Elisablog: I like Evan.

Sometimes I hate reading magazines geared towards women. It's not because of the constant beauty tips and how-to's (although, that is a giant reason). It's not because they're constantly making me feel bad for not feeling bad that I don't want to pay a bajillion dollars on clothes and decorations for my house (cause I don't). What really gets me upset, is how the editors and writers in these magazines assume that my husband and every other husband is an idiot and that I need to read their articles to learn how to make my "hubby" do what I want him to do without seeming like a bitch or a nag or a psycho.

And it's not just magazines. How many commercials are out there that depict the husband/father figure as a full blown idiot who either can't eat or drink without spilling bright red things all over the floor (paper towel commercials) or choose the correct food for the kids (all JIF commercials) or manage the children (most commercials with a family unit involved).

What really got me riled up about this was the Olympics. Every other commercial were these very heart warming scenes of moms taking their young kids to hockey practices or ice skating or talking about how saving money right now is their way of helping their kids achieve their dreams down the road. And while a few of them were cute and right on target, all of them--ALL OF THEM--ended with, "Thanks, Mom." Not, "Thanks Mom and Dad" or even a separate one that said, "Thanks, Dad". They were all geared towards moms.

So, who do you think that made Apollo Ono's dad feel? Cause he raised Apollo solo after he and his wife divorced. It was Apollo's dad who took him to practices, paid for those dangerously sharp speed skates, and has been in the stands cheering him on for 3 Olympics now.

I guess what gets me so riled up about this, is that I really like Evan.

A lot.

We've been together since high school (11 years in April), and while I could make a list of things that he does that make me roll my eyes and sigh impatiently, I won't. Why? Because #1.that's not very respectful of him and our relationship and #2.dude, I don't want him making a comment on this post about all of my flaws. That'd be embarrassing.

Evan and I are complete partners in parenting. Just because I'm the mom doesn't mean that I am the parenting leader. Evan is so natural at being a dad. We both knew that being male and female doesn't mean that there are different levels of parenting responsibilities. It's both of us, day in and day out, that are raising our girls. Now, that doesn't mean that we don't disagree on things or fight over who's the most tired and grumpy. Cause we do. But, I know that I can depend on him to being the strong one when the girls have beaten me down to a mommy-blob. And I have learned when Evan could use a break for a while, too.

I'm not out to start a women vs. men war. Every one of us make rude, sexist assumptions that are unfair and uncalled for. I realize that there are a lot of couples out there who do have problems maintaining balance in their relationships. I don't want to minimize their hardships.

I'm not wanting to say that there haven't been commercials where women are depicted as idiots. I've seen some of the old commercials (or, heck, even the new ones where the woman of the house is so in love with the new Swiffer Sweeper, because she's the woman and must clean all the floors. Um, in my house, that would be Evan who appreciates anything that cleans the floors better, not me).

I would just like to see a few more things in the media showing the husband/father figure in a caring, competent manner without the wife/mother figure behind him fixing all the things he did wrong.

Because, my husband? Well, I think he's fantastic and I definitely do not tell him that enough. I mean, if you had to deal with me and still managed to be sane, you'd be fantastic too.

Cause I totally make him play Yahtzee with me, even though he hates it.

And even though we disagree, we don't really fight.

He makes me laugh till I snort. And does little things to make me happy, like saving the last Diet Coke in the house for me or letting me read and ignore the world even though he'd rather be talking my ear off.