My week as a SAHM

Lolita has returned from her 3-week long vaca in the Philippines - thank God! First thing she did when she saw me was to grin and say: "See? I said I would, and I did!" She was talking about us being sceptical that she would come back. We have had helpers before who went home on vaca and never came back to us, so understandably we were a bit sceptical about her coming back to Singapore. Well I am glad that she proved me wrong.

Our Malaysia trip took up 2 out of the three weeks that she was gone. But that still left me with one week of SAHM-dom.

To tell you the truth, I was apprehensive - could I hack it? Five kids. Laundry. Cooking. Dishwashing. Sweeping. Mopping. In one endless spin cycle. My mother shook her head worriedly when she found out I would be maid-less for a while. A good girl friend grinned and summed it all up: The tai-tai finally gets to work the kitchen - good luck pal!

The first couple of days were hard. Lots of gritted teeth with the mounds of laundry etc, especially with post-trip laundry. I tried to ignore the grotty floor initially but after the 2nd day when we'd been home, we were all going about with blackened soles, so I decided that enough was enough - cannot avoid mopping and sweeping anymore. So I bit the bullet. The first time I did it, I was dripping in sweat by the time I was done - but I felt good. Not as bad as I thought.

We also tried to eat out a lot but found that to be costly and boring after a bit. So I tried cooking. Honestly, I have not cooked for a long time but its like riding a bike - you never quite forget. I was apprehensive about burning rice though, since I can't quite remember how much water to use. But it turned out fine - soft and fluffy enough.

I enjoyed the cooking and the kids had nice things to say - bless 'em! But the killer was the washing up. My gosh. By the end of the HOUR - I kid you not - I was seriously contemplating installing a dishwasher. Never mind the higher electricity cost and the water outlay. My back was seriously killing me by the time I was done. Yes, I could get the kids to help but I also suffer from being a bit anal about processes so I'd rather DIY than risk gunky or broken crockery at the hands of the kids. That first time after that massive washing up, cleaning the sink etc, I think I suffered an allergic reaction. That night, in my sleep, my left hand itched and burned incredibly. I remember scratching and rubbing furiously in a semi-sleep.

By the end of the week, though, just before Lolita came home, I was actually falling into a nice rhythm. Sweeping and mopping on alternate days early in the morning, then enjoying the morning papers before the kids got up. Doing the laundry - putting the clothes to wash, hanging them out in the sun to dry, the fresh smell of sun-dried clothes, ironing, folding etc. There is a nice rhythm to this that I really enjoyed.

I certainly enjoyed cooking. I was even beginning to tolerate dishwashing. On one of the days when I decided to play hooky to maid-dom, I brought all five kids out with me by public bus to Parkway Parade. We had sushi at Sakuraya and then ice-cream - and we had a nice time. Trin had become used to me pottering about in the house and in the kitchen and I to her, being around, playing with the clothes pegs, pots etc. And for the first time in a long time, I had a lot less computer time but I didn't mind.

"You know," I commented to KH. "Its not so bad not having a maid around. I could get used to this."

He agreed and we indulged in a brief one-minute fantasy about what it would be like to be maidless. I would have to quit my job, and the house would always be messy around the edges, we would have our own privacy back and the kids would bond with only us and not a stranger etc. It was perfectly do-able.

Of course that fantasy evaporated in a puff by the 27th, the day after Lolita came home.

I lay in bed, the sun on my face, a warm baby next to me. And the thought came: gotta get up and sweep/mop before the kids get up. And the next happy thought hot on its heels: Nahhh....

And that, dear friends, feels so sweet!