Sunday, January 23, 2011

(Father/Husband) Hurry Up and Rest


Daisy, I, and the boys went to a beach house for the weekend with my dad, step-mom, sister, brother-in-law, and their 3 boys.  8 guys and 3 girls.  Luckily the 3 ladies are strong and independent. 

Well, packing drives me absolutely crazy.  I hate the process of finding the right clothes for every occasion you might run into.  I hate packing the car to the gills and then realizing you need such and such packed way into the back under layers of other bags.  Where is this?  Where is that?  Do you have this?  Are you sure you need that?  Why don't you have that?  And when I'm packing the kid's stuff I'm at even greater loss. 

I have a hard enough time dressing myself let alone a 4 and 2 yr old. If I don't bring the right coat, and am cold, I curse myself and suck it up for the good of the group. I can only guess with the boys so I end up trying to be over prepared.  But when the occasion comes to go down to the beach I am still at a loss for how to dress them.  Obviously I can't rely on the boys because they often think it's a good idea to go outside naked in 20 degree weather.  Only when I see sweat running down their face do I know they are hot.  Even then they may lie and say they are fine because they don't want to go through the trouble of having me take the jacket off.  Now that the jacket is off the wind begins to blow and their sweaty body is frozen solid and I regret having made the decision.  Now they are thirsty because of dehydration and do not want to build the sandcastle anymore.  And guess what?  All of this could have been prevented had I simply put on the right kind of jacket for the occasion.  And further, if I had not brought the jacket at all it would not have been an option in the first place.  Therefore, leaving me the only correct choice of the fleece sweater rather than the winter coat.  But I wanted the winter oat because it had a hood to protect them from the wind.  But what I didn't know was Daisy had already brought hats for them. 

A neurotic person should not be allowed to pack.  In fact, I often will tell Daisy to pack my stuff for me so I can blame her for not bringing something rather than myself.  Because if she didn't bring something then we find a way around it.  Beast has on a T-shirt in 20 degree weather?  I wrap him in my jacket and carry him.  Forgot diapers for Fire?  Tie a pillow case around his hips and legs.  If I forget I feel as if I need to be wrapped up in the Judas Cradle. 

I like the way Daisy avoids a certain task.  When we were first married we followed traditional male and female chores.  After a while I realized one task Daisy would positively avoid.  Garbage.  So I asked why this was. 

"Because you are the boy.  Boys are the people who take out the garbage." She replied.

"But sometimes I cook, do the laundry, vacuum, and do the dishes."

"Exactly!  The key word being "sometimes".  You have ONE job.  Garbage." As she pointed to the bag.

"Damn."

So a few years passed and the chores became equally shared.  But the one thing that remained was garbage. 

"So why don't you take out the garbage?"  I asked

"Because I don't."

"Yeah I know.  But, when there is a chance to do it, you choose not to."

"Right."

"Why?"

"Because you do it."

"But what if I didn't?  What if I chose not to anymore?"

"The garbage would pile up and our house would stink."

"That's insane.  Why don't you do it?"

"I just don't."

"AAAAARRRRGGGHHH" (like a vicious pirate)

Any suggestions on packing for children and then the implementations of such clothing? 

3 comments:

  1. 1. I think I saw your car at the beach this weekend.

    2. I know what you mean about stressing out about what to bring for the kids.

    3. Take out the garbage.

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  2. Melanie,

    It's nice to know you still check in from time to time.

    1) I didn't have to tie the trunk down with a bungie cord but I was close. Had to slam it 5 times.

    2) I'm glad to have people who can normalize my obsessive behavior.

    3) Daisy will be most pleased to have your support.

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  3. I laughed about the garbage! I just don't take the garbage out either. Just because. :)
    -lanny

    ReplyDelete