The Accidental Trad Wife

The world is talking to me 

Today is my first day officially unemployed, and I think the world is trying to tell me something. 

I sat in bed chatting to my husband, and our family group WhatsApp was pinging in the background about my brother’s well deserved new job. I’m really proud of him, getting to a management level in a big company isn’t easy. Then I started my daily Duolingo practice and today’s lesson is all about explaining your job. 

We had our kiss at the door and I went back to bed to continue my Italian practice for an hour or so with my can of Monster. I’ve nailed saying “I am a doctor and it’s interesting but not easy.” Another useful phrase for the repertoire. I didn’t learn to say “I’m unemployed” though.

I got up and cleaned the kitchen and bathroom. While I was bleaching the toilet I got an email through about getting my CV professionally reviewed. Today is definitely hinting at something. I feel like I’m being pushed out of the nest too early. I have one wing that’s taking me east to Teams meetings and new initiatives, and one west to domesticity. If I leave the nest now I’ll just fly in circles and quite possibly be eaten by a cat. 

My mum was due round at midday, so I jumped in the shower and left the rest of the cleaning and tidying for the afternoon. 

A very Trad afternoon 

My mum and I went out to get lunch in our favourite dive bar: brisket fries again for me, and mushroom tacos and salad for mum. We were going to spend the afternoon baking, so we chatted about what we were going to make. We decided on each making a quiche, a very traditional and apt thing to make. I also decided to make some arancini for my brother to celebrate his promotion. 

We picked up ingredients from M&S. The public seemed weird today, people just seemed off. I’ve found that shopping has been less stressful recently, as I’m never out at peak times, everything moves slower and people have time to chat. But we must have been at the shop during an office lunch break, as everything felt rushed and agitated. 

Back at home in the kitchen we started our mother, daughter, baking afternoon. My mum lost her confidence in cooking and it’s just starting to return now she’s retired. I imagine that can easily happen when you’re a single mum, working as a Deputy Head teacher and trying to feed two horrible teenagers. Who would have the energy to cook up more than a stir fry when as soon as your back is turned your daughter’s skipped school and invited all the neighbourhood goths round to drink White Lightening? She’s good, my mum is. Very forgiving, and very good.

We had a nice role reversal, where I was advising her and she was happily baking. I handed her the butter “I’d put some more butter in.” I washed the mixing bowl, “Are you planning on greasing the oven dish with butter or olive oil?” She said neither, I handed her the olive oil. “Do you need some seasoning?” I put the salt and pepper down next to her.

My mum sat on a little blue stool in the middle of the kitchen eagerly watching her quiche cook through my very clean oven door. 

The quiche looks great, she took it home to have for her dinner.

Enjoyment

My husband briefly came home, took some co-codamol for a headache, packed a bag, and got back in the car to drive up to a job in the Midlands somewhere.

That used to be both of us. Just two stressed out people, in a somewhat messy house. The experiment has made a lot of things better. He feels looked after, I feel happy. I’m not ready to leave the nest. I’m lucky, I’ve got a few months to work out what I want to do. I’ll make sure everything is lovely for when he walks in the door tomorrow, I think he might need it.

My brother messaged and said he enjoyed the arancini. My mum messaged and said she enjoyed the quiche. I sat down and had a glass of wine and some cheese, I enjoyed today.

The Trad Wife round up:

Eggs used: 8
My mum’s rating on her quiche: “It was delicious! I’m amazed!”
Favourite Italian word: coinquilina
Duvet Tog: Upped from a summer 4, to an autumn 7.5