What have you..... ?

"I've had a hard day and I feel really stressed" I said to hubby last night. The reply? "What on earth have you got to be stressed about?"

The heckles go up on my back, not that I'm a dog, or hairy for that matter.. but you get my point.

Sunday was a tiring day. 3 hour drive to mum's. Brother no1 arrives with his wife and three teenage boys in tow. Socialise (really enjoyed it to be honest, we've not seen them for 18 months!) Pop round to see brother no2 and his wife, 10 yr old daughter (who is just lovely) and baby who turned 1 on Thursday who is just so gorgeous and cute, you do not want her around if you're feeling broody (which I'm not btw), but a statement from hubby - hmmm, I think I better go and get the snip. Watching her is too dangerous. (hubby is broody now LOL). Mental note - keep legs together at all times, I'm 41 with a 4 year old and DEFINATELY can't go through it all again.

I left hubby and daughter at brother no2's while I went to visit a lifelong family friend who's husband collapsed and died on Wednesday. This couple were like a second mum and dad to us. We grew up alongside their boys who were very close in age to me and my first brother, and in those days we couldn't afford to heat the water for a bath each night, so one night it was our house for a bath and the next night it was theirs. Very often it was the same with meals, one night our house, the next night theirs. We all shared everything and if any one of us was naughty (not me of course, I was an angel LOL), either of the sets of parents would clip us all around the ear just to make sure they got the right one. You were allowed to tell someone elses kids off in those days LOL. So, I went to visit and say how sorry I am. I really felt I needed to go and pay my respects because I can't make the funeral on Wednesday.

So then back to brother no2's and then back to mum's. Get Isabelle ready for bed, plonk her in the car, 3 hour drive home, pop the sleeping Isabelle into bed (thankfully she stayed asleep) and ahhhhh home again. God it was busy and a bit manic, but the annual Christmas present swap always is.

So on to Monday. Isabelle has a party day at school, ok, no problem. I HAVE to go shopping as it's Mark's 40th on Sunday and I have to get presents and cards. I'm also ringing around all his old friends and colleagues trying to get everyone together for a secret meal on Saturday night. I'd had confirmations and then last minute drop outs. More than half have dropped out. I'm gutted! But I managed to get in contact with someone from the company we both worked for that has gone bust. She had phone numbers for everyone, so I got on the phone. This takes time!! Also, I hadn't spoken to any of these people for 4 years as that's when I left on maternity leave, so there was catching up to do on their part asking how we all are etc, and I tried to keep it as brief as possible.. but that ended up stressing me out, and of course, I can't say anything to hubby about this as he doesn't know anything about it.

Then on to the nightmare that is Asda. OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I left home just after 11. Got stuck in roadworks that I didn't know where there or I'd have gone the other way, for 20 minutes. I shopped for birthday presents, christmas presents (you know.. the relatives who you NEVER know what to by) and general shopping. Why are people filling their trolleys (sometimes 2) to the brim with Christmas food? There's 10 days to go yet? It was manic. I got back to my car at 2.15!!!! So, get home, put shopping away, grab a coffee, check facebook (well you have to don't you? LOL) then fetched Isabelle from school. Got her home, fed her, changed her, told her that she could carry on making her billion and one snowflakes out of paper (and leaving little cut out paper triangles all over the floor) when she got back from her swimming lesson. Off to swimming, stuck in aforementioned roadworks as I had to go that way, there's no alternative route... watched my little fisheeee do even better at her front crawl, dried and dressed her, bundled her into the car, drive home, roadworks now gone (thank god!!) and come in to find Mr never-do-anything-in-the-house-if-it-resembles-housework hubby putting the dishes away grumbling that he can't find a mug to have coffee in.

"be nice to me, I've had a hard day and I'm stressed".... followed by "What on earth have you got to be stressed about?"

So I explained my day and said I felt frazzled. (Fibromyalgia doesn't help at all in this kind of situation - body screaming and aching and generally hurting and the fatigue.. well.. I won't go into that). He said, he wished that's all he had to be stressed about. Now I know he gets stressed with work, but everything else is dealt with by me.. finances, bills, food, shopping, christmas.. I'm even having to shop for my own Christmas present!! (because I was after a new phone and he didn't want to chance buying the wrong one.. but even so... )

My stress is a different kind of stress to his......... I'd like to see him do a day in the life of me.. well, no, actually a month in the life of me.. that way he'd get all the finances and bills to deal with too, housework, getting up in the night to deal with Isabelle, washing, cleaning . well, you know the score. Then he had the audacity to complain that the house looked like a tip. erm.. yes, I've been out all day and haven't had chance to do anything in it. If you don't like it.. start picking YOUR things up that are laying around. This was met with a sharp exit stage left.. to the garage of retreat. He knew he was very close to 'the line' and thought it in his best interests to escape to his entourage of motorbikes who (apparently) love him very much, completely understand him and never answer him back. LOL