3-2-1...Ka-blam!

Eleven years ago this week, I went on my first date with the man who is now my husband.  I remember walking into his house for the first time a couple of weeks after this momentous occasion to find him scrubbing his bathroom on his hands and knees to try and impress me.  Little did I know that all of those pretty little lies would go by the wayside once he had me locked down in marriage. 

Perhaps every household is like this, but a hot mess follows my husband wherever he goes within the four walls of our home.  Does anybody else's husband use the stovetop as an extension of the countertop??  Literally, within 10 minutes of cleaning the kitchen from top to bottom, my husband can make it look like a bomb has gone off in there.  I am constantly in awe of how he can possibly make such a huge mess!  Clearly, our cleaning styles are 100% opposite because this is the same guy who lovingly wipes down the tools he uses each day with a shop towel to make sure he doesn't get any grease in his toolbox.  What about the lump of stinking coal he burned onto the large front burner of the ceramic stove top?!  I mean, c'mon, dude!  You have your tools and I have mine, but the stove is like everyman's tool of the trade.  He thinks I'm crazy because I "wax" the stove top twice a week. Don't even get me started on the order in which he does dishes (by the way, pots and pans before Tupperware is not the right order, and rinsing with cold water does not "remove the soap suds more effectively").  Plus, he doesn't swirl the water when he drains the sink, so a lump of dried soap scum and tiny food particles can greet me the next morning.  Yummy.

I know, I know, many of you are thinking, "Well, at least he DOES the dishes."  And, you're right.  Everything we do at home has to be a team effort.  With both of us working full time, we don't leave much room for error when it comes to household chores.  That being said, I'm not telling you all about his flaws to belittle his efforts.  On the contrary, these are the goofy little things that really tell me he cares about doing what he can to help (as crazy as it makes me sometimes). Most days, we are dog tired by supper time. Most days, we have two hangry boys voicing their opinions over the meal. Most days, we eat in shifts while we deal with upset juice glasses or requests for seconds. Most days, we let the Hamburger Helper boil over between calls from work or family or friends who also need a little piece of us.  Most days, I'm impressed that the hubs will put up with as much guff from me as he does and still keep coming back for more.  Most days, I'm just glad to have someone who will help me with the most menial tasks in life, even if it leaves the kitchen looking like Kim Jong-un's nuclear testing grounds.  Life isn't all real estate and roses.  I love hugs, and I love kisses, but what I love most is help with the dishes!  Welcome Home!