Housework: United We Stand - Together Gets it Done Quicker

Housework - the word alone makes me cringe. Maintaining a home is work and it's a thankless job that's never really completed.  Just when the overflowing hamper is finally emptied,  dirty laundry is getting tossed  in. Is it me, or does it seem as if the dirty clothes mate and multiply in that hamper?   Maybe that's why we "separate" the laundry. With 3 kids, 2 cats and a dog our house doesn't stay clean for very long.  Our cats have impeccable timing - they wait for the floors to be clean before feeling the need to cough up a hairball.   We vacuum up enough pet hair in a week to start our own business making kitty wigs for hairless cats.  We don't have dust bunnies - they're more like dust tumble weeds.
Carol Brady had it made.  The Brady's were a middle class family with a stay-at-home mom AND a full time, live-in maid. Seriously?  That's about as realistic as me giving up shoe shopping.  Did we grow up watching that nonsense? I need an Alice! We all need an Alice! With 6 kids, Mr. and Mrs. Brady and pets, Alice needed an Alice! It appeared that all Carol did was sew on a few buttons and help out in the kitchen.  With 3 kids in college we cannot justify hiring someone to clean house once a week - especially since it only stays clean for 15 minutes.  We'd rather do the job ourselves and save that money for dinner out or a weekend away.
Weekends are short.  So, our time off is precious to both of us. When it's time to clean, Matt and I divide and conquer. He's better at doing the floors than I am.  The nurse in me needs to hose down the kitchen and bathrooms killing any possible virus or bacteria that may be lurking around. We take turns cooking and cleaning up after meals.   If we divide and conquer, neither of us feels the work load is unfair and we get it done in half the time, thus leaving us with more play time.  When the kids were little we asked that they help out making them aware that with their help, the work gets done faster - ultimately getting them to the soccer field sooner. They grew up in a home that lacked sexist roles. Now that they are older, they do their own laundry, they are capable of cooking and keeping their own space clean.  Teens and clean - a bit of an anomaly, wouldn't you say?
Since Matt and I share the cooking responsibilities, it only makes sense that we grocery shop together.  We both have a say on what goes in the cart and ends up on our table.  We actually have fun shopping together. We enjoy each other's company, so for us, shopping is another opportunity to spend time together.  We spend too much time apart during the work week, so we choose to spend as much time together as possible on the weekends.  I am lucky enough to be married to my best friend. 
I imagine some may find our marriage nauseating, but it works for us.  Share and share alike - even when it applies to the drudgery of chores and errands that cannot be neglected.  Our marriage and home is happier when we work and play together - whether it's coping with a family crisis, sweeping up tumble weeds or cheering on our children at their games.  For better or for worse....I thank God we're in it together!