Quiet please!

Today I felt like the grinch. The part where he is thinking about all the little Who boys and girls on Christmas morning. "One thing I can't stand is the noise, noise, noise, noise!" I can't think with all this noise around here. Today we went grocery shopping and on each trip I have to tell Torii to be quiet for a minute so I can think about what I am doing. I can't look at my list to figure out what I'm missing and listen to him at the same time. It's so frustrating to have a list and still not come home with everything on it. Then this evening I made the cake for Rion's birthday party tomorrow and was able to mess up the easiest cake recipe on the planet. Of course Torii was right there next to me as I tried to make the cake. Then Rion would come into the kitchen to make it even worse. So I was trying to read the recipe and in my left ear is Torii talking about helping pour the ingredients in the bowl and in my right ear is Rion telling me about his computer game. And the boys have no volume control so it's really loud. I literally could not hear myself think. So we ate part of my mistake cake tonight and now I have to make another one in the morning.

Torii's heaven

Today I had an all day meeting in Bismarck and went to lunch with some of my co-workers. We decided on the north Wendy's. Every time I'm up in that area it seems like something new is being built. Right next to Wendy's they were working on a building and like an idiot I couldn't figure out what it was. Finally someone told me it's the new Hooters. Duh, it's only one of the biggest topics around town lately. So a couple of us agreed that we would go check it out, just to check it out, sometime. I figured with three guys in the family, I would probably be forced to dine there someday anyway. Then I started to laugh. I had an image of our family eating at Hooters. I could see Torii sitting there, "I like that girl, and that girl and that girl....."

A quick stop

Last Friday Rion turned five so I let him pick out a DQ cake for his special day. We got there just after they opened and were the only ones in the parking lot. Cordelia had fallen asleep so I decided to leave her in the car while we quickly got a cake. Besides, I didn't know how I would carry her and the cake back out to the car. I have never ever left a child in the car until then. This was going to be a quick stop so I made the decision to keep her put. I would be able to see the car the whole time, and this was going to be quick so it was ok. I locked the car and went inside. We hadn't even made it to the freezer case when five people walked in the side door. It took Rion all of five seconds to spot the Spiderman cake he wanted, but by then it was too late. We stood in line behind five people who were asking questions and didn't know what they wanted. My quick trip was starting to stress me out. When we walked in, I noticed a DQ employee outside picking up garbage. Did he look like the kind of person who would break into a car and kidnap a baby? I kept looking outside. Surely, she has woken up now and noticed she is completely alone. She is probably outside screaming for all to her. Any second now a couple will walk in and announce, "Someone left a baby in that car out there. Who would do that?" Then the police will be called and I'll be charged with neglect and child endangerment. Then it will make the newspaper, because nothing else happens here. Since this is a small enough city everyone will know who I am and I will forever get icy stares at the grocery store. Maybe I looked a little panicked because the cashier was trying to help me before the other people were even done paying. We got out of there and everything was ok. Cordelia never knew we were gone, but next time I'll just bring the birthday kid with.

A real challenge is being a mom

I used to watch MTV and really loved the Real World, Road Rules Challenges. I very rarely watch MTV anymore, but recently saw a new challenge was on so I tuned in for lack of anything else on. I've always liked the challenges, because they come up with the craziest competitions and I want to try them out myself. I still like the challenges, but all the "extra circulars" were disturbing me this time. When they aren't doing challenges the cast is seen drinking a lot and "hooking up" with someone else. The whole time I kept thinking, "what do their mothers think about this?" I wonder if their mothers do watch the show. Does CT's mom just shrug when he is shown drunk and acting like an idiot? "Oh that's just CT," she might say. Or is she really embarrassed by his behavior? I would hate to run into someone at the grocery store and have to field questions about what my son is doing these days. Does she give the truth, "my son is on a reality TV show where he gets drunk a lot, starts arguments, has intimate relationships and when he isn't doing any of that participates in a competitive challenge." Or does she kind of lie and says, "Oh, he's still trying to figure out what makes him happy in life." Or does she straight out lie and say, "he's in real estate." Once my kids move out of the house, I will support whatever they decide to do, but it doesn't mean I have to like it. I do have a list of things I hope they don't do. Add reality TV star to the list.

My birthday boy

I can't believe Rion will be 5 tomorrow! Technically, in about an hour he'll offically be five since he was born shortly after midnight.

I just got done wrapping his presents. I know I still have to wrap the gift Fred got him and I'm not quite sure I got all the ones I bought him. I had them hidden in three different spots. I did find a Thomas the train I had hid for Christmas. Oh well, it's a birthday gift now. For Rion I always check out the after Christmas clearance for his birthday. I'm not one to pass up a good deal so every once in awhile I would find something and pick it up. Boys have such cool toys, I can't resist. Now it's the day before Rion's birthday and I'm not sure exactly what I bought. I know, that's awful. I feel like there was one more present, but I'm not sure what. Maybe I'll find it when I'm getting ready for Torii's birthday.

Sweet Sweet Irony

A couple of months ago I was wondering why in the world I even owned an iron. I'd be more likely to use it as a paperweight than to smooth out wrinkles on clothes. I really hate to iron, therefore, I don't. If the dryer doesn't get out the wrinkles then I either try it on one more spin in the dryer or just don't wear it. Fred has a closet full of nice wrinkly dress shirts. If he is waiting for them to get ironed, he has a long time to wait. So I find it extremely funny that I have created a business where I use iron ons for the clothes. I can't help but think about the irony each time I apply an image to a onesie. I guess the difference is that I plan on making some money off of this type of ironing. If I got paid to iron Fred's shirts? Well, he'd have a closet full of perfectly pressed shirts. And the pants to match.

Pretty funny for a drama

I've become addicted to the show Mad Men. I was lucky enough to catch it in reruns starting at the first episode. Fred likes it too. I think it might be the only TV show we have both liked. Although I think I am getting him hooked on Two and a Half Men. Anyway, back to Mad Men. If you haven't watch it you have to. It takes place in 1960 and explores the relationship of men and women in the workplace and at home. I especially like the at home issues because it's kind of fun to compare it to our lives now. The main character is married and has two young kids. Here's some of my favorite parts from the show so far:

-The mother was driving and of course the kids weren't in seat belts. The boy (of course it wasn't the girl) was playing in the car and hopping from the back seat to the front to the back again. I'm so glad my kids are strapped in. Besides the obvious safety issue, I can barely drive when the kids are screaming at each other. How would I drive if they were climbing around in the car too?

-At home the kids were playing and the girl comes into the kitchen with a big plastic bag over her head. The mother looks at her and says, "If my dry cleaning is laying on the floor you are going to be in big trouble." It shouldn't be funny, but it is.

-The mom is also in therapy and her husband calls the therapist to check on the progress. The therapist tells the husband everything the wife has been saying in her sessions. Can you imagine? Anyway, this last episode the therapist says the wife talks about being overwhelmed about running a household (she complains about the same things moms complain about today so that hasn't changed) and to him all her gripes are petty. "It's like dealing with a child," he says.

-During a birthday party the mom tells her husband to get the video recorder. She says something about buying it and never using it, it just collects dust. So that hasn't changed either. We still haven't gone through the three blank tapes we bought when we first bought our video camera four years ago.

I'm in love with this show. The men are crude towards women, but it's a fantizing look at the way it once was.