Keeping It Real Dead Deer And All

My husband, Tim, and I have a great marriage.  If there were a mock election in our neighborhood or church, we would totally be up for cutest couple.  

But nothing is exactly as shiny and pretty as Facebook personas make things seem.

Tim and I play this fun game sometimes, it's called "I Have It Worse."  At the end of the day we compete for who is more tired, who has done the most for the house and the kids, who got up with the kids in the middle of the night more, who had the worst afternoon.  It's a stupid game and there are really no winners.

Last night was a particularly rough one.  I might've fallen asleep on the couch for a few minutes while I was supposed to be making sure Wade didn't get in the way while Tim was putting together Lucy's new bike.  In that few minutes of slumber, Wade crawled up on top of the big bike and promptly fell over.  After an hour of work (after hours of stressful day job work), Tim was anything but pleased, but I think he hit below the belt.  "Why don't you do your job? And watch the kids?," he snapped.

After making sure Wade was okay and shooing the other kids off to bed, I handled myself very maturely.  "You are such a dick.  Thanks for ruining the whole night," I said coldly.  See? Very mature.

In our minds we were totally playing the "I Have It Worse" game.  It wasn't pretty.

To make up for causing a scene and overreacting and yes, possibly scarring the children, I sat on the edge of Lucy's bed and started to read to her.  We've (I've) been looking forward to starting the Little House on the Prairie series.  I have nothing but fond memories of the whole series.  My dad read the books to my sister and me. She and I used to play pretend--my sister was such a Mary and I was such a Laura.  We would re-enact the stories from the books and the tv show.  

After such wonderful shiny, pretty Little House memories, I couldn't wait to share this with my daughter.  And after the fight with Tim, I wanted something sweet and good.  So I started to read and here's a little part of what I read:

"...one morning she saw in each of the big trees a dead deer hanging from a branch. 

Pa had shot the deer the day before and Laura had been asleep  when he brought them home at night and hung them high in the trees so the wolves could not eat them."

The chapter went on to describe skinning the deer, de-boning fish and butchering a pig.  

"Okay, I've had enough for tonight Mommy," Lucy said patting my arm, she looked scared.  I kissed her good night and said "Sweet dreams." Please don't dream about dead deer and pig butchering I prayed.

It wasn't pretty. Just like my marriage, it may not be pretty sometimes. 


Life isn't as shiny and perfect as it is on Facebook or on the old Little House on the Prairie tv shows.  Maybe Laura Ingalls Wilder books have been so popular all these years because she kept it real, dead deer and all.  It isn't all shiny, perfect and pretty, but it can be damn good.  


(Sidenote: I think I totally won last night's who has it worse.)

Awwwww, reliving my childhood with this video.  Ma and Pa were so lucky and it all looks so good on tv and especially in a montage.