A long, long time ago, we were homeless and living with another family. I bet most of you never read that post, because it only has six likes. At any rate, that was the darkest time of our marriage, a time during which we were least happy with life and least happy with one another.
The darkness fell after I had come home from lunch and maternity clothes shopping with Beauty Queen, to find The Mister sat on the couch, let go from his job.
Occasionally, The Mister comes home earlier than expected and yes, I do freak out, each and every time.
*kiss kiss* “WHY ARE YOU HOME?!?” I scream.
At any rate, during this dark time, I cared for our children, the child of the residence, the house, and our one baby, while The Mister worked to get us out of our predicament. Now and again, I had missed packing him a lunch, which I hadn’t given any particular thought to, since you know, I was caught up in the drama that had become my life.
It seems The Mister noticed the absence of lunches, and I suddenly remembered him thrashing about the kitchen slamming things, once he said, “It’s the least you could do!”
“It’s the least I could do?!?”
“THE LEAST!?”
Well, I never!
Since the children could not yet cook, being nine and seven, and the baby was still 90% breast-bound, and the house did not clean itself, I could not find any reason in his argument. Furthermore, yes, I had always packed his lunch, but then, I had always had my own kitchen, hadn’t I? He was a grown man, capable of making a sandwich, or putting leftovers into a lunch container. Therefore, after a severe tongue-lashing, I stopped packing his lunch.
For YEARS.
The least I can do. Pfft.
I resumed packing the lovely lunches some time ago.
It’s been long enough ago that we joke about it.
I serve him a late dinner while he studies and I say, “Eat it while it’s hot. I spent hours in the kitchen to prepare this lovely meal for you. The least you could do is eat it while it’s hot. You know, when your paycheck hits the bank, I spend it immediately. I don’t just let it sit there. It’s the least I can do. Because I love you and I care about how hard you work.”
This post is inspired from LindaGHill’s SOCS — least
joeyfullystated 
That line about the paycheck is classic.
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Thanks 🙂
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I’ll have to remember the paycheck line. It infuriates me because H lets his meal sit and get cold! Me? I like mine hot! ~Elle
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I don’t eat anything hot, but he does, so he’d better! 😛
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The other post? Now has 7 likes. Should be loves. I loves this one, too.
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Thanks so much — Eight 🙂
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Ah, marital appreciation. Can be a rare bird. Now I’m going to read your other post. It’s the least I can do.
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Ahhhh couch surfing with a significant other…fond memories 🙂 Thank Dog we had no kids at the time. Your post made me laugh as I remembered how miserable we were and how it did take a few years to be able to laugh about it at all.
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Thanks for stopping by to comment 🙂
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you hit another home run. Tellin’ it like it is…Being 100 is the new way of saying….keeping it real.
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Hah love the paycheck sentence and the vintage pics, fab! Glad times are better x
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I enjoyed this post, let me say I was particularly impressed by the fact that after all the toil of your early years you are still together and can joke about some things.
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Thank you, we’re impressed with ourselves 🙂 — and thank you for commenting.
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Being able to look back on hard times and laugh almost makes them worth going through in the first place. You have a great way of describing it. I peeked at the other post. It looks familiar to a low point in our life. I’m on my way to check it out in full.
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You made me wet my pants. And I am sitting in my husband’s desk chair. Oh well, it’s the least I could do. I don’t know if I like the paycheck line or the freezer cartoon line better! You are a genius. Why haven’t I found you before?
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Reblogging on Nutrok
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Reblogged this on Nutsrok and commented:
Reblogged from Joeyfully Stated. This woman is a genius!
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You are so kind, thank you very much!
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Great post!
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Thanks 🙂
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While this post starts out in a way that made me feel so bad, it sure takes an upturn as I see the marriage DYNAMIC at work. Hahahahaha. That’s the least I can–appreciate your humor ;). Maybe that’s because hubby and I are always together and always in love and forever bitching and snapping at each other.
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It’s good to be gotten — thank you! 🙂
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Nursing that baby, at that point, was plenty to be doing! We moved cross-country when our oldest was 5 weeks (Note: I recommend driving cross country with a nursing newborn to NO ONE,EVER!), and stayed with my parents. If I’d had a clearer view of my childhood, I never would have. We bought a house, but then the owner died, and it went into escrow…and we were stuck there for three-and-a-half months.
Since I was “the only one who doesn’t work”, I was expected to cook and clean – and I don’t know how many times that baby screamed to nurse while my hands were buried in raw chicken.
If I had it to do again, I would state clearly that the bay came first, PERIOD, because, after all, I was his mother!
Glad you both made it through. My Accomplice, the chef, just got home. Chances are good he brought my dinner. I know he brought firewood to keep us toasty. I did lots of dishes, and hung with the kids.
It was the least I could do.
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OH EM GEE. You have my most sincere sympathies for hauling your newborn son cross country. And more sympathy for the three months escrow. Moving is wretched anyway, but being stuck makes it so much worse! And with a baby?!? Gah!
Thanks for chiming in.
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Sadly, I think my son paid a higher price than I did. =( I’m glad that, at 13, he is a happy, thriving, strapping guy who doesn’t remember the way he started out…
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This was so funny! It’s great that you and your husband can still have a good laugh together. Loved the pics you used as well. 🙂
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Thank you for droppin in and sayin so!
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I read both posts, Joey. Resilience, adaptation and a willingness to add humor do help during times of strife, and are much needed in marriage.
I try not to judge for any reason, but certainly fall short.
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I remember one night when my ex-husband came home, i had to run to the store. Peyton needed some medicine – he was barely a few months old and jordan was just over 3. I was still trying to adjust to moving around with both children. Peyton was nursed on demand and jordan was in pre-school. I was exhausted and had no one to help me. Our family lived out of town and new to our neighborhood. I remember asking him if he could watch the kids while i ran out to the store – his answer was – “i work all day and come home exhausted and you want to put me to work babysitting?” My response was not pretty. Needless to say, about 3 years later, he bacame ex.
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Yeah, I can’t get down with that. It’s called parenting, and has nothing to do with work status or gender. Ex-indeed!
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almost makes me wish
i was married 🙂
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Haha!
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I shall be trying the paycheck line!
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It’s the least I can do to go check out that other post now! Wonderful!!
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Thank you!
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Loved the last line 😀 Super!
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Thanks 🙂
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Fun post. I am smiling. I love the “least you could do” comments to The Mister at the end.
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Thank you 🙂
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