Schedules

I don't think I've ever elaborated about schedules here..in my old blog maybe. But schedules are important in polygamy in my humble opinion.

When I first arrived here the three who were in the marriage already didn't have a schedule at all..it was more or less equal time in the first few years from what I've been told, then it was catch as catch can..with #2 catching the most time (from what I've been told and can tell). All and all no one minded this arrangement, which also was pretty dependent on the work schedules of each individual. And they had a "marriage bed" that they all shared..I think I've mentioned that before.

Anyway, along comes little old me. I say, ok guys we need a schedule!! And I watch as they all fall down. I was imposing my belief on them and honestly I really thought it would be a piece of cake.

So, three wives, 7 days, I suggest 2 days/nights each with a rotation somehow of the 7th day/night. We all look at the calendar and the other two wives each want one of their days off of course, and preferably two (all). Well that wasn't always going to work. We also occasionally switched nights which Hubby found confusing and unsettling. I think in the beginning we did 2+2+2+1. Then someone noticed that someone would be getting 3 in a row once in a while..revisit the calendar.

Then we changed to what I liked which was every other day kind of thing, what is referred to sometimes as a Round Robin Schedule. This was pretty fair in my opinion. Of course some months or weeks someone would get the third day/night therefore initiating talk and strife over the whole dang thing. #2 HATED this schedule because her time didn't always fall on her days off. After a month or two of her whining, Hubby took control of it and changed the schedule.Each of us with 2 days/nights and the supposed extra or 7th day/night being his to do with what he liked, go out, play cards, spend more time with the kids or whatever. He turned out to rarely do that. Which I of course knew would happen. I dislike this schedule for reasons that make me sad. At first Hubby would alternate his place of sleeping on that "extra day" then slowly, especially after my surgery, he took to always sleeping in the other room. He says he thinks of that as his room because it was for so many long years..advice to those contemplating a polygamous marriage...try not to enter in to one where all other parties involved have been involved for many, many years. Makes sense if you think about it.

Anyway, I took to researching this schedule thing. One family I found on the internet did a three/four; three/four; on alternating weeks and nicely if one wife was away for a few days she got a day or two extra to re-bond with the husband. If the husband and one wife went away to see family or vacation, the wife left home would get that extra day or two upon their return. This was an extremely civilized family who unfortunately don't blog anymore or I would point you in that direction.

Everyone seems to have their own type of schedule, some not as organized. It is supposed to help with jealous feelings, resentment etc and I think it does.

Now, for an odd reason I find myself thinking to hell with the schedule let's just do whatever comes naturally or whatever hubby wants, or something along those lines..let's just chuck it all out and be less organized and more free spirited. Let's have some spontaneity .. let's be romantic???? Maybe

Things get better

So, hubby told me that he expected me to have a sit down with the other women and hash all this out. Not an easy task as #1 avoids conflict of any kind, and #2 is hard to communicate with..but I gave it a try..minus number 1 who said she would defer to my judgement but needed to get to sleep early and had hubby's blessing.

We talked..with me trying very very hard to be non confrontational. I told her that the number one thing she does that drives us all crazy was her going to hubby like a child going to Daddy to tattle. That this was a totally unacceptable practice and she had been told this before. That I understand her not liking her day to be "ruined" so to speak but that she still had the whole evening and whining and sulking just put hubby in a bad mood and the rest of us feeling like a nice day had been spoiled by the baby of the family! Well..she took this all in and agreed. She made sure to tell me that she still felt I wasn't a submissive wife lol oh well get used to it cause this is me! And she buttered me up by saying that she understands that my sense of humor might be different than theirs. hahaha.. ok it was a decent talk which continued into the next day...hey she is a talker! She thinks that the women should take at least one Sunday a month to do girl things..shopping, antiquing, browzing, lunch, tea, whatever so that we can bond. She explained tthat she knows hubby treats her with kid gloves but that is the way it has always been..(I wonder why) and that she loves me like a sister and is feeling less and less jealous and insecure..she ADMITTED that the first few months were very hard for her and she compensated by being overly hovering and smothering to hubby and she feels badly about that now because I must have been uncomfortable..(jee ya think?)

All and all it was an ok sit down. We both reported to hubby that we would try harder which is all he asks and that was that. Oh one good result! She made herself a reading corner so that on my day she doesn't have to sit 6 inches from hubby all evening reading a book. lol We shall see! But it's a start. I told her that I would try to arrange more alone time for her.

Honestly - under the same roof is a volitle and dangerous way to live! I dislike it but I'm getting used to it. It's easier on hubby so he says and I will admit that it has given me the opportunity to know these people intimately. All the good with the bad. I do still long for my own living room and kitchen and bathroom..sigh. And someday it may happen. Just not now.

As for the schedule..it's staying the way hubby made it for now too..give me a couple of months :)

Week from Hell

Damn her! yes - I don't care if that sounds horrid. If you read my back story at all you know how important the schedule is and how elated I was when it changed to something I was more comfortable with. The problem started last Sunday and it's been..well welcome to my week from hell.



Hubby and #1 wanted to surprise me by taking me to the casino (something I've expressed an interest in since the casino story in Big Love) and a place where Hubby and #1 have gone on infrequent occasion to relax. They never bring much - Hubby says never bring more than you're willing to lose. Anyway, it had been a long time since any of us had done anything frivolous and they had just received their tax refund. They tried to plan it for #1's day but the plan got foiled by the kiddos. The next day, mine, something else got in the way. Sunday was #2's day. She usually goes to church but had decided not too so off we went. Only #1 and hubby knowing exactly where at first. Well true to form #2 clung to hubby's side all day even though he gave us each a small amount of money to play the slot machines with. I didn't care because it was fun anyway and I didn't lose anything except winnings, broke even. We had a really nice time, ate a nice meal, and enjoyed ourselves except that #2 was antsy to get going home and somehow managed to royally piss off hubby (unusual for her) as we were leaving. Of course this resulted in pouting and sulking the whole way home. And I swear this almost 50 year old woman reverses to the posture of a child when she sulks. It's sooooo annoying. We were home by 7pm I think.



The next morning the weather report was bad, saying we might get an ice storm (btw it didn't arrive for a couple of days) so mid morning #1 called me to ask if I would mind switching days with her since she would stay at relatives near work. Let me explain.



We used to have assigned days broken up evenly with a different one getting 3 each week. To me it seemed unrealistic and sometimes I would have 4 or 5 days in between. Plus it meant that whoever had Saturday always had Saturday etc. We changed all that to a rotation schedule. Something #1 and I brought up to #2 and she agreed, as it turns out reluctantly because if she didn't get one of her days off (which happened occasionly ) she would be upset to have only the evenings and mornings. ugh. Of course when HER work schedule changed to where she didn't leave for work until 12:30 pm, she wound up with every morning anyway but thats' a WHOLE nother story



So of course I said of course but hubby overheard and said NO, we weren't going to do any switching because the schedule needed to be changed. omg! I nearly dropped the phone and #1 was going oh no on the other end. We went back to assigned days with hubby giving #2 one of her days off each week.



Apparently, according to hubby, someone was unhappy with the schedule and it had to be changed. That someone didn't come to her sister wives to talk about it, she went directly to hubby at 3 am when he was trying to sleep!



As #1 said, she got her way. Took her several months to get it but she got it. Now for the great part. You have to just love karma! The very next day, her boss changed her days off!!!!! I kid you not. All hubby said to her was...we are NOT changing the schedule again. pfft.



Well today was her day off. He always has to pander to her and go on some kind of excursion whether he wants to or not. As I said to him, her demand make the rest of us back away to give him space. They returned from their excursion with hubby in a mood. Apparently the purpose for the trip to the mall was so she could talk uninterrupted and spend time griping about me! (along with her usual "wish I could stay home and take care of the house and hubby instead of going to work" gripe. How well she and #1 got along before I came along but now 1 and I gang up on her, talk about her, and all kinds of other good stuff. How happy they all were before they had to fit me into their lives. WHY on earth he would tell me she said all this I don't know, but I'm saving it. Putting it in a little drawer somewhere to be pulled out when I need it. My response to hubby was - yes everyone was happy because #1 would spend the entire evening every evening in her room watching tv while #2 played house - monogomy house! And if you were to ask #2 if that was fair she would say - #1 chose to do that and besides she is the only one who can visit him in the hospital, etc etc etc.............



You know what's weird? This all happened immediately after I had a night with hubby and we were discussing how FINALLY everything seemed to be falling into place, how the household had developed at last a nice rythmn, how are financial problems were ironing out and we were all getting along and how happy he was feeling.



One good thing happened this week though - I started my classes!

Holidays

This is the second Christmas I'm not in my old home town with family and friends. My fourth Christmas not spent with my entire family, and for some reason this is the worst one yet.
We are all getting along famously here so that's not it. The only one criticising the way I do things is you know who, and I can't help that. I'm just sitting here wondering when I will if ever have the money to send for my children for the Holidays, or when will I ever get back there for a holiday, or when I will get used to being part of a new family. You see everything isn't always about polygamy. Sometimes it's just about a new marriage. Hubby god bless him is very good at holidays, if he weren't I would be miserable. He has one steadfast rule..no arguing or fighting during holiday time..wow it's wonderful. :)

I got most of my gifts mailed off so that's a good thing.

Melting into a new family sucks frankly. It's difficult but it's coming along. The second son, the high schooler I think is back in my court and has come to realize why he liked me in the first place. He is the one with all the poly questions. The other night he asked us the adults to all turn off the tv to ask us a question. He said his girlfriend wanted to know if any of us ever wished we were the only wife. #2 said sometimes, #1 was already asleep in their room, and I said nothing. He continued to say that his gf hopes he doesn't ever want to be polygamous and he told her NEVER! lol..

Oldest son well, he resents another person coming between he and his dad, another woman to compete for his dads attention or conversation.

Middle son could care less lol

The grandbabies feel like they are mine but I still miss the biological ones big time. I miss staying up all night and talking with my oldest kid, I miss my youngest's hugs. Heck I even miss his bitchy wife sometimes. lol

The friend issue is so unresolved. I've never had so few friends outside family. It feels unreal but I think it's a tough thing to make and keep friends in this situation other than job place friends. #1 comes close to being like a friend and a sister. #2 doesn't understand that if all she lives and breathes for is hubby than how can we be like sisters or best friends? Does anyone else find that kind of thing troublesome to them in their plural marriage?
Don't get me wrong, out of everyone I am closest to hubby and love him to death..but I'm used to having gfs to confide in, shop with, even watch tv with, have a glass of wine and be girly with.

Ah, the Holidays. They get you thinking and sometimes even a bit melancholy. But we can't live without them.

Compromises

In other places I have written about compromising. To me it is the number 1 negative in a plural marriage even above sharing.
Some one recently wrote in their polygamy blog that they hate living with cats!! Oh did I so relate!
I hope you all don't get tired of reading about compromising because I am fixated on it. As a plural wife, compromising is a huge part of my life and I have to assume with most plural wives.

Whether it's living with cats, dogs, turtles or ferrets...
What color to paint the bathroom...
Where to hang the new hammock in the yard...
Or cleanliness standards...
Compromising is a pain, and a constant reminder that it's not your nest. If nothing else.

I guess if everyone had their own house like on HBO's Big Love, it might be simpler. But no matter what, so much time is spent together, at least in our marriage, and then of course there are the inevitable compromises in the schedule - if there is a schedule. We have one, I highly recommend it.

Compromising so much puts a lump in my throat, is that childish? That's the way I'm feeling tonight, sort of childish and selfish.

#2 here does the least compromising. I always wanted to be one of those girls in high school who has things under control "one way or another." She's one of those girls and I'll be damned but I will figure out one day how she does it.
#1 is total sacrifice and compromise. Makes me sad some days.
Me- I am not sure where I'm at on it cept I don't like it. It was really hard moving in to someone else's house though. I want to take the whole kitchen and rearrange every last thing so stuff is where I need it when I cook. Hubby says I will do that one day and to just be patient. It bothers him that I get sad about compromising, but I can't help it. This is all still very new.