Wake up call

So I have had an insane week this week.  We had a garage sale this weekend and I felt like I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off all week!  I was working in the garage getting everything set up, priced and organized.  Not to mention dealing with 4 crazy kids (I did let them have a break from school this week so I could focus more time on the garage sale set up).  Each night this week I feel into bed with not one more ounce of energy to left to give.  I was much shorter with my kids than normal.  I just wanted to die at the end of the day, not deal with anything or anyone else.  My body hurts, my brain hurts.. basically I was fried and just really stressed.  My husband made a comment a few times that my week this week is what his normal week looks like.  I brushed it off the first time he said it, like yeah right you just deal with clients all week.  But for some reason the second time he said it, it was like a wake up call to me (don't you love it when the Holy Spirit makes things clear to you in a way what you are like wow I've never seen it like that before).. anyway.  So when he was saying tonight that my week this week is like his normal week, it was like I finally saw his schedule through his eyes and felt horrible.  He works very hard all week.  I work hard at home, but my normal weeks are nothing like his normal week.  At worst I am stressed about our finances or our kids.  But he is with clients all day long dealing with all their crap and just the general stress of his job.  When he gets home, he just wants to do nothing.  I never understood that... until this week.  When I finally got the kids in bed, I simply wanted to do nothing.  I was too tired to even care about ANYTHING!  Not sure why I never saw how crazy his schedule is and how stressed he is.  I mean I know how many hours he works and how long his days are, because I know how long he is away from the kids and I.  But I guess what I never saw was how stressful his long hours were for him.  How hard he works and then wants to do nothing at the end of the day.  I don't even think he resents me for having the easier job (I am very blessed to be able to stay at home with our girls and homeschool them.) We have 4 great daughters and being with them all day is a true blessing.  They are kids though and being with them 24 hours a day can get stressful.  Sometimes I just want a break or another adult to help me with them.  I look to my husband for help and relief from the kids or the dog.  But I just realized how crazy that probably seems to him.  Compared to the week I had this last week and how hard I worked all week, my normal days are pretty easy.  I get up get enjoy some breakfast and coffee while the kids eat.  We start school sometime before 9 and it really only takes us a couple of hours to get done.  The kids have a snack and watch tv and I enjoy a second cup of coffee and relax on the computer for a bit.  Then i fix some lunch and clean up dishes from the morning.  I spend some time cleaning up from the day or doing laundry, but soon its time for the youngest 2 to take a nap so I have some more quiet time / down time before they get up.  Once the youngest two are up from their naps, they have snack time again and watch more tv.  I normally get dinner started / more laundry or clean up, but then after dinner once they are in bed I have even more down time.  Most of the time my husband is gone at work during all of that (and even longer some days).  When he gets home his day isn't even done, he still has to take notes on all his sessions and do a ton of paper work.  Plus his crazy wife normally has some task that I need help with or want him to help with something with the kids.  Not sure why that never seemed crazy to me until tonight.  Yes he is part of our family and I want him to be involved with our kids, but I am crazy to expect him to help with my with responsibilities when he gets home.  I think if he would have asked me to help him with something at the end of the day this week I would have snapped at him.  I was so tired and stressed getting the garage sale stuff ready.  Any way all that rambling is to basically say I finally saw how hard / long my husband works to provide for our family.  His just is insane and stressful.  But he does it for us.  He works hard so I can be at home with our girls.  That is something very important to both of us.  But I need to put a lot more effort into working to help his life be easier, not trying to get him to help me make my life easier.  I know he wants me to be home with the kids.  So its not that he is upset at all that I have the easier job.  I just think he gets upset that I don't realize that I have the easier job.  I finally understand that I truly do have the easier job / schedule.  I know I should have realized this earlier, but better late than never.  I am very thankful that the Holy Spirit finally made this very clear to me (sometimes I have a pretty thick head), and pray that I can remember this week I had and try to be more understanding / helpful to my husband.  I love him a lot and fear that I take him for granted way to often.