#wfhdiaries: Days 33-37

When you can’t get your kids out of your hair:

Courtesy of the cover of The Economist, 30 April issue (The 90% economy)

This was actually Andrew’s class’ craft, 快乐的理发师 (Happy Hairdresser!), but Daniel asked to do one too. The boys’ end products are below. No prizes for guessing who created the above.

I see someone tried to wash the glue out of your hair. My, what large teeth you have!

Daniel’s class is embarking on learning 量词. To the question 小朋友们，你们家有几辆车呢？, I heard someone say FIVE! Daniel was momentarily flummoxed – I popped out of the study to check on him when I didn’t hear him joining in the chorus of responses, and came upon him staring at the screen askance. But Mummy, I have Lightning McQueen and Jackson Storm and all these other small cars, how do I count how many cars I have at home?

Jon also had some craft work. Imagine my ire when he realised he was supposed to contribute “L” instead of “A”. Waste rough paper only.

As you know, I made Taiwanese oyster meesua last week to celebrate the super nice thing that happened to Jon at work. But in the ultimate act of spousal betrayal, I procured all the key ingredients from Qoo10 (dried cuttlefish and frozen Korean oyster meat). Would you trust a company that suggests the perfect homecation would start with me unboxing a spin mop, and thereafter smiling beatifically as my helpful, well-behaved child and I undertook to mop the floor together?

Last week was super hectic at work, though I found it quite enjoyable, like old days. Because of it, I ended up having an unexpectedly heartfelt conversation on Saturday night with W, my old roommate, after I thought to tell her that I have over the years (and that is very many years, about 7 I would say) channeled the efficiency and focus she radiated the moment she barged into our room in the morning. I hated it at the time (of course), but I will always be grateful for the sense of discipline she helped instil through her exacting demands. The satisfaction and pride that the knowledge of a job well done brings cannot come about otherwise (though I can hear D snidely remark that it’s the competitiveness talking.)

But the week also reminded me, again, that it was right to have left so soon. I was snappier than usual with Jon and the boys, the fact of the matter being that when you’re both chionging, there just isn’t much, if anything, left for the kids or the household. The slack usually picked up by mothers is just left to… slack. And no matter what a wonderful learning experience! it is to realise that you cannot have or do it all blah blah blah [insert feel-good statements here], it’s just irritating AF when the slack is left to slack, like dishes being left too long in the sink, festering dirty laundry and tons of clean unfolded clothes, the eco-guilt of getting takeaway but really you cannot face cooking again….

The emails that need to be sent have been sent; no celebratory drinks by the river in these times (not that there were for a long time pre-CB anyway). These days the reward for the pleasant exhaustion is a book and a nap, maybe an episode of World of the Married...? I hope you are having a good public holiday.