It might be time for my husband to get a job.  

Might?  I think it's time.

He had what I like to call (with sweet affection, of course) his Jerry Maguire moment about two weeks ago.  He left a job without one waiting.  Yep.  Since, he's been searching for work, resting, and kickin' it with me and our kids.  It's been nice, actually.  

But the honeymoon might be over.  Not that I'm sick of him. Or, that the kids are done -- because they are even more obsessed with him now than before.  But, he's getting a jobless man's version of cabin fever.  There needs to be a term for that.  (note to self -- make up a new, important word for the world to use....)

He was "bored" on Saturday -- so he built a sandbox.  I upped the ante and asked that he put in a permanent lemonade stand, too, so little Josie could pretend waitress in the backyard.  

Done and done.  

He dug out half of the rock under our deck.  He poured 30 bags of sand inside the enclosed area. He went a little crazy with the hooks, but now each shovel, rake and bucket has its own spot.  He found little bubble blowers shaped like ice cream cones and popsicles.  He found watermelon-patterned fabric for an awning.

This is my husband.  A man who appreciates the details -- which no doubt comes from his mother, a member of the Martha Stewart nation.

And, now we play this game.  Josie gets behind the counter and asks "What do you want?"  Dominic was her first customer.  He wanted a mint cone.  Poor guy didn't know it was pretend.  He didn't care, either.

Too bad millions of people don't need highly-detailed sandboxes built.  Joe would have a job. He'd "pimp your box..."  He'd have his own show.  If Ty Pennington could do it......

On the surface, it looks like my children enjoy beer.

Of course, they don't.  Who do you think I am?  Some Jerry Springer cast-off?  An episode of Cops?

For one reason or another, both Josie and Dominic have taken, early on, to beer bottles.  Josie always grabbed the bottle from our hands.  No small talk -- just give me the bottle.  She wouldn't do anything.  She's just have her hand on it.  Now she's a huge fan of tossing them into the recycling bin, or sitting on the 12-pack in the grocery cart.

Wow -- this is totally starting to sound Jerry Springer-ish.  

Dominic is working hard on his first tooth.  For months this kid has been drooling like a St. Bernard.  Soaking shirts.  Spitting.  Just straight dripping.  

Tonight he decided his teether would be the cold bottle holding my Miller Lite.  And when it was "my turn" to have a drink (I had to pry his Kung-Fu grip off the bottle) -- he let me have it. Big, fat tears.  Screams.

So, I had to give him back his beer bottle.  Right?  Any good mom wants to stop her child from crying.

I guess the only question is whether it's CPS-worthy to allow my child to teethe on a cold, empty beer bottle?  Or, is it just trashy?  Or, is it simply giving my little kiddo options?  

I'm going with number three.

I was exposed yesterday.

One of my closest friends had a baby about a week ago, and we're all chipping in by bringing over meals for a while, offering to help with her two other children, etc. until she's back up and running.

It was my day to deliver food.  I know her husband is a "meat and potatoes" guy, so I whipped up meatloaf, baked potatoes, a salad for everyone but the husband (by "whipped up" I mean I bought a salad kit and dropped it off), and I tossed in some fresh baked cookies.  

Don't be too impressed, I told her husband, they're break-n-bake.

"What's that?" he said.

OMG. Really? What's break-n-bake?  Only one of the best inventions in the world.  This man's wife only makes stuff from scratch?  I knew she was a good cook and enjoyed baking...but break-n-bakes are a lifesaver. They're a staple.  

It reminds me of a recent visit to my grandparents, who live on a farm in Michigan and had never in their lives (they're both 80) eaten store-bought garlic bread.  NEVER.  Never popped in a loaf of frozen Mama Bella bread.  EVER. Blew my little mind.

Back to the cookies...

The cheapo that I am, I tried out a Kroger brand package of Snickerdoodle (for which I've never before seen in break-n-bake but was likely inappropriately overjoyed about) and they were awesome!

They tasted delicious -- and that's what I sent to my friend's family.

I had to deliver the break-n-bake disclaimer, though.  I couldn't pass them off as my own. The cookies didn't fully bake out of their square shapes -- so each had little squares on top.  They looked funny but tasted delish!

Who cares if I break-n-bake, right?  I'll never do the cut-n-bake-n-decorate ones that are out at Christmas time.

That's where I draw the line on authenticity.