Is this really my job?

I get it, the whole help-meet thing.  But really,all of the real estate ad reading,  all of the phone calls to prospective land lords, all of the appointment making, all of the child-care arrangements, all of the packing....  Tonight I'm even going by myself to meet a complete stranger (a man) to look at an apartment while Steve works. 

   

Steve works tonight, he works tomorrow, he'll be working at my parents' house on Sunday, he works Monday, and Tuesday he leaves for Baltimore. 

   

When are we supposed to go apartment hunting?????? 

   

Now, I understand, it's not like he's out partying.  He's working.  I'm sure he'd much rather be able to come with me.  I'm just feeling this huge pressure, like it's MY job to provide us with a home.  I mean, if I just sit back and say, "Okay, honey, when you have time to look at the ads and make the appointments, then we'll go."  We will be homeless in 28 days if I do this!  Isn't it a "man-job" to provide housing for his family? 

   

I'm probably just freaked out at the idea of meeting this strange guy to look at an apartment.  My mom could come with me, but we'd have to drag the 3 kids with us, so I think I'll just have her watch them, and I'll go. (She will, of course, have the name & # of the guy, plus my cell phone # and the address where I'll be.) 

   

There's the added frustration of, even if I love the apartment, I can't make the decision on it until Steve sees it!  So I'm doing all of this legwork, and then he has to see it anyway.   

   

Sigh, I hate feeling like this (cranky, aggravated with Steve).  The pressure is just getting to me.  I mean, we're down to calling on 2 BR apartments, which we'll have to squish into.  But we can't afford the really nice apartments.  And of course, the landlords of 2BR places are going to be like, "You have 3 kids?".  One lady already said the place would be too small, and didn't offer to show us the apartment. 

   

On a bright note? the man who showed us a 3BR called to talk to my dad today.  (He doesn't know that my dad is my landlord.)  My mom said she would have my dad call back tonight, or maybe she would call the guy.  I have to remember to tell her that we didn't disclose our close relationship!  But at least the guy liked us enough to call our landlord.  That's positive, right? 

   

And the new Pride & Prejudice is out on DVD, so if I make it through this rental viewing alive, I can reward myself with a new movie!