In All His Glory

NOTE: Not actual husband -->  

"Dad, can't you at least wear underwear to bed? I can't believe poor Mum has to sleep beside you while you're naked! If anyone ever tries to sleep naked next to me, they're OUT of the bed!"

This rather adamant protest came from our 13 year old Cavegirl one morning recently. She had run into her dad in the middle of the night when they were both stumbling half-asleep to the bathroom to answer the call of their bladders. He got there first and when he opened the door to come back out our poor girl, waiting in the hallway, saw more of her dad than she ever wanted to.

Yes, the Caveman usually sleeps naked and, unfortunately, doesn't often bother to throw anything on to make the trip to the bathroom in the middle of the night. He is quite comfortable being in the buff and could happily go about his everyday life that way. Sadly for him (but perhaps luckily for the rest of us), that's not really socially acceptable. I can only imagine what the neighbours would say if he started appearing outside the house with no clothes on.

I must point out here that he does make the effort to sleep in shorts (or at least keep them beside the bed) when we have guests, but he always figured that it didn't really matter when it's just us and the kids in the house. I guess he knows better now!

What I loved about my daughter's outburst was her horror that I am forced to sleep beside her dad when he's naked at night. Admittedly, I usually wear a nightie or pyjamas to bed myself, but it doesn't bother me that my husband is wearing nothing in the same bed. I think I would worry about the state of my marriage if his nudity was a problem for me.

What was even funnier was the Cavegirl's comment about kicking out anyone who ever sleeps naked beside HER ... hmm, that's definitely one to remind her of when she's older!

Finding the Balance

What a shame it's always the poor blog that suffers when we get busy.

I have not had the time (or the inclination, if I'm honest) to write my blog for well over a month. I have the best possible reason though ... the TAFE course I did last year has paid off and I have a job at last! I am now working as a Personal Carer in a local aged care facility and loving it.


The learning curve is pretty steep, especially in the first few weeks, but I'm getting the hang of it and settling in well. I enjoy working with the residents and feeling as though I can help to bring a little extra happiness to their days. Aside from any other benefits of working, it's doing wonders for my own sense of self-worth.

While I was settling into my new job, the Caveman took on some unpaid work experience for a few weeks in a busy office (as part of his preparation to re-enter the workforce). He's home full-time again for now, but it really did make for a busy time for the entire household. I know many people would quite rightly say 'most families have both parents working these days, so what's the big deal?' Well, that's fair, but when you haven't been in that situation and suddenly it's all happening at once, it really can be a big adjustment. It did do our personal pride a lot of good to know that we could do it (and yes, be 'like everyone else').

My working does bring with it some extra issues ... I have started to experience the 'mother guilt' we so often hear about. I feel guilty if I'm not at home to help the kids with homework, or listen while they tell me about their problems. It bothers me that I might miss something important that they need to share with me. I still help out in the littlest Caveman's classroom one day a week when it fits in with my work roster, just because I believe it's so important for him to have me involved.

I also worry sometimes that the housework is slipping or that I'm not going to keep up with all the cleaning/washing/ironing that needs doing between my shifts. I feel even worse if I am actually at home but just too tired from work to do the usual chores.

Of course, the Caveman (and the kids!) are capable of taking care of all that stuff, but you know what we Mums can be like! It takes a while to accept that others can do the jobs we've been mostly responsible for.

On the other side of the coin, I am making sure I take the time to do things that relax me as well. I'm reading novels and catching up on some knitting - a fairly typical Winter activity for me. It keeps me sane, stopping me from feeling overwhelmed by 'busyness', and shows the kids that Me Time is important too.

The family is adapting to the new routine and I'm proud that we are all coping pretty well in general. Most of all though, I'm happy to be (finally!) working in a job I love.