10 June 2012

social commentary Sunday . . . 'what does your husband get up to when you go away??'

Greetings all,
I just spent a great weekend with the Sew It Together girls, who came from all over Australia to my current home town of Canberra (last year Sydney, year before Melbourne, next year??)  There was a lot of talk on what our husbands were getting up to while we were crafting ourselves silly.  Many men were taking the children to the grandparents or McDonalds.  Granted i was coming home to my husband late at night, he does a great job in my absence - especially cooking for the family.  
 On my way home from dropping a bunch of ladies at the airport, after the final craft session of Sew It Together, i rang my husband & said i had a headache, felt tired & hungry . . . a little pathetic, exhausted from too much shopping, classes, chatter & craft, woe is me.  I came home to 4 happy children, washing done & put away + my husband putting a batch of Women's Weekly 1960's scones in the oven.  While i laid on the lounge with an icepack pressed into my head, i rested to the sound of the mixmaster whipping cream.  Life is tough.
 My husband finds cooking relaxing & thought a strong Thai green chicken curry might help my headache . . . presented with perfect mounds of rice.  This photo doesn't do it justice although he was very happy for me to photograph & blog about his heroic rice moulding efforts.  We don't dull the spicy flavour for the children either, they just drink more milk & water while they chow down. 
 Just as i thought the cooking & baking was finished, handsome soldier fancied 'a snack with flavour' which included icecream . . . so grabbed My Grandma's Kitchen for a Margaret Fulton Saucy Chocolate Pudding recipe . . . as i type, it's bubbling away in the oven.   
Special mention to our Hamburg hen who laid that whopping egg this afternoon.
This isn't novelty helping out around the house because he's lived interstate/ overseas for 2.5 years or the children are older/ more capable, he just does these things to help & it would have been the same 5 years ago with younger children too.  I know i got lucky - he was raised by very dominant women.  No take away for our children, not when they have this amazing cook of a father.  Funnily enough, drill-sergeant-dad gets the children to complete more chores than i do too.  I half expected to find them standing by their beds for inspection when i got home.  I have to stop thinking it-would-be-quicker-to-just-do-this-myself when children drag their feet, it is so fantastic to share the responsibilities of parenting - with someone so capable.  Oh & have a fabulous weekend off too - i truly feel spoilt!!  
When was the last time your husband was home alone to make all the parenting decisions, meals & housework??  For so many of us mothers, this is not a-weekend-away-on-a-whim, it takes months of planning, penny pinching, preparing, convincing & instructions.  Last time i did anything like this was Sew It Together last year, before that . . . um . . . cannot even remember.  Shall post more about my purchases, classes, creativity & lucky door prize shortly, love Posie

18 comments:

Mum on the Run said...

Yep - he's a keeper!!
Glad you had a fantastic weekend.
:-) xx

Jan Maree said...

If I hadnt actually spoken to him myself I might not actually believe this paragon of manhood to be real. He cooks, cleans, does laundry, BAKES, is exceedingly thoughtful and is a handsome man's man -a soldier no less - Posie YOU ARE ONE LUCKY GIRL! Give him a hug from me!

TexWisGirl said...

glad you had a great weekend away, and things were so well taken care of at home. :)

CHD said...

I'm very fortunate with my amazing husband too. He shares my view that we are a team and I never have to ask for help. He sees things that need doing and does them- helps fold mounds of laundry, homework with kids while I do dinner and I haven't touched a vacume cleaner for years - he does it. He does the occasional meal and manages fine if I go out at short notice. We share the load. Makes life pretty good. Glad you have your husband back. It must be so good. Have a great week. Cx

trash said...

CK completed his most recent solo parenting gig last weekend while I was in London for the Fat Quarterly Retreat 2012. While not as swish a cook as your soldierman he has been solo parenting on a non-regular basis for years.

The earliest was for 10 days when the smalls were five and two and the longest was five weeks a couple of years ago while my girl was in the middle of the UK version of Naplan testing.

The kids were fed and schooled, the house tidy and clean and the dogs walked regularly.

When looking after his daughter for an afternoon a friend of CK's refers to it as 'babysitting'! I just do not get that mentality at all.

Anonymous said...

That's so lovely to read xx

Polly said...

my husband and I try to have one weekend a year where we go away with our own friends sans each other and family. My husband is quite good with the kids, and is a great cook, although I suspect there are trips to McDonalds thrown in for good measure when I am away. I always come home to a clean house and clean children, so I am happy to subscribe to the theory that "what happens on tour, stays on tour" or in our case at home!!

Nat - Muddy Farmwife said...

Wow, you definitely have a good one! I hope my Baby Boy growing up with 3 sisters to guide him is as good to his partner in the future!
Hubby had the kids last weekend when I rushed away for a family funeral. I left a long list of meals, organisation etc I got back and he said 'I was too busy to read that'. No washing done, no cleaning or tidying, not sure that there were fruit and veggies eaten but everyone was happy and there were no major injuries so I figure that's a bonus!

Caroline said...

It was so lovely to see you again this weekend!

I left my husband with my two littlies (4 and 2) for three nights while I was crafting it up at Sew it Together.
I think he's a better parent than I am! He took the kids to the Zoo,into see Vivid one night, did an amazing amount of gardening, fed them all very well (no takeaway!) and managed to plait my daughter's hair better than I do. I don't know what I'd do without him...

posie blogs Jennie McClelland said...

Now tonight we're having pork belly for dinner, a Jamie Oliver recipe, mmmm, love Posie

polkadotpeticoat said...

What a guy......

Megs said...

Yum, Pork Belly for tonights dinner, wish I was there!

Tas said...

Where do you buy one of them? ;)

My hubby isn't too bad but it's a time thing. But this weekend, at my request, he managed home made pasta, paella and a roast so I am not faring too badly here either (though I think scones would do him in)

He has once a year; maybe twice; where a sewing weekend away or a girls' weekend away leaves him in charge. Things are basic but he keeps them fed, clean and safe. The important things.

x

polly pratt said...

Lucky you , i came home to empty KFC boxes and beer HA HA!!

I had a fantastic time this weekend you are great company and i can`t wait to see photo`s of you in your dress.
Take care xox

Anna

Cas said...

hey lucky girl, that guy sounds like a keeper :) i came home to a superbly clean house. mind you no dinners were cooked, they were granted by MIL twice & our lovely neighbour, but hey im not complaining.....i got a clean house! thanks for the fun,chat,scenic tour & much more at SIT. cheers

Jan @ MiniYou.com.au said...

Wow! Haven't felt that way for a very long time! It always feels good going home from a hard day's work or feeling...finding everything in order, not having to cook dinner or do household chores. And how lucky you can be...having a husband to care for you (it doesn't happen all the time)! And...oh well...a good provider too. How good life can be;)

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