Evan's Ice Cream Shoppe

Eirik and I have big dreams for our kids someday. We don't care if they're doctors or lawyers, but we would love them to be entrepreneurs!

I took the kids to the park the other day. There is a bench with a window. Evan sat on the bench and decided he would open up his own business called, "Evan's Ice Cream Shoppe." He told his little brother Eithan that he was supposed to get the customers. Three-year-old Eithan went around to all of the kids at the park and said, "You've got to get some ice cream at Evan's Ice Cream Shoppe."
Evan then told the kids that the ice cream was $10 each. That's my boy, way to put a premium on your product! When Eithan tried to help sell ice cream, Evan said, "No, Eithan. You get the customers!" When it was time to go, Evan found a girl to "work" at the shoppe. "I've got a helper, we can go now," he said.

I had to immediately call Eirik. I knew he would be so proud of his boys. As parents, we thought about Evan running the operations and Eithan in charge of sales with a real business of their own someday. We can only hope that they are entrepreneurial-minded and never rely on someone else's business for their livelihood.

Das Pukenshit Haus

There are many days in my life since becoming a mom that I felt like I was living in Das Pukenshit Haus. Today was one of those days! My mom babysat last night and slept over. It was a wonderful Sunday morning, and a rare day where I got to sleep in late as Nana got up with the baby. I lazily strolled downstairs to learn that the baby had diarrhea and she was giving her a bottle of water. Whew, I got out of this one! That is until six hours later when I found the diarrhea diaper still sitting on the changing table, breathing in the open air. Gotta love that smell! Then I noticed my cat, who has a strange fixation with eating balloon strings, had regurgitated it and was eating the leftovers as a snack! Top that off with my three-year-old, who seems to have forgotten show to do number two on the potty. The evening ended with his second bath of the day, thankfully from his very wonderful dad, who did his best to remove the poop that was all over his third change of clothes. Yes, it's glamorous being the Supermom in Das Pukenshit Haus!

Too Tired for Coffee

This morning, after a 6 a.m. awakening with my slightly feverish 10-month old daughter, I was looking around my kitchen knowing I had to do something that is part of my morning routine, but what was it? Oh yeah, make coffee. You know you're tired when you're too tired to remember to make coffee!

Yesterday I came down with one of those terrible summer colds, and unfortunately my daughter had it too. I decided to have a rare "home" day, but like other Supermom's out there, it consisted of baking cookies, playing outside, making homemade barrettes, putting away five loads of laundry, working on my book, attending a faculty meeting, grading papers, doing dishes, making lunches, letting in the drywall guy, cleaning up my three-year-old's poop, etc., etc., etc. Let's face it, there's no such thing as a sick day for a mom!

Ouch, Stitches!!!

Oh no, not Eithan again! My poor little guy (3) has been in the hospital so many times, but this time it was for stitches.

Grandpa was babysitting and had given him a bath. He then went running full blast on the bathroom floor, slipped and split his chin open on the ceramic tub. Grandpa didn't see any reason to call me and let me know.

When I came home from a session with my therapist and a trip to the craft store, I asked why Eithan wasn't wearing a shirt and he said, "Because he bled all over it." After being home for about 15 minutes, my dad said, "You may want to look at his chin, I put a Band-Aid on it." I had my dad remove the bandage because it freaked me out, and I gasped when I saw the huge gape in his chin.

I then called the pediatricians office and was put on hold for an eternity..."There are four callers ahead of you..........." Arrghh! Finally, I got through to the nurse and she told me to bring him to the children's hospital.

Eithan said he wanted daddy, and my husband Eirik left work to meet us at the hospital. Eithan was such a brave little guy - he didn't even cry when the nurse gave him four stitches on his chin. He was very excited by the Popsicle and all of the stickers he received.

As for mom, I've had better days! There is nothing more heart-wrenching than seeing your child in pain.

Hold It!

The other day my son Eithan said he had to go potty. I told him, "Can't you just hold it?" He said, "No mommy, I can't find my pee pee to hold." Ahh, boys!