don't tell me what to do
Picture it: Monday evening at dinner time with Ben and CC (Steve was on a trip).
Just about an hour earlier I left work and had to run around to get the old house ready for a showing. That is right...old house...we moved last week into the new house! This meant that I was late getting the kids, which meant that I just grabbed McDonald's for dinner for the kids. I really have to go grocery shopping! Ben had nuggets and CC had a hamburger. Ben was done with his dinner so I gave him the hot fudge sundae we got. Well, CC just had to have hers too. My daughter is just like me, when she wants something, she not only wants it now...she wants it right now. So, she was screaming that she wanted ice cream...
With CC screaming in the background Steve, over the phone, was trying to tell me how urgent it is to take the trash out at the old house. I knew it wasn't urgent. I was just at the old house and everything was fine. He was telling me how easy it would be to ask one of our old neighbors to take out the garbage. Yeah right! With the move, the old house had two trash bins and about 8 trash bags and other odds and ends. I know our old neighbors would do anything for us, but asking them to do our trash removal is just taking advantage. I told him I had to go and deal with CC screaming over ice cream. I totally blew Steve off.
What did I end up doing? After bath time, I loaded the kids in the car and drove to the old house. We stopped at our friends down the old street, so Ben was able to play with his buddies, and I eventually took the trash out. And our generous neighbors will pull the bins back up to the house when the trash is gone.
You may ask yourself, how does this relate to being a pilot wife? When Steve is gone, I run the show. Have I said that already? So, I don't want him telling me what to do when he is on the road. Sure he can ask me to do things here and there, and I am fine with that. I have every day planned out, and since he is not involved in our day I don't consider him into anything. So, when he does get involved, it interrupts things and I don't like that. That sounds so harsh, but it is the reality of what our days are when he is gone.
In the end, the trash was taken out = Steve was happy. We got to play with the old neighbors = Ben was happy. The dogs got to ride in the car = Lexi and Cali were happy. It is all good.
Just about an hour earlier I left work and had to run around to get the old house ready for a showing. That is right...old house...we moved last week into the new house! This meant that I was late getting the kids, which meant that I just grabbed McDonald's for dinner for the kids. I really have to go grocery shopping! Ben had nuggets and CC had a hamburger. Ben was done with his dinner so I gave him the hot fudge sundae we got. Well, CC just had to have hers too. My daughter is just like me, when she wants something, she not only wants it now...she wants it right now. So, she was screaming that she wanted ice cream...
With CC screaming in the background Steve, over the phone, was trying to tell me how urgent it is to take the trash out at the old house. I knew it wasn't urgent. I was just at the old house and everything was fine. He was telling me how easy it would be to ask one of our old neighbors to take out the garbage. Yeah right! With the move, the old house had two trash bins and about 8 trash bags and other odds and ends. I know our old neighbors would do anything for us, but asking them to do our trash removal is just taking advantage. I told him I had to go and deal with CC screaming over ice cream. I totally blew Steve off.
What did I end up doing? After bath time, I loaded the kids in the car and drove to the old house. We stopped at our friends down the old street, so Ben was able to play with his buddies, and I eventually took the trash out. And our generous neighbors will pull the bins back up to the house when the trash is gone.
You may ask yourself, how does this relate to being a pilot wife? When Steve is gone, I run the show. Have I said that already? So, I don't want him telling me what to do when he is on the road. Sure he can ask me to do things here and there, and I am fine with that. I have every day planned out, and since he is not involved in our day I don't consider him into anything. So, when he does get involved, it interrupts things and I don't like that. That sounds so harsh, but it is the reality of what our days are when he is gone.
In the end, the trash was taken out = Steve was happy. We got to play with the old neighbors = Ben was happy. The dogs got to ride in the car = Lexi and Cali were happy. It is all good.
I appreciated this post, as I always do with your blog. You have a glass-half-full take on things that I tend to see as half-empty, and I like that. I also like how you phrased this post in a not-sugarcoated way.
ReplyDeleteWhile I'm commenting, I wanted to say I can relate to your post about your son possibly being colorblind. My son's poor vision (he had eye surgery as an infant and got glasses at age 2) was our first indication that he wouldn't follow his father's (and grandfather's) footsteps into the industry. It was kind of freeing. However, like you said, I don't want my children to miss out on any opportunities and it's disappointing to consider that something my children might want for themselves will not be available for them.
Thanks for the comment Courtney. I like to be honest and upfront with what goes on in life, because this is reality.
ReplyDeleteSo, your husband and father are pilots? I am glad you can relate to my feelings. As parents you want to offer the world, and it plain sucks when you can't.