I’m a little obsessed with Big Love. Have you seen it? Oh, it’s so fabulous. Not fabulous enough to pay for an HBO subscription, but totally fabulous enough to pay for Netflix so we can devour a season at a time in one week. (Hmmm… and now I’m wondering when season 4 comes out. Hopefully soon! I think we’ve overdosed on the Netflix documentaries. I seriously can’t watch any more for fear of not being able to eat ANYTHING.)
It’s odd to me that I’m so fascinated by a show centered around religion and polygamy, but I just can’t get enough of the drama. That’s one sure fire way to have plenty of drama to write about – throw 3 women together in just about any situation, let alone one where they are sleeping with the same man. But, despite the drama, I’m always drawn in by the relationship the three wives have, the ease in which they take care of each other’s kids, split up the errands, juggle tasks between the three of them. Hell, half the time I forget about the whole “sleeping with the same guy” thing and just think, “DAMN, it must be good to have a sister wife.”
So last week Bonnie, one of my very best friends (since we were 12 – first one to befriend me when I moved to Texas in Jr. High), came to stay and brought her 2 year old son. He’s just 6 weeks older than Kendall. It was sort of close to magical. The boys played and played and played, from the time they got up until they crashed. It was glorious! No squatty little man following me around the house, “momma, momma, momma, momma, snack, mommmmmmmmmmma.” No pressure to entertain the child as he stares at me and pushes my coffee cup aside.
They actually *played*, you know, TOGETHER… without adults orchestrating the whole thing. For a brief moment, very brief, I was a teensy bit envious of those of you with twins… until I saw the destruction they left behind. That’s because, all of the sudden, as if a veil had been lifted, Kendall realized how amazingly awesome ALL his toys are, ALL those toys he NEVER plays with. They took on a whole new level of cool when his friend showed up. Suddenly he was all, “Hey, look at this cool boat! And this, look at this box of blocks! And, whoa, I didn’t know I have a train set! Let me get it ALL OUT RIGHT NOW AND TAKE INVENTORY OF MY COOL TOYS.” This happened at least 3 times a day.
But the mess was fine. It was worth it for the peace we got out of it. We were able to sit back, talk, relax, drink coffee, all from the comfort of the playroom or the backyard. And when it came time to meals or bathtime, we naturally divided up duties. She gave the boys baths each night while I cooked dinner. We took turns preparing snacks and went grocery shopping together. We were like one step away from french braiding each other’s hair and throwing on prairie dresses and I LOVED IT.
Damn, it was good to have a sister wife.
I mean, I guess she wasn’t actually my “sister wife.” For one, my husband wasn’t even home, and if he was, it’s not like that relationship would have been consummated, but I can sort of understand being okay with another woman sleeping with your husband as long as she’s making half the meals and putting out half the fires. Honestly, it’s not like I’m really up for “it” half the time anyway. Sharing EVERYTHING 50/50 probably has a lot of perks. Unfortunately, my husband can barely afford to support one wife, so a sister wife just isn’t in the cards for us ; )
As much as I miss the extra company and help, I think Kendall misses his new friend Ty, and Ty’s cool mom even more. Ty’s cool mom has lollipops, or “pop-pops.” She gave them to the boys when we needed a few minutes of peace. I am the boring mom who just never thinks to buy lollipops (not that this is me taking some sort of stand against sugar because I’m all for sugar on a stick with magical “quit your whining” powers). It’s been one week since Ty and Bonnie left, and Kendall is still trying to guilt me by telling me, “Pop-pop! Momma, pop-pop!” I say, “No, Kendall. I’m sorry. We don’t have any lollipops.” His response? I kid you not, “TY momma pop-pop.”
Kendall is nearly 2 going on 12, apparently.