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    "I used to fear this life, this suburban mortgage and white fence and a baby on my hip. I want more, I used to think. I wanted Spain and novels and wild loves and adventures.

    I met your dad and instantly wanted you."

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Tuesday, February 02, 2010

House husband

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.

Posted at 12:24 PM in Adulthood, All About Me, Kyle, Mike, Parenthood, Pop Culture |

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Comments

TUWABVB

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

rebecca

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

Jess

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

Elizabeth

Um, your husband making fondant and watching Ellen is KILLING me.

Posted by: Elizabeth | Tuesday, February 02, 2010 at 02:01 PM

She Likes Purple

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

Kristie

That is so cute. I love Ellen, too!

Posted by: Kristie | Tuesday, February 02, 2010 at 02:05 PM

Mrs. D

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

Heather

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

-R-

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

Vos

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

NGS

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

Jessica

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

Erin (Snarke)

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

Kristinblakely

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

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My Very Grand 2012 To-Do List

  • 1. Create a business plan for the 5K I'd like to organize.
    2. Finally buy those investment jeans.
    3. Get brave with a new hair color.
    4. Read all my book club selections.
    5. Make Kyle's baby blanket and book of letters.
    6. Take at least one yoga class a month.
    7. Make a neighborhood friend.
    8. Organize the upstairs work space.
    9. Go to the Fort Worth Modern Art Museum and eat lunch at Cafe Modern.
    10. Write and submit a piece on parenting.
    11. PR in every distance (5K, 10K, half-marathon).
    12. Get a third tattoo.
    13. Throw a baby shower.
    14. Take a trip with Mike, to celebrate our fifth anniversary.
    15. See a therapist.
    16. Update my SS card and passport.
    17. Make a general doctor's appointment.
    18. Go horseback riding.
    19. Decide what to do with my race bibs.
    20. Make these envelopes for thank you cards.
    21. Create and fill up a magical thinking jar.
    22. Paint some mason jars for our kitchen.
    23. Do something with the space above our couch.
    24. Create a nostalgia wall on the wall by our stairs.
    25. Sneak in cans of champagne to a chick flick with friends.
    26. Replace our kitchen counters.
    27. Have a garage sale and donate half the money to our local food bank.
    28. Create an address wreath for our front door.
    29. Paint our front door.
    30. Run at least 250 miles throughout the year.
    31. Find a charity that speaks to me, that I can become a voice for.
    32. Say something out loud every day.
    33. Go back to College Station.
    34. Pose for a boudoir session.
    35. Wear pretty new under things on New Year's Day.
    36. Enjoy Boston cream pie cupcakes.
    37. Host a more organized run at this year's Blathering.
    38. Take a family trip, even if it's just a weekend drive somewhere nearby.
    39. Hold Natalie's baby boy in the hospital.
    40. Create an Activities Advent Calendar for an early month in 2012.
    41. Create my Christmas Plan by November 1st.
    42. Create a media kit for my Lush sites.
    43. Replace our stockings for 2012.
    44. Buy a tree skirt.
    45. Go to kickboxing, at least five times.
    46. Sell 50 shirts through Cherry Jean.
    47. Finish the 6-week boot camp class I've already paid for.
    48. No phone or computer between 6 pm - Kyle's bedtime.
    49. Start marathon prep.
    50. Host a champagne-inspired dinner (champagne risotto, champagne cocktails, etc.)
    51. Do something with our front porch.
    52. Take Kyle on a night out of town, just us two.
    53. Eat at Salsa Fuego, in Fort Worth.
    54. Throw Mike a very rad 35th birthday party.
    55. Re-read To Kill a Mockingbird.
    56. Post on She Likes Purple at least 3x a week.
    57. Play poker.
    58. Volunteer at a race.
    59. Karaoke, at least once!
    60. Regularly work out the month of December.
    61. Write a fictional story (here, on paper, submitted, somehow).
    62. Hit send on a hard email.
    63. Host an outdoor movie night in our yard.
    64. Wear a swimsuit.
    65. Put a new pin in our wall map.
    66. Buy a great pair of impractical heels.
    67. See Beauty & the Beast in a theater, again.
    68. See the Nutcracker, Christmas season 2012.
    69. Run 15 miles, at some point.
    70. Get a new blender and food processor.
    71. Go to the ballet.
    72. Take professional family photos.
    73. Write a letter to Mike once a month.
    74. Do 10 real push-ups and one pull-up.
    75. Run 3 miles for my 30th birthday.
    76. Create an awesome headboard.