A few people have mentioned that “The Nerd” doesn’t feature much on the blog. There isn’t any specific reason for that. It’s just a lot of Mac on the blog and I fill in the blanks with myself. But I couldn’t do it all alone. Right now, this blog is almost like my second full-time job. Andrew understands my passion and helps create the time and resources for me to work on it.

I have realized that having a supportive partner is the key to a strong family connection. Here are four qualities a great partnership has.

Balance

Many couples work well together because they balance each other out. I can do a lot of things, but not everything. I do a lot of the housework (mostly because I am very picky), but Andrew comes along to fill in the gaps. When I realized I had too much on my plate, Andrew took over making dinner. Andrew does a lot of the finances and bill-paying (because I technically only work part-time and I use my paycheck to pay off as much of my student loans as I can each month), but I come along to pick up the slack, namely taxes.

I am eternally optimistic, but Andrew keeps me grounded. When he worries unnecessarily, I come along to remind him that life goes on. Andrew tends to panic in an emergency situation, so my level-headedness comes in handy. While Andrew and I are alike in a lot of ways, we compliment each other in so many other ways.

Acceptance

As my blog title clearly states, I am quirky. That is a nice and polite way to say I am weird. And Andrew puts up with it. I start watching Halloween movies in August. And I start throwing some Christmas movies in the mix starting in October. I go through phases where I sing everything I say. I love to look at floor plans. Andrew accepts all of this and only occasionally laughs at me.

We accept each other without trying to change each other. It is important to find someone who will love all of you: the good, the bad, and the otherwise.

Also, if you’ve been a reader for a while, you know that Andrew has put up with a lot from my family. Not only are we all very quirky, we have Christmas at the casino, World War 3 erupts over baked potatoes, my poor mother has been through plenty of craziness, we get kicked out of townie bars, and we host snowman building competitions.

Solidness

In a family, everyone has to take turns being the solid one. Andrew had to stay strong during most of my pregnancy and when Mac was a newborn. I spent the first four months of my pregnancy sicker than a dog, but still having to basically crawl to work to watch six toddlers everyday. At the end of the day, I only had enough energy to lay on the couch and dictate the only food choice I could stomach for dinner. At the end of every work day, Andrew would wait for me to text my dinner order before running around town to grab it for me.

After Mac was born, we spent an entire week in and out of the doctor’s office to track and fix multiple issues, like jaundice and tongue tie. Even after the tongue tie was clipped, breast-feeding was horrible for a while as I healed. Andrew did everything he could to help me while I healed.

Communication

Believe it or not, Andrew and I have never had big fight. We have had plenty of arguments, but it never seems to escalate into a full-scale fight. That is because from the beginning of our relationship, we have always been incredibly open about our feelings. If I am getting annoyed with something, I tell him. If he doesn’t like something I said, he tells me. It is just that easy.

We also make it a point to have at least one good conversation each day. I’ve written before about how to have more pleasant family dinners. One of the things we do is talk about our day. Once Mac can talk a little more, we will encourage her to also chime in.

I am so lucky that I have Andrew by my side. Honestly, parenting has seemed like a breeze sometimes and I know that is because Andrew and I have such a great relationship.

So, what else would you add to this list?