duties, laundry, I really enjoy.
ReplyDeleteMy MIL gave me some great advice before we got married that has really helped.
If my husband does a chore, like folding the laundry or something, I'm very careful not to criticize him if it isn't done exactly when or how I would do it or it can really discourage him. It took some tongue biting at first because in my mind there is definitely a "right" way to fold a towel. But eventually when we would do a chore like that together, he would see I was doing it differently and ask me to show him how I do it. There were even a few instances where he got creative and taught me a few tips! If I had been more rigid about doing things my way, which is totally my nature, I never would've learned those things, and he would probably still feel criticized and less inclined to contribute.
Also, when he does something unexpectedly, I'm sure to express my appreciation. Even maybe over do it a little, so the message is really clear. Helping around the house = happy wife = happy husband. :)