One of the biggest things Mike and I disagree about is getting up with the kids. Its not who will get up really, because we have a system, but how fast. I can just jump out of bed almost as soon as I wake up, but that is not the case for Mike. So, on his scheduled morning, like today, he wants to let them wait while he wakes up. Natalie is sitting alone in the dark in the living room and William is crying; this is an extreme case, but what happened today. It seems silly to let them do that when I'm awake. Mike just has a hard time getting up fast; it has nothing to do with wanting them to wait, though he is much better at making them wait to get his own needs met, something I struggle with. So, I offer to get up, then come back to bed and he gets angry that he isn't fast enough for me. In fact, him not doing what I think needs to be done right away and him getting annoyed when I do it myself is common. That as a whole is more about me needing to respond to them quickly, which I'm sure is because I'm home with them all day. The root of a lot of my coflict with the kids is me wanting to get a little time to just do something I want. I have a hard time not responding when Natalie speaks to me or pick William up when he's pounding on my shins, which, for example, is a hinderence to talking on the phone and peeling potatoes, respectively.

The way we spend our time with them can be really different, too. In the morning, I jump right into what needs to be done: breakfast (including clean up) and getting them dressed (to get Natalie's pull up off and William's diaper changed). I'm also more likely to do something structured with them, like painting, going somewhere, taking out a particular toy. Mike's always been good at getting chores (especially cooking and laundry) done when watching both kids, whereas I had to learn it.