One Hour

Recently Wade's work schedule changed... well, not really changed so much as got more stringent. They ix-nayed taking a short (or no) lunch in order to come home early. Drat.

I didn't think this would really affect my routine much, but sheesh, it has! Now instead of having things in a somewhat clean and peaceful order for my beloved to come home to at 4 p.m., I don't have to achieve household zen until 5 p.m. One might think this extra hour would be nice, but I've come to rue it.

Now I face one more afternoon hour of chaos with the chores undone (no, I can't possibly get on them earlier than I need to). And that precious hour between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., when the chores used to be done but I still didn't have to get dinner started, that beautiful time when my husband was home and all was peace and order in the house and I could sit there serenely looking like a stellar wife and mother, well, it's gone!

Now that hour is spent doing the chores so things still look calm and orderly when Wade gets home at 5 p.m., and I don't even get to sit down and enjoy it because it's time to start dinner!

I know, if I were more disciplined I would go ahead and get things tidied up early even though Wade won't be right home, but it's not nearly as satisfying to bask in that hour alone (the boys won't bask with me), and chances are if I cleaned early, things would be all a-chaos again by the time Wade got home anyway.

I may just have to have a chat with Wade's boss and explain to him how his cracking down on hours is really distressing my routine and mental well-being. I'm sure he'd be sympathetic.