Ten Minutes and Ten Spankings

So my husband continues to explore his inner DD manual, and I don't exactly appreciate the changes sometimes. Like about this issue.

Apparently Jay has had it up to the tip of his hair with my much to be desired time management skills and procrastination. He's coming down hard on me. Yes, I mean that literally. Hard. With wood. Eek.

***

Jay had just gotten home from work. We had some errands to run, and as usual, he sat down to watch TV, while waiting for me to get myself and our son ready to leave. Just then, our son began to let us know he was hungry, in no uncertain terms, so my efforts of getting out the door got suspended while he ate. And then that suspension continued-- after I got engrossed in the show I had been watching while he ate. Jay said nothing until the show was over. Then, while I was finally back to getting everything ready, I may have responded to what he said with a slight bit of attitude. I was just about ready to walk out the door (so I thought), when he suddenly took me by the hand, and led me into our bedroom to talk.

I don't like being led into our bedroom like that, because it usually means I'm in trouble. I breathed a sigh of relief, therefore, that this was just to be normal talking, while we lounged on our bed for a moment. We talked about some logistical issues we had, including something that was bothering me, which was my reason for my poor response to him. When all was set right, Jay reiterated that we really needed to leave soon. I told him I was ready.

"You're sure!" he emphasized, drawing the words out.

"Yes!" I responded, with righteous indignation. To even think he'd doubt my word!

He studied me skeptically. "Good," he said finally. "Because if you're not out that door in exactly ten minutes, you're getting ten spankings."

I had to smile. He uses the words "spankings" for "swats" sometimes. I quelled the desire to say something decidedly smartass. "You mean swats," I finally corrected him, still smiling a little.

"No, I mean spankings." I stared at him. He wasn't smiling at all. The alien matter-of-fact words coming out of my sweet husband's mouth continued. "Ten swats with the paddle each, to be carried out over the next ten days. I'm tired of waiting for you all the time, and it's going to stop NOW."

I'm sure my eyes got as big as saucers. This was not my Jay! He'd never suggest something like this! I searched for signs of teasing. Nope. He looked every bit the part of a serious HOH.

"You'd better get moving," he said.

I had a choice. An easy one, right? Yeah, I'm pretty sure I know what you would have done in this situation. You would have bounded out the door with eight minutes to spare. Good for you. Me, well, I'm a complicated creature. I don't like warnings or ultimatums. In fact, I tend to see them as a challenge. A dare. It's a blow to my pride to give in. Call me crazy, I take no offense. But that's how I often see things.

What's more, I didn't completely believe what I was hearing. This was the same guy who told me he was instituting a schedule for me to be up and eat by certain times, or get spanked for each infraction every day. And don't get me wrong, I've been working on doing that because I know I should, and because I do get in trouble for it at his discretion. But the consistency thing for messing up lasted, what, one day? Two days tops?

So I saw this as simply a tactic Jay had decided to use to scare me, and really wanted to call his bluff. I know, I know, I ask for help on certain issues, he tries to help me, and this is how I respond. I can't figure me out either. And yes, I feel sorry for my husband having to deal with someone as stubborn as me, too.

Anyway, I knew if I actually said something about him bluffing, he'd feel bound to follow through on his word. So I wisely resisted the urge to tell him that I know he's shoveling something stinky, and did finish getting really ready to go (as my husband knows, my definition of being ready to go, and the reality of being truly ready to just walk out the door are two very different things-I tend to remember a bunch of stuff only at the last minute). But the point is, I didn't overly rush. I did toward the end, but as you probably guessed, my last-ditched efforts weren't good enough, and I was over a minute late. Oops.

***

So...as well as new rules I'm not hugely a fan of, I'm facing a paddling for the next ten days, right when he gets in the door. Now to some of you with an iron butt, ten swats may not be that big of a deal. But that mahogany wood paddle he made hurts! And I have a pain tolerance I think worse than my infant son (he was over crying about three shots within 30 seconds, whereas I've whined about a single hepatitis shot hurting for hours!). So for me, this is going to be quite difficult to take. Not to mention that I still get paddled additionally for whatever infractions I committed during the day right before bed.

Yup, over the next two weeks, I'm going to very sore, and very much on my best behavior (I hope!). And yes, I realize I fully earned this. I realize I have to get better about time management and procrastination. Not to mention about my stubbornness in challenging him, which was SO not a smart idea!

Right now, I have the fun task of getting myself in the frame of mind to submit to this spanking, and to his new stance on things. I've got less than an hour until he gets home, for Round #1. I'm not smiling right now, and I'm trying hard not to beat myself up for getting in this predicament. I'm praying that I can keep the right mindset, and actually learn something from this. And that's besides learning a new respect for him, in spite of myself, knowing that he's willing to follow through, and do whatever it takes. I do know it would change my life, if I could just learn to use time wisely.  So I'm willing to go through this. I'm tired of frustrating him, and I'm definitely tired of frustrating myself. This will help me become a better wife and mother, right? It's just that the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak...

And I wish my stubbornness would let me take a different road to learn this! Arrrghhh!