The Test of a Good Wife - Apparently

I am judged daily.  Well five days out of the week at least. Not at work or by my family (well they probably do judge me but pffft, let them!)  No. By my husband's co-workers.

I pack his lunch most of the time. If we have some extra spending money (which hasn't happened in months), he'll get pocket money for eating out.  The poor guy. So, I do try to make sure to pack enough that he won't be hungry at work. Lately though, he's let slip a few comments.  He eats in the eatery area at the front of the store by the service desk, so he can catch calls or help if something comes up.  Since he's management and on salary, he's never really off the clock (which is why he likes to leave on lunch to go to a restaurant sometimes.)  Anyway, this puts him in clear view of all the ladies who work on the "soft" side of the store... clothes, bedding, shoes etc, as well as the ladies who run the registers and service desk. They know he doesn't pack his own lunch, and lately apparently they've been vocal about their opinions of his lunches.

There was one day recently, I remember he worked a 12 hour day, but we were out of bread and there weren't many leftovers. He did get a container full of what we did have left as well as a container of salad and some crackers. Plus his two bottles of tea. Well, seems that one of the ladies was shocked and had to ask if that was all I packed him to eat, and that surely there must be more packed for him to eat later in the shift. He had to tell her no, there wasn't. While he was telling me this, he even acted like he also felt like I should have packed more for him. Well, what was I supposed to do?  Oh well obviously I should have just not slept at all, and instead made a loaf of bread. Pfft. Well, ok I guess I could have made some corn bread. But still. I felt bad for him, and I felt embarrassed for myself, and I even felt a little angry that's she'd say something like that.  I don't know.  I don't want to be martyrish about this, but it's hard.

I guess maybe I'd joke around the same way if I were one of the old hens pecking around him all day.  I know they adore him, and want to make sure he's taken care of and all that, but I feel seriously judged all the time, to the point that I don't even like going to his store unless I am dressed perfectly and not a hair out of place, and makeup on etc... and people... this is KMart we're talking about LOL.  Still I feel like I need to lift him up and give him nothing to be ashamed over.

I asked him a few days later if the ladies had been commenting on his lunch again, and he said yes they check it out every day. So I asked if that day's had been approved.  He said yes.... but then added, "I didn't get a dessert."  I just looked at him.  Turns out yes they did actually mention he didn't get a dessert. Have these hens noticed that he's about 60 lbs overweight? Heh.  Oh well.

So, when I pack his lunch, I have to keep in mind his employees are watching, and his reputation may be affected if his wife doesn't fix him a wonderful lunch each day. I am really glad I bought him the new lunch bag in fact.

His is the blue one... I'm not that cruel!

Today, he is getting all the leftover spaghetti from dinner, which really isn't much.  Then a container of two sliced tomatoes from our garden. I also made a tuna sandwich and packed that, along with his two bottles of tea. After work, I'm going to bake a can of biscuits and pack 2 or three of those as well. He can put tomatoes on them if he likes or just eat them plain. I'm also going to have a few with jelly or tomatoes on them packed separately for his breakfast since he works 6am til 3pm today. Oh, and a brownie.  Wonder what comments he'll get today.

I'm taking him to work today as well so I'll have the Explorer to take the girls to a Holi Party at Rhiannon's best friend's house. It's in celebration of going back to school, and apparently half the 8th - 10th grades will be there.  Should be a lot of fun, and they have some white clothes they don't care to get dyed tons of colors.

School starts with a full day Thursday, so it's back to really packing 4 lunches every day.  I wonder if the kids at school judge the lunches my kids have packed... yeah I bet they do.  *eyerolls*   I'll be glad when we get ahead money-wise and I can afford to get them nice stuff for their lunch bags again. Bologna sandwiches, cheese-nips and iced tea isn't going to work forever.

Comments

  1. Maybe it's just me, but I find it extremely unprofessional/inappropriate that these women feel the need to comment on your husbands lunch. It really isn't any of their business. It's obvious you take great care of your family. If they think Christopher isn't getting enough, then maybe they would like to help out with the grocery bill. Some people have nerve.....My husband runs (Facility Mngr) a LARGE canola processing plant and never has anyone commented on his lunch, or lack there of. They wouldn't. He's their boss and it would be overstepping a line. This really hit a nerve with me. They need to mind their own life. NEVER let them make you feel like you are not good enough. I know the pressure of being the wife on mngt. But if someone thinks a certain way, nothing you ever do will change their mind. As long as you are happy with yourself, that is all that matters. Sorry for the rant, but I really felt like I had to comment. End rant :) Sending warm thoughts your way~ Kate

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  2. @Kate
    Thanks Kate! Actually you hit the nail on the head with how I feel about it, but that's just how it is here. He used to be "one of them" I guess you could say, for 15 years. He's been a manager 3 years, and he's been kind of a softie for a lot of them (though now the younger people working there call him the "mean one" haha). So the ladies feel like they have a sense of familiarity with him. Also maybe it's just a Southern thing. Still I'd like to think I wouldn't act like that personally. But thanks Kate!!

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  3. Ever thought of having him pack his own lunch??!!

    The pictures on your blog look great!

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  4. @Meg
    LOL Meg, well he's done that plenty of times and also just gone without anything. I've just recently been trying to be a better wife. He's put up with a whole lot of emotional mental-imbalance crap from me over the years, believe me. It's the least I could do really. And thanks for the comment and compliment! I always think my pics are so grainy cause I take 90% at night.

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  5. ITs hard to balance being a good wife with the rest of life sometimes:) I totally understand and would probably feel the same way as you if people were critisizing

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  6. @momto9
    I guess I could have worse problems to whine about huh? lol It doesn't bother me a whole lot, I just feel bad for him when they watch him eat. Right now I'm feeling organized and in control, so we'll see how the first big day of school goes in the morning.

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  7. Patty, you sound like a wondeful wife and mother. It sounds like you and your husband appreciate each other and that makes for such a better life. Having a good sense of humor helps, too. Thanks for sharing your life!

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I love getting comments, and I read every one. Thanks for coming by my site and reading my ramblings. I hope you have a wonderful day! -Patty