Reclaiming domesticity

Well, sort of.

Since it happened, I have not done much cooking or shopping.  What we have done a lot of are takeout and restaurants and drive thrus.  And we are tired of it.

Sunday night I proclaimed bravely, "It's time I was a mother again!"  Adam gave me an idea.  He said I should take the kids, who would be home from school for MLK day, shopping with me.  I could sit at the cafe in the grocery store and they could gather the items on the list.  He told the kids, "It's time to reclaim domesticity around here."

They were very excited.  (No, they weren't.)

The novelty of being my helper, which Mark was enthusiastic about at first, has definitely worn off.  The other day I asked him to sweep the kitchen.  (It was either that or plant corn in there.)  He said, "I will be so glad when your leg is better!"

You and me both buddy.

Yesterday I woke Emma--who was in recovery mode from her UTA conference--up in time for lunch and she was slumpy and sniffly and coughing and had hours of homework ahead of her.  I had a playdate scheduled with Janet.  We were going to talk on the phone.  I said, "After lunch I'll call Janet and then we'll all go to the store!"  I said it very enthusiastically and they both ignored me which they're very good at doing.

Mark said, "If you're calling Janet after lunch, we'll see you at dinnertime."

Hmph.  Well, actually, maybe.

I had a wonderful conversation with Janet.  And it does take time because we have to hash out everything.  There's the relating of recent dreams, the latest chapter in Most Embarrassing Moments, the church callings, the husbands.  Then there's the children.  That takes time.  We had to get all up to date on all the hopes and fears and it is completely validating to have Janet in the world.  She gets me.  We love each other and we love each others' children and we always will.  We laughed and cried (mostly I cried).  It's like a marathon therapy session.

Hours later, Emma was still (runny) nose to the grindstone so I left her doing homework and Mark and I went to the store.  While on the phone I had done laundry and dishes and cleaned bathrooms.  I didn't want to leave the shopping in Mark's hands because I didn't trust him to not fill the cart with Cinnamon Toast Crunch and macaroni and cheese boxes.  Emma would have set him straight but Emma was home setting her calculus straight.  So I hobbled around the store with him.

By the time we were done, my knee was complaining.  Bitterly.  So instead of making dinner, I didn't.  I sat myself down and Adam brought home chicken from the store and we had chicken Caesar salad and I decided that another day would be the day I reclaimed domesticity.