The Front Porch Swing

[Tomtommom]

I understand your frustration. If I could stay home every day, and if i didn't have children under foot... messing things up faster than I can clean them... and if it wasn't so much more fun to be out working in the yard, or just chilling with the chickens, perhaps I could keep up with the house work. One thing I do that seems to work pretty good is set the timer for 15 minutes. Everybody who is in the house drops what they are doing and works for those 15 minutes. A lot gets done when everybody is participating. I also give the kids each 2 chores to do/day. It could be as simple as unloading the dishwasher, folding wash cloths, or setting the table. But, those are things that would otherwise be added to my work overload. IMO, if you live here and eat here, you work here. I'll often look at the kids and ask them, "What's the maid's name???" Of course, I get a dumb look. I follow up with: "Exactly, and if we did have a maid, do you see her? It must be her day off, so you get to clean up after yourself." My grandson once tried to refuse to do a chore, because... "That's women's work." That was the first and last time those words came out of his mouth!!!

A very wise man once said to me: A man is his job. A woman is her home. What he meant, and I think he hit the nail on the head was: Men get their sense of purpose from their jobs, while women get their sense of purpose from their homes. It's kind of hard to separate one from the other. A man without a job feels like a failure, and women feel a similar sense of loss when their homes aren't what they'd like them to be. Of course, I'm painting with a very broad brush here, but you get the picture. So, even if all around me is in a state of chaos, I do get a bit of satisfaction of being able to claim even one area, even as insignificant as the table or kitchen counter, and getting that in order. Occasionally, that will motivate me to move on to the next task. But, to keep up with it all... impossible. I've just lowered my standards over the years!!!

An other super frustration: Why is it that a lot of men feel like they are "helping" when they pitch in and do some house work? Excuse me.... don't you live here too? Or the age old: "Just tell me what needs to be done, and I'll do it!" Do you have eyes????? And, I'm not complaining about my beloved specifically. It's taken me 40 years, and he's getting much better.... but...

We're a funny pair. I used to work 50+ hours a week. I loved my job.. hubby actually stayed at home for a year when he got injured at work, and after that he stayed home with the kids. He worked a few mornings a week. I had to quit due to a very nasty new supervisor, that woman did not care about people having kids or other responsibilities... Just work. Anyway, I quit, hubby started working fulltime again. I was going to find another job, but couldnt find anything willing to work on a regular schedule so my husband could still work. Everyone wanted full availability at a moments notice. That's not happening.

I actually miss working. I keep telling hubby I want to get back to work, he can stay at home and finish his DIY from two years ago when he was home all the time. We both know I cant, not now... the baby still breastfeeds.

He is much better at cleaning house... he's meticulous. Me... not so much. He folds his underwear, I stuff it in a drawer. He hangs his clothes, I stuff mine in a drawer.

That man is amazing and I dont deserve him, but he says the same about me, so I guess it all works out.

Are old house was damp all the time and dirty all the time. It was very old and at no point was it ever a nice house. I would clean it and it was all dirty again. I just gave up. Now we live in a much nicer home. It's never spotless, but always clean. So much easier to clean a house when you know you can somewhat keep it clean. Are old house I just felt defeated before I even started.

Exactly. So many gaps and all the paint is always peeling and the windows are cracked. I love my little home, and I hate it

 

[ducksanddoxies]

Ma used to say, "The Bible says we came from dust and we will return to dust.  So there's a lot of people either coming or going in my house and I'm leaving them alone!"

Her other one re dust was, "I was going to dust the furniture,  but I looked around and everything already had plenty."  I miss her!!

. Those are good ones.

 

[MistyMountain]

As I was greeting my husband outside after work this afternoon, my oldest son(6) hangs his head out the door and yells "Mom! Jakey (youngest son, 4) just rolled the watermelon down the stairs! It cracked and there is juice everywhere!"

All I could do was laugh. After the week we've had, nothing phases me. The boys helped me clean it up and I took the big chunks out to the chickens. That watermelon smelled SO good… and I don't even really care for watermelon. Lucky chickens.

Never a dull day here!

 

[tntchix]

Eureka! The chickens put themselves to bed on only their 2nd night without me wrangling them like I did last night. Guess they weren't thrilled with the broom technique.

The neighbors came over to see how "their" chicken was and finally gave her a name, Texas. Oh, my. Well, what else would a 9 yr old name it? LOL

 

[wyoDreamer]

Finally got the good news that all the home inspections are in and the buyers are not going to ask for any repairs. I will be moving in with my husband at the end of the month!!

Man, this has been a long 7 months of living apart, even though I got to see him about once a month.

 

[MistyMountain]

Finally got the good news that all the home inspections are in and the buyers are not going to ask for any repairs. I will be moving in with my husband at the end of the month!!

Man, this has been a long 7 months of living apart, even though I got to see him about once a month.

Wooo!! I missed that you had an offer on it!!! Very exciting for you!!

 

[Alice28]

Finally got the good news that all the home inspections are in and the buyers are not going to ask for any repairs.  I will be moving in with my husband at the end of the month!!   Man, this has been a long 7 months of living apart, even though I got to see him about once a month.

Yay! Congrats that's great! I gave my neighbor a coffee card when her house finally was in escrow (tried to sell it for almost 2 years) because I know the process was tiring. Figured she would want coffee lol

 

[Blooie]

Yippeee! oh, wait....what am I cheering about? I'm losing a neighbor here! Congratulations - and I'm so proud of how well you kept things together for those long months! Done like a Navy wife, and coming from a woman who was a Navy wife for 26 years, that's high praise!

 

[tntchix]

Finally got the good news that all the home inspections are in and the buyers are not going to ask for any repairs. I will be moving in with my husband at the end of the month!!

Man, this has been a long 7 months of living apart, even though I got to see him about once a month.

AWESOMESAUCE!!! Lucky girl. That is wonderful news.

I just realized it's been almost 2 yrs to the day that we moved home w/o the hubs. It sucks even though he comes home every other month too. It is a hard thing to do, but sometimes is necessary, if you have to worry about money, I guess.

 

[wyoDreamer]

Gosh, sorry about not posting about the house. I must have been over stressed - you guys missed all the drama... ha, ha.
Here it is in a nutshell (disclaimer, a bunch of this is just hearsay) - a couple flew into the area, looked at a few houses, made an offer on ours and flew home (hearsay). They offered $9,000 less than we had it listed for and wanted us to pay their closing costs plus roof and well/septic inspections. We said no - you pay list price (which was already dropped $5,000, and we will pay closing and roof/well/septic insp. They agreed.
We were to have the inspection done within 2 weeks of the earnest money being sent. Realtor never told us the money showed up until a week later, so we were a little late getting the inspections set up, but had them done by the deadline. That was two weeks of DH being crabby about our realtor.
The septic inspection showed that the house we listed as a 4 bedroom only had a leach-field sized for a 3 bedroom, which I mentioned to the realtor when we listed it - no problem he says. We needed to send a letter of agreement to the buyers for them to agree to buying the house with the septic as is. Another week of no information - so do we have to fix the septic or not? Crabby hubby for another week.
So, one week after all the inspections are done, we finally get word that everything is good and they are not requesting and repairs to be done.
Hear-say - as I have nothing in writing telling me that this is true.
So looks like we are good to go, I have to turn in my resignation at work and pack the rest of the house up.

The other two houses in the neighborhood haven't had any one look at them for over 2 weeks, so we got lucky and the right people saw our house at the right time. I will be back in WI in time for the apple harvest!