Parents as Partners- *ust add an R

For "Parents" to become "Partners"- *ust mix it up a bit and add an R, as in "our".

It is...

• OUR family
• OUR livelihood
• OUR shared common vision
• OUR future together
• OUR sex life
• OUR best friendship
• OUR home
• OUR meal times
• OUR need for personal space...

Since Sugar Daddy has been such an active part in the craziness that occurs round these parts on a daily basis, and I have become a larger part of the income producing half of our marital equation- we have become increasingly irritated with each other. He is *ust always around- picking up toys, getting snacks, helping with naptimes... I mean seriously dude! Over the past few months as the pregnancy hormones have kicked it- he has become so hard to deal with...

The *erk is constantly causing issues, (notice this post contains none of that letter that sits between the H & the K on the keyboard- his fault.) and getting in the way of my perfect, peaceful parenting. It seems he has his own ideas about how to live with the little buggers. We differ enough on how to handle the constant barrage of needs from the 10 & under crowd (and they are in the ma*ority) that I have begun to wonder if he's been reading too much Sun Tzu, while he is absolutely certain that I read too much Naomi Aldort.

Recently we have decided to divvy up OUR chauffeuring duties, so he will be taking OUR kids to park days and dance classes and homeschool PE. Gasp! My first horror filled thought was "What will my mama friends think of his parenting?" Ack!!! So I start looking for rentals in another state...

Then it hits me. Most of them, my friends especially, will think- wow, what a great dad. He obviously loves playing with his children, he even does laundry, wipes their butts and usually tries to get them to eat protein. The others will all *ust be *ealous, won't they? When they find out he also rubs my back almost every night, and often gets up (off the couch he has fallen asleep watching Colbert on) in the middle of the night to take one of the littles from OUR bed so they don't wake the other when they become restless- I won't be able to pretend I am supermom anymore, they will all know that my sidekick is no mere "hero support" but a genuine, bonafide SUPER DAD!!

We are the yin to each other's yang, so what if he still occasionally gives OUR children a time out? At least he no longer gets upset at me when I rescue OUR child from the time out and spend some time connecting with him or her to uncover the truth beneath their angst (usually it was Sugar Daddy who really needed the time out, and I have learned to honor this truth myself when I recognize the short tone creeping into my conversations with the incessantly chatty 10 & 4 year olds- yes, I *ust admitted that he even makes me a better parent, don't tell him!)

It is OUR life, and he is not only a present, but a willing partner and I am so grateful for all that he does and how much he loves me and OUR amazing offspring. Of course, once you have borrowed the R to make "Parents", "Partners"- you are left with O U. As in I'll "owe you" big time if YOU deal with the poop on OUR living room, floor... I'm busy looking for a "J" (it's called copy and paste, but I wasn't about to do it EVERY time.)