Daily Adventures in the Balance of Marriage

Now that we have gotten into some semblance of a routine, I thought it would be nice to share what that "daily" routine is, factoring in all of the "chores" that could occur in a given day:

• 5:30AM - Wake-Up
• Jenn gets ready for work
• I get dressed for running and make breakfast
• 5:45AM - Jenn eats breakfast, I eat a banana
• 6:00AM - Walk together to the car, Jenn leaves, I go on my run
• 6:45AM - I eat breakfast and do the dishes (provided I am running on time...)
• 7:30AM - On some days, this is when I iron our clothes that need it for the week
• 8:00AM - By now, we are both in the office and working
• 4:15PM - This is when I have class three days a week, until 6:45PM
• 5:00PM - Jenn leaves work by now
• 6:30PM - Jenn is home by now
• 7:30PM - This is our average dinner time. Usually we will have leftovers of things that we made over the weekend or on Mondays, when I do not have class. On days that I have class, Jenn is kind enough to get things ready, especially if I have readings or assignments that need doing.
• 8:00PM - Jenn has her shower, and - if I am not too crammed with readings - I do the dishes.
• 9:00PM - We get ready for bed, and sometimes I stay up and read.

This very loose arrangement is the result of many trials, errors, and compromises, the latter being something we have discovered is central to married life. I have learned that it is difficult to get Jenn on the road in time if I do not make breakfast while she is getting ready. Jenn has learned that sometimes I have too much reading to also do the dishes after dinner. We help each other out by sharing the load.

Balance also comes through in laundry and cleaning. Some weeks we do this all together, and others one or the other will do it. Jenn has sometimes done all of the cleaning on weekends that are busy for me, but then the next weekend I will do it all as a thank-you. The same goes with laundry. When we do the cleaning of the apartment together, it is split as such:

• Me: Bathtub, Bathroom Floor, Kitchen, and Bedroom and Closet Vacuuming
• Jenn: Dusting, Bathroom, and Living Room Vacuuming

I do not enjoy dusting, and Jenn does not enjoy cleaning tubs. Again, helping your spouse out. :)

Photo By: Dani Leigh Photography