On strike

I love my man. When I told him I was in love with my manicurist he said, "Honey, you have feelings for her?" He's so cool



The joys of motherhood have been wearing me down. I love my kids but sometimes, one is left to wonder where the reward of mothering lies.When I want to do something with them they're not interested. When they want my attention it's constant and on a par with the maturity of 3 or 4 year olds. No sense of timing. As a single mommy my tolerance has begun to run low.Often by the time they want to discuss something serious it takes concerted effort not to blow up after all the inanity that precedes the real issue.

Eighteen years of being the good, the bad ,the everything- has been taking it's toll.

The girls and I got nuclear the other night.

My oldest daughter called her dad at 10 o'clock at night to pick her up. I couldn't have been happier that he complied.

The next day he called to say he wanted to know what was going on. I informed him I was on strike.

I am surrounded by six children all day. My work is demanding.

I told him I was tired of working so hard and did not appreciate the lack of help and rude treatment I've been getting from our daughters.

He arrived yesterday afternoon to clean my gutters and cook the girls dinner. My oldest helped with the gutters. She actually got dirty! Later she cooked dinner with her dad. She and her sister shared dinner with him. I believe some division of labor was discussed.

While all this interaction was going on I was getting a manicure and pedicure. One and a half hours of pure luxury and no one calling Mommy.

Fantastic massage from the toes to the knees while in a massaging lounge chair. I'm in love with Mui. She'll be seeing more of me.

When I got home there was a plate of food in the fridge for me. The kitchen was clean and the two girls were silently doing some chores.

jo©

Self-preservation is the first law of nature.
Samuel Butler