Married couples, especially those with kids, know that raising a family and running a household depend a lot on the successful collaboration between husband and wife. And part of a successful collaboration is being sensitive to the other’s needs. For instance. One afternoon two weeks or so ago, I had this splitting headache.
Speedy: “Uminom ka ng Biogesic (Take a Biogesic).”
Me: “Ayoko. Pagpapawisan ako. (I’d rather not. It makes me perspire so much.)”
Speedy: “Ganito gawin mo: uminom ka ng Biogesic tapos umidlip ka (Do this: Take a Biogesic then take a nap).”
Me: “Okay, bahala ka na magluto ng hapunan (okay, so you’ll take care of cooking dinner)…”
Speedy (after pausing for a few seconds): “Tiisin mo na lang (You should just bear the pain).”
Huh?!? Wrong example of successful collaboration in marriage? Oh, okay, let me give you a better example then.
Collaboration. That means teamwork, right? We are acutely aware of that, Speedy and I, now more than ever because after a series of domestic helper disasters, we finally decided we’d stick with the arrangement of having a cleaning/ironing woman come in three times a week plus a daily gardener AND NO MORE live-in house helper.
When I say series of disasters, I’m not referring to the incident that led to the firing of the two house helpers last month. There were two other disasters. We were able to hire a good replacement but her mother insisted on taking her so she could assist the mother in her market stall in Pampanga. So, we lost her after a mere five days.
Then, we hired another but this one didn’t even know how to sweep the floor under the furniture but kept announcing that she was done with the cleaning. So, we fired her after four days.
Then, there was this applicant (lucky for me because as I was still asleep, it was Speedy who talked to her so I didn’t have to suffer that sickening feeling of another potential disaster) who came to the house wearing FULL MAKE-UP with BLOOD-RED LIPSTICK (Speedy said she looked like Aling Dionisia) who never even got as far as getting a trial period.
So, anyway, that’s the current situation and we’re getting used to the weekday evening routine of me cooking, Alex setting and cleaning up the dining table, and Speedy doing the dishes. When we go to the supermarket, we put everything that we bought in all the proper places and we do it in a synchronized manner that we don’t even need to talk while we do it. You know, like second guessing what the other thinks. Almost eighteen years of marriage and we better be good at that, right?
And we’re collaborating on a project too. Well, sort of a project anyway. Starting next week, Speedy will be in charge of breakfast and I can take photos while he does it. Here’s a dry run. He brought me a breakfast tray one morning when, after Alex had left for school, all I wanted to do was crawl back in bed and go to sleep until dinner time.
Nice, eh? With him cooking breakfast everyday, that means I can be less frantic during the morning because after fixing Alex’s lunch box, I know I have a good breakfast to look forward too.
Why should you care? Well, because that also means the Breakfast Daily section will be active again.
There, I’ve announced it. Speedy can’t say anymore that he has changed his mind.
Ang cute naman ng handle ng cup nyo
Dami na na-in love sa cup na yan ah!
Hahahaha…funny yung Biogesic part. Based on your previous postings parang di yata magagawa sa iyo yun ni Speedy. Di ko lang sure at this point kung bakit ko naisip ito – dahil sobrang love ka ni Speedy or dahil matapang ka?
Breakfast had always been important in our family. I grew up not missing a single breakfast until I entered college and moved into a boarding house.
I got so used to breakfast cooked by my mother, it’s a rare chance to have one done by my father. Though I’d say, there was never a breakfast that my father cooked that I didn’t enjoy.
Di mo lang alam, Carol (sniff, sniff), inaapi-api ako ni Speedy huhuhu
Jhay, the habit of eating breakfast is something we’re still
learningstriving to re-acquire. I can’t remember when I stopped eating breakfast, actually. Probably around the time I entered UP Law.Hoy hindi totoo yan!!!!!!!!! Anong inaap-api?! Ako ang aping-api dito sa bahay na ito! 3 against 1. At nag susumbong pa! LOL!!! Hwag kang maniwala Carol.
Asus, bakit walang masarap na breakfast kanina? Nag-init ka lang ng tinapay! Ginugutom mo ako!!!
Ngayon ko lang yata nakitang nag-post si Speedy. Don’t worry fan mo pa rin ako. I still believe you are an ideal husband. Seriously, what guys don’t realized is that they don’t have to spend big bucks to please their wife. Ako nga ipagbalat lang ng hipon masaya na ako.
Hirap siguro ng only thorn among the roses. Tapos puro strong pa ang personality ng roses mo. Dapat toughie ka outside kahit in reality softie ka.
Ako, okay din sakin yung big bucks aside from daily breakfast hehehehe
nakakatuwa talaga kayo ni Sir Speedy, Ms. Connie. ganda ng samahan nyo. sana kami rin kapag 18 years of marriage namin ganyan din kami.
Ang trick dyan, for me, is that we have to allow part of ourselves to remain child-like.
totoo yan ms. connie. sense of humor pa rin. yun nga sabi ko sa husband ko na nagustuhan ko sa kanya kasi kapag tumanda na tayo, lahat naman kukulubot na at ang looks mag-fafade pero ang sense of humor nandyan pa rin.
Ha ha, sinabi na din ng husband ko yan, tiisin mo na lang
But there are times of course that he would do the chores for me. He even does the ironing now, and he gamely post for pictures I said I would paste in my blog (soon!)
I am excited to see what breakfasts sir speedy can come up with. Maybe I will tell my husband to cook for me also.
Aabangan ko yang ironing pics na yan! Kung si Speedy yan, hindi papayag hahahaha
That’s great… feeling Princess Connie ka, hahaha!!!;)
That’s a nice domestic arrangement involving your whole family; at least your daughter, though privileged that she is, gets to learn early about running a household. Good for her.
how i wish my future family life would be like yours.
Hahahaha! I like this one…no, I love this article… I will show this to my mother. You know my nanay, after 44 years of marriage with my father, hindi pa din nila nahuhuli ang isa’t isa. Laging sablay tatay ko pagdating sa kung ano ang gusto ng nanay ko. Pero ang mom ko naman alam lahat ang gusto ng Dad ko. We were telling her, kasi masyado nya na-spoil ang tatay namin kaya hayun hindi nag-effort to discover her. Tapos typical old school pa na ang lalaki ang laging nasusunod, kaya hayun marami tuloy na-miss nanay namin.
Kaso ang mga inilabas nya mga anak eh kuha yata lahat kay Gabriela Silang. Malas lang ng mga naging asawa namin kasi we promised ourselves hindi namin gagayahin ang nanay namin para hwag abusuhin.
But kidding aside, we first need to respect and love our husband/wife to be able to have a good collaborative relationship that will last until the time that we need to say goodbye to our partners.
Crisma, pwedeng queen? Paminsan-minsan lang naman… hehehe
Gene, not that there’s no resistance. But it isn’t fair to Speedy and me if we have to do everything. Besides, the girls are old enough. Funny, when they were around 5 years old, they were competing for the chance to wash the dishes. But now? Haayyy…
Pinay in Dutchland, life is what you make it — including family life.
Bingbong, men who still live in generations past need a good wake-up call. There are still men today who think it’s demeaning to do the laundry and cook. Abuso ha!
Uuuuyyy— why not? Such are the little pleasures of life that are truly priceless, di ba?
Uy, pwede pa taasan ng konti ang mabisyon? Empress kaya hehehe
Ang sarap naman po nito! How sweet, the two of you.
HAHAHAHA Pag good mood, sweet. Pag bad mood… ah, ewan! LOL
ang galing magluto ng itlog..
yung sunny side up ko na itlog, hindi ganyan itsura.. yung akin, nagmumukhang chicharon. kasi, ang gusto ng gf ko, hindi daw malasado.
apurado pa naman ako sa pagluluto. gusto ko tapos kaagad ang pagluluto. ayoko ng matagal na proseso.
ahehe/
Cooking requires love and patience para sumarap. Try mo.
Pwedeng maki-share— cooking magandang sunny side up tip—sa Teflon pan, put a little oil, then put the egg pag hot na ang oil, put a little salt, then cover for about 2-3 minutes… Then open and see that your sunny side up is looking good… sprinkle with lots of love and patience…sabi nga ni Connie… at di naman matagal na proseso ito. Try it at lalo kang i-lo-love ng gf mo, Promking!
Ganyan din ako mag prito ng sunny-side up. Wala pang oil spatters.
Funny story about the “domestic helper disasters”
Oh,it’s so sweet for Speedy to prepare breakfast-in-bed for you.You’re blessed.
Speedy,para mas sweet next time pick a flower in your garden and put in on the tray or how about a love note.Are you
listening?LOL
Speeeedyyyyy, I like the flower idea hahahaha
Sweet nga— kaya lang baka langgamin na kayo ni Speedy mo, Connie, er Queen Princess Empress
… daming titles…hahaha
pag may flowers, may bayad na yun! LOL!!!
Wow, ang kapal mo ha. Sige, pag napa-bake ka, may bayad din.
naku ang sweetness ha, nagkakabayaran na! ha ha ha!
Mag-demand kaya ako ng flowers everyday OR ELSE sya na magluto 3 times a day? HAHAHAHHAHA
uuuuuyyyyy sweet nmn… young love, sweet love ulit!!!!
very unique cup.. can you share where did you buy that?
It was a Christmas gift from Speedy’s sister.
Ahhh, ang sweet naman!!!
Baka hantik na umatake sa amin ah hahahahaha
di naman, bubuyog at paru-paru lang ehehehehe
ahahaha at talagang sumasagot din si speedy dito. nakakatuwa naman kayo.
I’m a big fan of Speedy! Must be nice to have a father like him. BTW, I love my Dad to pieces
I guess we’re in the right path me and my fiance… We’re like kids pa din sometimes… or nahahawa lang siya saken? I love how you guys are until now…. More Speedy please! I’m a big fan….. 
Speedy! Speedy!
Coming up LOL because there was an interesting conversation yesterday! He’d be ever so pleased to know that he’s a hit. hehehehe