Control

It's a power struggle. Who has the most control. Who controls the important things. Who controls the most things. The scales will never be in balance. I like to be in control. I may not be able to control the things that go on around me, but in my little world I like to be in charge, The Big Cheese, The Head Honcho, The Big Dog. When hubby is home, 9 times out of 10 he is pefectly content to let me handle the daily grind. I take care of the kids and choose their schools. I coordinate the family activities. Most importantly, I am the keeper of the checkbook. Granted, we do make our purchase descions together, but the typical conversation goes like this.

Hubby: "Hey Wifey, I want to go to the store and get such and such. How much money do we have?"

Wifey: "I don't know; how much do you need."

Hubby: "Maybe $20 or so"

Wifey: "Let me check the checkbook."

I then get on the computer and check our online balance versus our checkbook ledger and make sure everything balances. Hubby hovers behind me.

Wifey: (muttering under breath) "You know I really hate it when you do that." (normal tone of voice now) "Yeah, we're good. Just don't spend more than X-amount of dollars."

Probably not the most fair way to do things, but it works for us.

So why is it that when Hubby is home he is so laid back about letting me handle the finances but when he is in the desert he almost obsessively checks our bank account and grills me on every little thing that is in it. Get a clue honey! You don't control the finances when you are home, what makes you think that you can control it when you are 7500 miles away!!! I say this full of love, of course.