Of course, he typically WINS at book races like these, simply because he doesn't have two small children and a household to run. Ultimately, I enjoy the adult conversation of our own little book club.
This morning, while I enjoyed my ONE CUP of hot, chai tea during my breakfast (cold cereal), I was reading (part of) Chapter 9 - Radio Mullah when my eyebrows raised, my ears perked and I suddenly took note:
A man goes out to work, he earns a wage, he comes back home, he eats, he sleeps. That’s what he does. Our men think earning money and ordering others around is where power lies. They don’t think power is in the hands of the woman who takes care of everyone all day long and gives birth to their children. In our house my mother managed everything because my father was so busy. It was my mother who would wake up early in the morning, iron our school clothes, make our breakfast and teach us how to behave. It was my mother who would go to the market, shop for us and cook. All those things she did.
This. Is. My. Life.
Mike averaged 55 hours per week in 2014. When he wasn't working, he was eating, sleeping, surfing the internet or watching tv. (He does, however, take turns at cooking and is an excellent, but messy cook; pays the charge card bill online and tends to the outside maintenance of our house. However, 95% of last season's leaf and snow removal fell on the shoulders of the wife!)
In this house: the mother is the one who is woken in the night for scary dreams, wet beds or an emergency search and rescue for a sleep animal. The mother is the one who wakes with the children, letting the father sleep. The mother is the one who (most often) gets the coffee pot ready, despite NOT being a coffee drinker at all. The mother is the one who writes the checks to pay the bills, as well as the one who knows WHERE we keep the postage stamps and envelopes. (The father DOES make the money for the bills to be paid.) The mother is the one who maintains adequate inventory of household goods, rarely running out of... well... anything! The mother is the one who does the majority of the menu planning and shopping. The mother is the one who fills the soap dispenser, stocks the toilet paper and kleenex in the bathroom and is responsible for ALL of the laundry. The mother is the one who packs school lunch and chauffeurs children to-and-from preschool and kindergarten. The mother is the one who (most often) loads and unloads the dishwasher. The mother is the one who wipes out the inside of the microwave and cleans up spills on the stovetop. The mother is the one who notices that the kitchen garbage and in-house recycle bin can't take one more piece and empties them into the outside bins. The mother is the one who empties ALL garbage cans in the house on garbage day AND drags them to the curb. The mother is the one who puts the new trash bag into the garbage can. The mother is the one who crushes cardboard boxes left on the kitchen counter/floor, writes the item on the shopping list and picks up the empty toilet paper rolls from the bathroom floor, putting them into the paper recycling bag. The mother is the one who feeds the cats, refills their water and tends to their litter box. The mother is the one who cleans up cat puke or rear-smear streaks on the carpet. The mother is the one who hangs jackets into the closet and puts shoes where they belong. The mother is the one who maintains snow clothes bags for everyone in the household, keeping track of boots, snowpants, hats and gloves. The mother is the one who notices the mess(es) and does something about it. The mother is the one who strips the beds and replace bed linens and bath towels. The mother is the one who wipes the counters and sweeps the floors. The mother is the one who dusts and vacuums. The mother is the one who picks up and puts toys and books away where they belong. The mother is the one who cleans toilets and sinks. The mother is the one who puts toothbrushes and toothpaste away. The mother is the one who monitors shampoo and soap levels in the shower, as well as the only one who knows how to pick bath toys up from the bottom of the tub. The mother is the one who empties papers from backpacks and goes over homework with the children. The mother is the one who checks expiration dates on food, monitors leftovers and wipes out the inside of the refrigerator. The mother is the one who wipes puddles and sweeps the floor. The mother is the one who knows WHERE we keep everything. The mother is the one who opens (and closes) window treatments each day. The mother is the one who washes windows. The mother is the one who sends thank you cards and remembers people's birthdays, anniversaries, etc. The mother is the one responsible for all books and movies from the library. The mother is the one who documents our life (via blog or Project Life album). The mother is the one who buys and wraps gifts, trying to make things PERFECT for everyone. The mother is the one who rarely sits down to just watch television; typically, folding laundry is part of this act. The mother is the one who talks on the phone while cleaning the house, just for adult conversation. The mother is the one on duty with children from 6am until 8pm and is the one ON CALL 24/7. The mother is the one who checks to see that all door are locked and lights are turned out before bed. The mother is the one who PUTS ALL OTHER NEEDS BEFORE HER OWN.
The mother is the one who feels incredibly BLESSED with her loving family.
