Our house would quickly be over-run with dust bunnies if I did not have such a patient and hard-working partner. This morning, we went through our standard household chore negotiation. "I'll vacuum, and mop the bathroom and kitchen, and then I'll do dishes. Is there anything else you'd like me to do?" he asked.
"Clean the toilet maybe?" I said. "It smells a little funny."
"Of course."
"I'll... do the laundry. Eventually. Maybe tomorrow."
"But it's my turn."
"Tell you what, you sweep, I'll do laundry. Hey, I never sweep anyways."
"Sounds good to me. I hate laundry."
"It's a deal."
He also takes out the trash and recycling and deals with anything that smells (just since I'm knocked up though). Every so often, I turn on the dishwasher. He cooks things that, half the time, I won't eat more than once (blame the pregnancy!). I... make pancakes once a week. He deals with tech support and obstinate financial institutions on the phone (I get angry and threaten and yell; he waits patiently until the problem is solved). I buy him socks, and go to the grocery maybe 5/8 of the time (he also hates shopping). Really, he's a much better traditional housewife than I am.
We joke that maybe I should get a high-paying industry job and he should stay home with the baby. He's certainly better suited.
This country should really have longer paternity leaves, too.
