Hello ApisMellifera, that does sound like an awkward problem, which could be so much easier with the support of your wife, but essentially will probably motivate you even more to succeed with lucid dreaming.

I get the impression from reading so far that a pyshical dream journal will not go down well. I personally find a dream journal essential if you want to LD regularly, trying to remember dreams in my head is not only more challenging but after a couple of days have passed they will probably be virtually gone from memory. This doesnt mean though you won't have more luck recording your dreams mentally than I.

A method I would suggest however is using your phone as a dream journal. Either just typing a few important bits down in the Notes section, or downloading one of the apps. The apps are very similar to a notepad really. You can just jot down a few bits from memory when you first wake, then when you are alone with a bit more time you can edit your memories into more of a story. Add in the descriptive bits, and try and mention the senses, what you saw, and how things felt. Not only is this better for your recall, its also nice to come back every so often and see all your dream stories stored in one place.

Anyway I hope there is a few bits to think about for you there, any questions just ask away. Best of luck