Life is full of ups and downs. The past couple weeks have left me tired and a bit run-down.

First, I've been really busy at work. We've had a lot of client projects in the past month, plus we're feverishly working on a new product which we plan to announce in a couple of weeks.

Add to that the fact that She Who Puts Up With Me is performing in a choir which leaves me flying solo with the kids one night each week and one day each weekend. This continues for another six weeks or so (but its only fair, since I have occasional business trips which take me out of town for several days at a time).

On top of that, She has been sick several days the past couple weeks, making it my responsibility to shuttle the kids around for five of the past seven weekdays.

Most of the time the kids are great, but let's face it: when they decide to get rambunctious, twin preschoolers plus a first-grader (all boys!) can wear you down fast.

Of course, this has been a rough time for She Who Puts Up With Me, too. There's nothing worse than being both really sick and really busy, and her company recently shipped a new product which means She has been just as busy at work as I've been. Maybe busier.

But I have a little recuperation fantasy. It goes something like this:

I arrive home one evening, and before I even have a chance to take off my shoes, She greets me with a warm kiss and says, "You've been taking care of the kids so much lately, why don't you let me take a turn tonight. Go do something fun, I'll make the kids dinner and put them to bed. You come back whenever you want."

Maybe I'd go window-shop at Ikea or Best Buy. Maybe I'd go upstairs and read a book, or out to the backyard to split firewood. Whatever. It doesn't really matter.

Then, after I get back from my evening by myself, She spontaneously gives me a nice shoulder and back rub after we turn the lights out to go to sleep.

The next morning the kids have mysteriously disappeared from the house overnight. After sleeping in a bit, she wakes me up by [doing something nice] while [dressed attractively]. From this point, the fantasy goes in a direction her Lutheran grandmother probably would not approve of, but frankly, it's none of her business.