The Picnic, Labor & Delivery, and the Movie Camera

I should have realized I was not going to be my husband's first priority many years ago when he failed to tell me that he had invited his entire family to our house for a picnic. It was Labor Day and since we both worked, I had to use every possible spare minute to do the housework and take care of my family. It was 9:50a.m. and I was in the basement starting the laundry - excited that I would be able to get it all done the same day. I was just throwing in the first load when hubby came downstairs and asked what I was doing. Duh came to mind initially but I refrained from saying it. When I stated the obvious he then told me that I didn't have time to do that as the family was coming for a picnic - first I had heard about it. I asked when, he said ten. My contribution that day was mustard and ketchup, with a tad bit of anger thrown in.

Just before Thanksgiving I came home from work and started dinner. Hubby had gotten home earlier and told me he had already fixed himself something to eat. To which I calmly said that when I get home I fix dinner, when he gets home he eats. Staying calm is something I have learned over the years even though I am furious or hurt over something he has done and I have learned to pick my battles. He went in to watch TV and I heated up some leftovers. About an hour later he came into the kitchen to see if there were any leftovers leftover and said oh by the way, Linda is at the hospital in labor. Linda is our daughter and this is her first child. He said our son-in-law had called a couple of hours before and they didn't think it was true labor and they probably would not keep her. Therefore, it did not become necessary that he tell me our daughter might be having a baby.

Just before our third child was born, a long time ago, I went shopping to buy my husband a movie camera for Christmas. This was no easy task considering that this was just a few days before I was to deliver, I had two other small children in tow, and I was exhausted from decorating for the holiday as well as getting a room ready for the newborn. I spent more money on this gift than anything I had ever purchased before. I asked him to open his gift first so he could start taking movies right away and he seemed delighted with the gift. That is, until he just had to add that it was a nice camera, not what he would have bought, but nice just the same.