When my husband is away

When my husband is away, I drink a lot of cups of tea. When my husband is away I eat many, many eggs. I don't really cook proper meals too often. My kids eat beans on toast, eggs on toast, spaghetti on toast.... really they just eat a lot of toast.

When my husband is away I write a lot more often. I spend far, far too much time on facebook, and I message him lots of funny/stupid/interesting/cool links that he probably never looks at. When my husband is away I stay up far too late.

When my husband is away, there is nobody to make up the fire for me in the morning, or turn the heater on so the house is toasty when we get up. When my husband is away my dog pees on the floor in the morning because there is nobody awake to let her out at 5am.

When my husband is away, I get the whole bed to myself, and there is nobody to moan and groan at me to "Turn you're light off already!" so I get to read in bed as long as I like. When my husband is away there is nobody to bicker with about whether the heater should be on or off during the night when we are sleeping... it remains off, and I cope just fine.

When my husband is away, one of my children will always, always get sick, and I let the kids stay up far later then they do when he is home. When my husband is away I catch up on lots of TV shows online. When my husband is away I never even think about needing chocolate/dessert... I just have (another) cup of tea.

When my husband is away, I get things done (but never as much as I think I will). When my husband is away, the late afternoon drags on and on. Life is much quieter but much less fun.


When my husband is away... I miss him.

We work

Today has been hard. Just really, really hard. Georgie has been a mega-poop. I have hardly been able to go two feet away from her all day, and even then she's still been cranky! I think she might be a little sick.

It didn't help that at lunchtime when I'd gotten her down for her nap, the fire alarm from the school across the road went off (for 20 freaking minutes) and woke her up way before she was ready to be awake. Plus, it was Shane's first day back at work after a week off. Today has just been really hard work.

But fortunately, there was some work around town so Shane came home tonight. And when he walked through the door a little before seven, it was just so good, you know? The sun just broke through the clouds. Georgie was in the bath, and it's not like she got happier or anything when she saw her Daddy, she was still cranky and tired and very ready for bed... but suddenly it didn't seem like such a big deal. I put her to bed and then collapsed a little because I was just spent and I didn't have anything planned for dinner. But even that didn't matter too much. I ended up making a quick risotto which was really, really good (I'll have to share the recipe sometime soon).

But things were just better, easier, because Shane was home. I wasn't alone. He was funny and made me laugh and he cared about me and he was just there. And it made all the difference in the world.

So today as I link up with Kate for Thankful Thursdays, I am just really thankful for my husband. He is by no means perfect, but he is exactly right for me. And somehow despite all our crazy and our faults, we work.

When your husband works away....

I am very fortunate. In the choice of partners I did very well. And I never notice it more than when he has to go away.

Right now Shane is working away for at least a week. Now, compared to most families who deal with working in the oil and gas industry, we are lucky. Shane does not work on a very strict roster, he does not have to camp away too much. He always tries to get home every night when he can. His parents are pretty good to us and always try to keep Shane around our area when they can. But right now all of the work is away- so for the next little while, he will be away. And it is hard.

I got spoiled you see. Much of the work he has been doing has been around our town. We have also had a lot of rain. So consequently, Shane has been around a great deal. Pretty much ever since Georgie was born, in fact. So now I am getting used to being alone again. But it is harder still with a baby. Every day I am used to waiting for the night. Waiting for another adult to come home to talk to and share the load with. (And he does share the load well) Now it's just me.

I get angry sometimes, at people with ordinary jobs. At women who complain and moan about their husbands always working, when they get to see them on the weekends and every night. I want a weekend dammit! But I know I need to be reminded that we all have our personal crosses to bear.

I never appreciate him more than when he goes away. Now I have to start the fire at night. I have to wait until Georgie goes to bed before I have my dinner because otherwise it is just too difficult. When Shane is home he will generally help out with bathing Georgie or feeding her or putting her to bed. He might get dinner started or cooked if I need him to. And it's even more than that. It's that person to smile at and talk to when there's something funny or interesting on television. It's that warm body to snuggle up to in bed, after I've had to get up in the middle of the night to a crying baby. It's someone to sigh to, when she won't go to sleep easily or when she wakes up when she should be asleep. It's someone to say "I'll go this time" occasionally. It's waking up to a warm house because he's started the fire when he wakes up early. It's just Shane.

He's mine, you know? He's the rest of me. I just miss him. And life just feels a little wrong when he's not around.

It's not that bad really. I need to make sure I don't let myself get too down. But it's also the fear. Just that tiny niggling fear, that people die. Some husbands don't come back from work occasionally. Especially in the transport industry. And who's to say that it won't be my husband one of these days?

So tomorrow I'll be okay. And even now it's really not that bad. At least I can call him and talk to him most of the time. He's not even that far away. And, most importantly, he doesn't want to be away. I know that whenever he has a choice, he always chooses us. He loves his family. I really did win with him. Don't get me wrong, he's no saint. Some days he drives me so crazy I could just hit him, (and do- ha! spoon) But he is pretty good. Besides, it's not even for that long. Hopefully (that's another post- the disorganisation and uncertainty that is the oil and gas industry) he will be home by next weekend.

But right now I just really miss my husband.

Letter to my husband....

Dear Shane,

When I leave you at home by yourself to cook dinner and you experiment with Asian Cuisine..... please, please, please- leave the cabbage alone! (I came home to a husband who had eaten like over a quarter of a cabbage- raw, because he had discovered it tasted good with salt and pepper.) Next time- please give the cabbage a miss!

Also, it is always a good idea to read up about sauces before you just splash them all over a meal- hoisin sauce in Asian cooking is not the equivalent of BBQ sauce on your bacon!

Robyn

P.S- I love you, but seriously, you're sleeping on the couch tonight.

Wedding Anniversary

Yesterday was our fifth wedding anniversary. We went out for dinner at my favourite restaurant and it was so good! It's funny, we've been a bit snappy and grumpy with each other lately, and it's amazing how much better you feel just from having a night out! Georgie was babysat by her Aunty Lizzie- and she wasn't too upset, and it was just lovely.

I am so glad that I have been married to Shane for the past five years. I couldn't imagine life without him. I've known him for seven and a half years, and he isn't perfect. He still leaves his clothes on the floor sometimes instead of putting them in the laundry basket, and I don't think that, in five years of marriage, he has ever cleaned the toilet. But he loves me, and, in the words of Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice...

"He truly is the best man I have ever known."

 

Today....

Today I cleaned the office....

And no, darling husband. I probably didn't put things where you wanted.

No, darling husband, I did not.

But guess what, darling husband?

That's the price you pay for not doing it yourself!!!


Love You :)