This is such a common problem for us. Wagon Sr. always has good intentions but we have opposite working styles when it comes to doing things around the house. I like to delegate and take care of tasks separately with systems in place, and he'll leave things half-done all over the place to jump and help me with what I'm doing. Then I end up having to back and finish what he was in the process of doing.

For instance, I have certain things I've delegated to him, and there are certain things I forbid him to touch, such as laundry and cooking.

The other night I was cooking pasta and meatballs like I do every week. Since I have less than 30 mins to get dinner on the table and I've now done it so many times, I have it down to an exact science of when the water is boiling, when the sauce is simmering, etc. He knew I was tired and stressed so he came over and tried to help... usually I snap at him to just stay out of my way, but I always feel guilty since I know he's trying to help. He notices the water boiling cooking the pasta and says something like "wow, this is really boiling over" and I just kind of ignore him. A few minutes later the timer goes off and I go to strain the cooked pasta.... and realize he's turned the stove almost all the way off!!! The pasta has now no longer been boiling, but barely simmering for half the cooking time. It's hard and chewy and now I have to get it to boiling again and taste it every few minutes to see when it's done. I end up overcooking the pasta because I'm watching the sauce too (and in the meanwhile he's stirred the sauce saying something like "oh wow, this is gonna burn soon"). Dinner takes twice as long to prepare and I'm pissed that I've had to spend so much time in the kitchen making a meal I've made a million times.

Then after we put Wagon Jr. to bed, I notice all the other things that he could have been doing instead of getting in my way in the kitchen, such as cleaning up the crazy mess of toys Wagon Jr. was busy making while we were busy in the kitchen. The thing he DID end up doing, which was finish packing Wagon Jr.'s lunch, was done BUT he had left the bag of goldfish open on the counter and all the dishes are left in the sink, precariously placed in towers and completely dried and crusted, so that as soon as I turn the water on, they all come crashing down.

I know he means well, but I get so frustrated. I create systems for a reason... for things to run smoothly... I don't know how many more ways I can possibly say "just do what I tell you to do and stay out of my way when I'm doing my thing!"

Just one of those days....