Cinnamon: She Better Not Leave Any Spices In the House

When I told my sister in law that I was doing a blog she said "guess I better watch what I say!". My best friend however, did not.... and I have to share the funniest story from this morning.

We don't see each other as often as we wish we could, but we chat on the phone numerous times a week. This morning's check in was a recap of the weekend. Her hubby is gone for 10 days on a sales conference to someplace tropical. We're lamenting how husbands literally pack up their suitcase, give out some kisses and hit the road. When WE try to go away for two nights on some well deserved get away, we have to make sure all of the following: House is stocked with food. Soccer gear, gymnastics clothing, brownie sashes are all clean and accessible. Babysitter lined up so husband can do that thing he had planned. Car pools are arranged. Snacks are packed. Emergency note and insurance card copies are in the color coded folder on the counter. And they wonder why sometimes we aren't in the mood.

This particular trip coincides with the completion of her older daughter's bedroom being spotlessly clean for 30 days. In a row. And as my best friend says, I quote "I never thought there was a chance in hell that would happen". Apparently a promise was made that if said bedroom were indeed clean for 30 days, older daughter would get a hamster. So you don't know my friend, but this in and of itself is pretty funny.

So she drags the kids to the pet store and gets the ball, the toys, the cage all the crap you need to make a new hamster happy. $100+ later they're back home setting up the new hamster kingdom. The hamster however is not digging this new set up and won't come out of the little cardboard box it got sent home in. She gives me the visual of how she just turned the box upside down, gave it a good tap and welcomed Cinnamon to her new home. I'm dying.

The pet place says the hamster needs some time to acclimate because it's scared to death. So there is a parade of a 15 little neighborhood girls with their noses pressed up against hamster kingdom...but at least they're not trying to take her out of her cage and play dress up yet.

Then my bf tells me that she laid the following ground rule on her 8 year old daughter. "If that hamster gets loose, be very clear, I'm setting traps". And she is dead serious. Apparently her daughter just stood there and looked at her like 'my Mom is insane'. She tells me "I don't want that thing getting lose and mating with the mice from outside or something." I seriously am dying. This is killing me. Because I can totally envision her putting traps throughout her immaculate, enormous, very awesomely decorated house and feeling NO remorse when she finds Cinnamon's lifeless body in a trap behind the couch.

We trade a few stories about friends we know who's kids have had hamsters. I warn her about wet tail and I'm thinking she'd be worried about losing a hamster so soon. Instead she asks, "does that happen pretty soon after getting them? Because that would be perfect." I think I'm hearing wrong, but I'm not. She then tells me that one of the neighbor's hamsters ate a piece of plastic and bit the dust. She said she's thinking that in a month or two maybe somehow a sandwich bag will accidentally get into hamster kingdom. She's only kidding of course. I think. But I'm still laughing out loud.

There's no way that tropical sales conference is any better than this. No way.