Extra-large roach motel, please

"Hi Honey! Welcome home! Did you happen to bring home dinner?"
     "...no, sorry, I just finished class and I'm pooped."

"I haven't sat down all day. I've cleaned, done laundry and changed 20 diapers... how in the world are you tired?" 
                "I haven't sat down either! I've been on my feet teaching all day. Can I please just relax for a while? I've been outside all day."
                        "At least you get to go out. I've been stuck inside for 3 days!"

"I don't want take-out again for dinner, can we please cook at home tonight?"
             "I don't have time to cook! I still have to sweep, vacuum and then clean yesterday's dishes."
"Can't you cook dinner this time?"
              "No, I still have to plan all my lessons for next week, handle the bank accounts, fill out our health insurance information and apply for business visas."

"You have no idea how hard it is to keep this house in order and still make dinner, you shouldn't be so tired that you can't pick up dinner."
"You have no idea how hard my job is, either."
"My job is so much harder than yours, you have no idea."
"No, MY job is harder."
"No, MY job is harder!"

You get the idea. 

Here's the problem.

I know I'm wrong.

I know his job is as equally if not harder than mine.  I don't finish all the house-wifery things and go take over his classes.  But he does finish his teaching job and still come home to prepare Jo's bottle, wash the dishes, do a few loads of laundry, take out the trash, go to the store etc etc etc.  I'm basically married to superman.

But doggarn it if I don't pitch a fit when he leaves a coke bottle on the coffee table after dinner.

It's like a disease, and now he's catching it.  We've both picked up on each others habits (good and bad), and now... he's caught the nagger-bug.  I noticed it the other day when he pointed out something simple I had done wrong... it was shocking because it is not like him to harp on the little things.

And then it hit me:

It's contagious. I gave it to him.  I've created a monster.  This monster lives quite happily my house because he lives off of ungratefulness and there is plenty of that here.  He lives in my mouth, and when I nagnagnag he *pling* shoots out of me and lives in Scott for a while. 

And we trade this nasty monster all.day.long.

 I don't think this monster snuck in out of nowhere... I just think he's always been there but was too small to notice.  Now he's like Godzilla-size, so a little roach motel can't kill it.

Let the advice-giving commence!  Tell me:  what kills this roachish-Godzilla-nag-monster?




On a completely different subject, I enjoy making up words.  I was inspired by "Ramona and Beezus"'s terrifical movie.  The words I made up in this post were:  wifery and roachish. Just in case you're keeping track.