Rachell is Awesome

Friday –August 17, 2012

(written by Andrew)

Rachell is the perfect mother and spouse.  Her instincts for both are incredible.  She keeps the rest of us (me and the kids) grounded, safe, happy, and healthy.  As a mother, she knows just what to say when.  She also knows how to put me in my place.

I have the tendency to get stressed when things are not going according to plan.   

When traveling with children, nothing goes according to plan.  Rachell rolls with the punches and keeps things flowing nicely.  As we rushed to get to the train station on Friday afternoon, we were faced with whiny children who apparently broke their arms and legs sometime during our request for them to carry their backpacks.  We were annoyed and didn’t have time to argue.  There were tears and fits by Denali especially.  I started to get irrational and upset so I was ordering Denali around and demanding she do or not do certain things. 

She stepped onto a platform by the road and I went ballistic telling her she cannot step on something like that.  Denali, with tears in her eyes, looked up to Rachell for comfort and shielding from the scary frustrated Daddy who lost his mind in the midst of Aberdeen rush hour traffic and train timetables.  Instead, Rachell said, “You heard your dad!  Stay off that step, NOW!”

I love that she backed me up and presented a unified, consistent parenting front.  It was perfect.

What makes her such a great spouse is her ability to keep that moment in her mind and confront me later after the kids were asleep.  She said, “You know I want to back you up on parenting issues and be a team…but sometimes you’re just wrong.”  She was completely right.  She said she almost laughed at herself trying to maintain some ridiculously arbitrary line I had established in the sand.  She told me to relax more and not worry so much.

Brilliant woman.   

Absolutely brilliant.