MY THOUGHTS

In church on Sunday, we were discussing, in Marriage and Family Relations, how we as husband and wife need to have unity.  I have been thinking about that since then.  There is an older couple (not much older, but they have married children and grandchildren) that are hilarious to listen to.  She is the take-charge kind of person.  He seems layed back, yet because I know him, I know he isn't all that layed back.  Anyway, as quoted in THE FAMILY A PROCLAMATION TO THE WORLD :

"In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners."

So, this couple was funny to listen to because she kept saying, it wasn't his responsibility to be working in the house.  "I take the garbage out.  I do the dishes.  I do this......"

And we kept saying the quote said to work as equal partners.  I think her last thing she said was, "I wouldn't DARE let HIM bathe the kids!!!!"

O.K. now that is out of the way.  I will have to admit, I have a hard time giving the kids their baths.  I kept thinking, well, maybe if I had help from Brian, in the mornings, it would be easier. So, I thought this lesson, the help one another part, was great, until I heard this sister say she would NEVER let HIM bathe the kids.  What was I thinking?  Do I not have Brian help me?  YES!!!!!! If he is available, you bet.  But, I was thinking about it tonight as I was trying to get through the baths for the evening.  It's not the fact that I need Brian's help with the bathing.  The bathing is not the issue.  It's the time of day. I have given baths in the mornings, by myself and I do just great.  I don't get all agitated, etc.  Although I am NOT a morning person, by any means, the kids would be better off if I helped them bathe in the mornings.  Evenings.........not so good.  We struggled through bath time, the splashing, the "I don't want my hair washed!", the "I don't want to take a bath, I want to shower!", the screaming of baby sister who needs attention at this time of night, and so on and so forth.

So, although I was grateful for the lesson that Brian presented so very well in class, I was also grateful to know, that I CAN do the bathing part.  I don't mind doing that by myself.  But, it sure is nice to do in the mornings when I have had an hour or two of sleep behind me.  It also does help that when Daddy is there, the kids get a little snuggle time to get warm after being in the tub as the water is getting colder and colder.

I am grateful to know that there are things that we can do as equal partners and I am willing to let Brian help me when he can.  I hope that he is feeling the same when I try to help him do the things he would like to get done and there is not enough time (i.e. I can hot glue clips onto the hood vents of a snowmobile.  I'm pretty good at it, too!!!)