The Life of a Housewife...

The life of a housewife is not easy. I have just finished ironing Hubby's shirts. It took me about an hour and a half. I still need to dust, vacuum, mop, scub...The list goes on forever. Oh, yeah - and I'm cooking supper tonight. Thank goodness I cleaned the living room carpet yesterday.

It's not that I don't enjoy it. In fact, despite being tired all of the time, I really do get a sense of satisfaction out of cleaning. I never really think that my house is as clean as it should or could be, but cleaning in and of itself is actually fun.

Ooooh. I almost forgot that I still have to grocery shop today. There is no milk or stuff for lunches in the house. I hate grocery shopping - and ironing. Those are the two things that I abhor the most. The rest actually - yeah,I'll say it again - is fun.

Did you know that the average housewife - were she to receive a monetary payment for her services- would make over $130,000? At first it shocked me. Then I thought about everything that a housewife does - laundry, house cleaning, child rearing, cooking, gardening... Yep. That's about right.

Have you heard about the "mommy wars?" I think that it is the stupidest thing that I have ever heard of. I read on CNN.com that there is apparently a "war" going on between mothers who stay-at-home and mothers who work. Isn't that weird? I have always thought that that is a personal decision that should be up to the individual woman. I can't say that I haven't encountered subcurrents of the sentiments born in this conflict. It is always a awkward thing for me to tell people that I plan to not work in favor of taking care of my child. Most men think that it's great. Most women - with the exception of most of my friends and family - just sort of look at me and say "oh." That's it. I think that they suddenly get this picture of me sitting back in my fuzzy robe and slippers on the couch eating bonbons and Doritos while watching Oprah - if I wake up in time to watch Oprah. Honestly, I think that would suck. Or maybe they see me as one of those yuppie soccer-mom stay-at-home wives who's goal is to be thinner than their 13-year-old daughter. Then I would be "jetting" off to aerobics every morning with my make-up perfect and my yuppie work out clothes all matching. After that I would meet other yuppie women for lunch and manicures while my child was in pre-school. Of course, I would pick him up in my mini-van- because a car just isn't big enough for three people. Then I would take him to McDonalds for supper before heading to soccer practice. At soccer practice I would dish gossip with the other moms and complain about rising gas prices...Give me a break!
Instead...I am the barefoot and pregnant and in the kitchen wife ironing her husband's clothes and singing popular songs from the 1890s to my little boy, who - ha,ha,ha- can hear me but can't get away and can't tell me how much I can't sing... Oh, yeah, and when I finish that I take a moment to blog (making me a geeky housewife) in order to inform the world that I am tired and I know how to procrastinate.

I still think that CNN was short for news that week.

All right - my 15 minute break is definitely over. Now I must go to the grocery store. I am making chicken Francaise, citrus salad, and - maybe - panna cotta di casa for dinner tonight. Wish me luck.