The Accidental Trad Wife

It started so hopefully

I’ll start by being honest, I’ve been a bit of a crap Trad Wife today. 

The day started as usual, I kissed my husband goodbye at the door, cleaned the kitchen, and pottered a bit. Then, the oven repair man came round and diagnosed the issue, he’ll be back tomorrow between 9am and 1pm to fix the damn thing. I’m looking forward to being able to bake again, it’s something I’m good at and always seems useful. It’s a nice to feel useful. 

I was meeting an old friend, Sarah, and her rambunctious two year old for lunch, a walk, and soft play. I got up and ready to go, making sure I had plenty of factor 50 on my face to protect my post chemical peel skin. I do look brighter and healthier, so I’ll probably book another one in. I guess I am that sort of person, whatever that means.

I put on my headphones and headed out the door. 

Bus journey one

I got to the bus stop, and it was just me and an elderly gent waiting for the bus. 

As the bus pulled in, I smiled at the man, gestured to the bus and said “After you.” He said “No after you, I insist!” It was a nice exchange. I stepped onto the bus said “Good morning” to the driver and started to walk to the back. Pretty normal stuff. 

A man on one of the front seats looked at me with a distainful look. He then made sure he said loudly enough for everyone around him to hear “You could have let him on first couldn’t you!”. I politely told him I in fact did offer and the older gent insisted. He looked embarrassed and mumbled an apology, I went and sat down. 

I was somewhat taken aback by this exchange. Is it what I was wearing? I could be considered to dress slightly alternatively. Was it that I had headphones on? Maybe that’s a sign of a ‘bad’ youth, although I don’t think I pass as a ‘youth’ anymore. Do I just look like a rude person? I really hope that’s not the case.

More than likely, it’s that this man assumes the worst in people. I hope I never get to be like that. I believe that most people are good, we’re all just humans doing our best, in a world that is at times, to put it lightly, a little fucked. I truly feel sorry for people like this man, it must make you miserable. 

I got off the bus and headed up to the quay to meet my friend for lunch. 

Soft play is fun, even at 38

We had a lovely lunch of quiche and salad and caught up, between amusing the toddler by naming everything in the cafe. Yes, that’s a chair! We had a glass of wine and chatted some more. Yes, that’s a croissant, well done! We paid up and left. Yes, that’s a doggy! No, we don’t get on all fours and pretend to be a doggy. 

We had a lovely walk along the quay and down to a park with a soft play. Yes! That’s a duck. What noise do ducks make? “Quack quack!” We got to the soft play and got our shoes off and chased a toddler for two hours. I got to go down all the slides, it was fun. Well done! That’s a yellow ball. My husband and I don’t want children, but I would borrow one on occasion if it means I can go down the slides. Yes! It is loud and full of big kids. 

I finished my can of Sprite and headed for the bus back home. 

Bus journey two 

I got on the bus. I didn’t check the number, just that it was going to the right place. I appeared to have accidentally got on the holiday-makers scenic route bus that stopped at every beach and tourist hotspot. I didn’t mind. I had my music, and seeing the sea makes me smile.

No altercations on this journey, just nice people getting from A to B. 

A crap Trad Wife

I’d stayed out longer than planned and got back home after my husband. No kiss at the door. I also hadn’t finished the cleaning before I left this morning, so he came back to bags of rubbish by the door and an unmade bed. This is what every day used to be like. 

I then faffed around looking for my bank card that had dropped out of my pocket. Not being cheery and pleasant and listening to my husband about his day. Instead, throwing around the sheets on the bed, pulling cardboard out of the bin and being a touch irritated. It has fallen out by the front door when I’d taken my keys out. This is also what every day used to be like. 

I started doing some mild primping of the flat, but it’s not in the pristine state we’re now used to. I could have done the cleaning and washing, but I didn’t. I decided to chill out instead. I’ve got a lot of respect for people who can keep a perfect home, it’s work, it’s unpaid work, but it’s definitely work. 

I made the dinner of a chicken Caesar sandwich with some lightly salted Kettle Chips. I really can’t wait to have my oven back. 

I had a nice day, but it was like a day off work doing what I wanted to, call it a ‘Rachel day’ not a Trad Wife day. I think the occasional one of those is fine. 

The Trad Wife round up:

Personal Trad Wife rating: 3/10
Oven: Still not fixed, it really should be tomorrow
Noises ducks make: quack, quack
Glasses of Sauvignon: 2 (there was also a prosecco)