One thing I was not entirely prepared to hear when Mike began staying home during the week was this:
"So, on Ellen today..."
Mike thinks Ellen is fantastic, and he now knows who Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner are not from all those New Moon trailers or red carpet screams but because they were on Ellen. He didn't know who Helen Mirren is -- hey, if they weren't on the Discovery channel, they weren't on Mike's radar before -- but this year when he saw her on the Golden Globes, he was all, "SHE WAS ON ELLEN!" Yep, celebrities are now all famous because "they were on Ellen."
He also thinks Dennis Quaid is the funniest man on the planet because of this.
Then I came home one night to find him making fondant in our kitchen. Also making: a mess like you've never seen. He'd even visited a bakery supply store earlier in the day to stock up on tools and things.
He spent hours and days designing Kyle's birthday invites, which we of course fought over because if you're not a long-time reader you should know that when it comes to correspondence, my husband and I can seriously brawl.
He knows the pharmacy workers by name and the best local parks, too. He's getting good at this staying-home gig, and nothing proves that more than how much Kyle prefers him to me. I'd be pretty bummed about it if I didn't usually prefer Mike to myself, too.
Before you start feeling too jealous of the husband lottery I won, you should know he still saves the dishes for me to do each night.
Although he'd probably start tackling that chore if Ellen told him to.










You have to send a link of this post to Ellen - she's on Twitter. I bet she would write a short note responding for Mike to do the dishes! :) Or if you are shy, I'll totally do it!
http://twitter.com/TheEllenShow/
I'm so glad you guys have figured out the balance of things - you are both lucky, although I'd give my front tooth to come home to fondant some night. Or really, just less of a mess.
Posted by: TUWABVB | Tuesday, February 02, 2010 at 12:33 PM
Jason was a house husband during the winter for 2 years...there is definitely something to be said for coming home to a clean house and dinner.
Posted by: rebecca | Tuesday, February 02, 2010 at 12:37 PM
Um, I think you should contact Ellen and ask her to tell him just that. I bet she'd do it!
Posted by: Jess | Tuesday, February 02, 2010 at 12:43 PM
Um, your husband making fondant and watching Ellen is KILLING me.
Posted by: Elizabeth | Tuesday, February 02, 2010 at 02:01 PM
I was moved to tweet to Ellen. Feel free to re-tweet, if you guys want. I think Ellen speaking to Mike in any capacity would be the perfect Valentine's gift. For the next 10 years.
Posted by: She Likes Purple | Tuesday, February 02, 2010 at 02:01 PM
That is so cute. I love Ellen, too!
Posted by: Kristie | Tuesday, February 02, 2010 at 02:05 PM
What a cute cute post! I love it.
Fondant. That slays me. My husband is NOT a house husband, but he is a baking husband for which I feel really really lucky.
And by the way, Ellen is AWESOME. I hope she responds to your tweet!
Posted by: Mrs. D | Tuesday, February 02, 2010 at 02:59 PM
Fondant, huh? Mike's pretty entertaining.
I forgot to tell you in a previous post...congrats on the 8 pounds!
Posted by: Heather | Tuesday, February 02, 2010 at 08:29 PM
I love Ellen too. And I really love that all of Mike's pop culture references are now learned on Ellen.
Posted by: -R- | Tuesday, February 02, 2010 at 10:33 PM
Hooray for fondant! Measure twice, move once.. you only get one shot for non lumpy cake :)
Posted by: Vos | Wednesday, February 03, 2010 at 03:15 AM
Immediately send this to Ellen. So the deal about the dishes can make the show, you know?
Posted by: NGS | Wednesday, February 03, 2010 at 11:27 AM
So is Mike-staying-home a permanent deal? Is he still working part-time at all?
Posted by: Jessica | Wednesday, February 03, 2010 at 12:59 PM
I love Ellen too, though watching her show is a rarity.
I am in love with the idea of her turning to a camera and saying "oh yeah and Mike? Help your wife with the dishes!" That would be awesome!
Posted by: Erin (Snarke) | Thursday, February 04, 2010 at 02:35 AM
i just laughed out loud. and maybe teared up a little bit. i love ellen. and, well, i never get to watch it, but i was just on the phone with my mom and she was all "i've GOT to go. ellen is starting." and she hung up.
my mom's trick to get my dad to do the dishes is his constant complaint that she doesn't load the dishwasher right. so then he'll reload it. so enough times of doing it wrong and he doesn't want her to touch it at all.
i think you're going to have to get him a people magazine subscription next, by the way.
Posted by: Kristinblakely | Thursday, February 04, 2010 at 10:56 AM