Hi, thanks for joining us today. It's Nora and Nora, we're glad you're here. We sure are, and thank you for having me Welcome back to the base.
Speaker 2:You don't have to keep saying thank you. This is like we're on a little fall break or an assignment, or that our studio is being renovated. That's exactly what's happening.
Speaker 1:That's a way better idea.
Speaker 2:Speaking of renovations, what's the progress? What's going on?
Speaker 1:Well, we've refinished all of our floors on our main level.
Speaker 2:That's huge.
Speaker 1:In our lower level and everything is empty. And you're happy with it. I'm so happy with it. I'm happy with the work that's been done. I'm happy with my contractor, I'm happy with his subcontractors. It's Jesus, that's right. Campanzano, campanzano. Oh, that's a cool name.
Speaker 2:I like that In your cabinets. You let everything come in and you like it, everything is coming in.
Speaker 1:And I like everything. I'm telling you, if you need work done, he's a good guy to call. That's great, because he does it all.
Speaker 2:Wow, yeah, and he does not sponsor us, but if you're like he's a good guy to call, he does it all.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, but he's just brought such nice guys in and things are going according to plan and yeah, we'll be done.
Speaker 2:I think that's all you can hope for is just that if things are on schedule and going somewhere, there's not really much to talk about.
Speaker 1:I mean, it's an empty house. We're living out of our garage.
Speaker 2:How are the kids doing with that?
Speaker 1:Well, they keep inviting people over, oh, to see it. No, not to see it to hang out. Oh, oh, like, does anybody realize that we don't have a house Like it's fine if that's what you care.
Speaker 2:But you know, what I love is that they are not bothered.
Speaker 1:No, they're not. They were bothered yesterday a little bit because they couldn't walk on the floors oh, because they were a little bit trapped. And then the other day the same thing happened. But no, mostly we've been fine. That's amazing. My neighbors across the street are doing some major renovations and so I asked her where is all your stuff? And she said she has tents set up in the backyard with all of their things. And no way. So while I'm busy being WT in our garage, they're like secret in the backyard. Isn't that funny that is. She said she was going to get a storage unit but then realized it was all garage stuff. So yeah, they have three huge tents. That's clever, I know. I thought so too, yeah.
Speaker 2:I mean, if they're good enough for humans, it's good enough for your bikes, yeah Right, oh, she's got a little tent city in her backyard.
Speaker 1:That's what they used to call the jail in Phoenix Tent city. Tent city because the crooks went to tent city, that's it. Did it look like tents? It was tents and they eat eight green baloney and wore pink underpants. Interesting why?
Speaker 2:Because Sheriff Joe was tough. Oh, did they wear something over their underpants?
Speaker 1:I don't know. I mean they were pink boxers. I wonder, why pink? I?
Speaker 2:think, because Maybe it makes them happy.
Speaker 1:I think maybe because it was like Emasculated yeah oh interesting and he didn't want to pay, didn't want money to come out of our state budget to house these crooks. So they set up tents.
Speaker 2:Interesting, that's got to be roasty toasty, yeah, in Arizona. Wow, that's so interesting. I've never heard that Something else. People may not have heard Prince William and Kate Middleton to do your this interview on BBC One. Oh no, I would love to see it Radio. Oh sorry, it was just radio. Oh, we love to hear it. But they asked them what their favorite and or no, I think it's their most used emojis. Not with their favorite gum lice, not with their favorite. Well, because we already know that that's old news. Get with it BBC radio. But guess what Prince William said? He's a heart. No, he kind of joked about it and he was like oh, I guess I better think of a family friendly one, because my initial answer was aubergine, which is eggplant.
Speaker 1:Oh no.
Speaker 2:No, Right, If you were Kate Middleton, wouldn't you have been like? I would have been like.
Speaker 1:What is wrong with you? Eddie, I miss you oh right, what so he was like? Oh, like, maybe he was kidding, I mean, I think he was, but it was like Gross. Yeah.
Speaker 2:He said Is this a clean thing or is this a family one? I've been told not to say the aubergine, so I've got to pick something else. It would have been the aubergine, but now but I'm saying now because I've got to be grown up it's one where the eyes go up and down and the mouth's out the slightly crazy one.
Speaker 1:What's that one? The one where the eyes are in circles.
Speaker 2:I mean it's like yeah, but I was thinking that's funny, First of all if he's trying to be fun. I just don't. It's awkward, it's funny. It's awkward because I'm like You're not that guy.
Speaker 1:No you are not that guy. What did she say?
Speaker 2:She I think she wanted to give the bar from OG at that point.
Speaker 1:No, no, but who was her most used?
Speaker 2:She said the heart and also the hysterical, crying, laughing one.
Speaker 1:I use the pink double heart a lot. Oh, that one's nice. And then I've been using that one that like slumped one, that's like melting away oh, the smiley face melting. I like that one too.
Speaker 2:I use that a lot because, well, you can look and see which are your most used. Oh, you can. So if you go into your text messages, and press the little emoji thing frequently used. Help me If you slide to the right. There's nothing secret on here. Oh, here I'll go where my text message.
Speaker 2:So if you go into iMessage and then hit the little emoji thing frequently used yes, you're right, I'm telling the truth You're telling me the truth, and I was going to say one of my most frequently used is the shaking my head, like where they have the head on the forehead. Oh yeah, so these are my most frequently used ones, although I some of these I've never used. I lost the hand on the forehead and I don't like to sort back to get it.
Speaker 1:So I've just been using her the shrug yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but I thought that was kind of cringy I like this one still the skull for laughing. You do the yeah.
Speaker 1:I use that a lot.
Speaker 2:There was one other thing in this interview that I just had to mention too, because it was again kind of cringy and kind of gross, and I'm sure Kate Middleton had a lovely chat. They were talking about oh you know, when you leave here, what will you do for dinner? And they were saying, oh, we might Kate might make a curry for dinner. I guess that's one of their like cheap and cheerful dinners. They make it home, and Prince William said that he can't do spicy because he gets really sweaty.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, what is going on?
Speaker 2:Kate Middleton was like I quite like spice, though I make his and then I put spice in mine. Gross right, I was like, oh, stop trying to be relatable, it's rude, like don't.
Speaker 1:Yeah right, Just keep being Prince William.
Speaker 2:And let her be the relatable one right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, be black fat, yes, gross, well, anyways.
Speaker 2:Did you hear the whole interview or did you just read an article? I just read an article about the interview, but I would kind of like to hear him say it and I wonder if Kate was kicking him under the table.
Speaker 1:Do you ever listen to the radio when you're driving and have hear callers call in and they're kind? Of cringy and you're like oh God, and you have to change the channel. You know I don't.
Speaker 2:When I listen to the radio, I typically listen to Sirius XM. Or podcasts or podcasts or us. So I don't hear a lot of callers.
Speaker 1:I like to listen to the radio DJ. Is that what they're called? Yeah, yeah, just Jackie. Yeah in the morning. Oh, okay, if I'm in the car.
Speaker 2:Have you heard one recently? That was pretty bad, not that I can think of. I never liked it on the radio when they would do like Ryan Seacrest would do Ryan's Roses, where they would call and be like, oh, you won. They're like trying to call out someone for cheating. Yes, like if you think your partner is cheating on you and then you can be like, oh, say that they won free roses and send them to someone. And if they don't say the girlfriend or boyfriend, they're like gotcha.
Speaker 1:I just wonder how do people fall?
Speaker 2:for that. I don't know. If someone called me I was like you won free roses. I'd be like no, thank you, I'm good, I already have a rose.
Speaker 1:Cute. Wait, I want to talk to you about something that has nothing to do with the radio. Okay, the United Airlines, as we kind of creep into the holiday season, has a new boarding system. Oh, and I'd like you to weigh in on it. I haven't heard about this. So they, instead of boarding by groups, by your seat row, they're going to board by window, middle and aisle, because they think that will save time when it comes to people in the aisles and putting their bags away and things. But I was thinking I don't think that'll work, because if you're flying with somebody it makes it tricky.
Speaker 2:But if it's just you and Ryan, it's like well, I got the window, see you in 10 minutes. That's an interesting question. Or with your fans, I mean with your kids, they're going to let you go whenever you want, but that's very interesting. I wonder if it's. Have they started that?
Speaker 1:yet. No, they haven't started it yet.
Speaker 2:So will it be like, if you're in the window, it's like, okay, you're in boarding group one because you're a window, and then aisles are boarding group three. Yes, that's exactly what it is.
Speaker 1:I wondered for your luggage too. Is that all the window? People are going to be golden because they'll get the overhead face.
Speaker 2:I prefer the window to the aisle. You do? I like to feel cuddled up tucked in by the window.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm kind of an aisle girl. I'll come to group three.
Speaker 2:Do you think you would switch now because of the new boarding system?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't mind a window, but I like an aisle, I think a little more space. It depends who I'm flying with too, yes, and if I'm with my, kids.
Speaker 2:I'm usually in the middle.
Speaker 1:Yeah, which.
Speaker 2:I don't, I really don't mind. If I know the people, I don't mind sitting in the middle.
Speaker 2:There you go. Can I share a text I got from my sister? Oh sure, okay. It says please tell Nora Westphal that was me that shouted looking good Nora at her this morning as she was running down the street in LaGrange. Not sure if she recognized me and don't want her to think that the dads of my kid's school were cat calling her. Ha ha ha. And then she said I know she's a super runner, but damn, she was cruising and still far from home.
Speaker 1:That's very funny, because did you hear her? I knew it was her and I had thought about her earlier because I went for my it was a 10 mile run this morning Went later this morning than I normally do because I had to take care of some things at home and I got stuck in the. So I made a turn early, which didn't shorten my route, it just changed it a little bit. So I didn't have to pass LT South oh okay, Because they were coming to school. So then I finagled through and I got to LT North, where kids were coming, oh gosh.
Speaker 2:And then I you were like a salmon upstream.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, that's exactly what I was. And then I crossed over and looped around and then I got stuck in Nazareth traffic because that drop-off was about the same time. And then I, instead of going up one street, which I normally do, I caught a green light, so I just went up a different street happened to be the street that St Francis is on. So they were like this is a joke.
Speaker 1:So I literally ran through their like parent drop-off where like parents were mingling. I was like, oh God, I hope I don't see Aaron, I hope I don't see Aaron. And then you were. So then I jumped over and then I was going down the side street and I hear, hey, nora, look at God, I'm kidding me. I just was thinking about you and not seeing you. So then I knew I had to be back to record this. But I also wanted to catch my own kids while they were leaving. So I thought I'll just loop through our neighborhood and catch them walking. But I missed them. But I caught all the SJC drop-offs.
Speaker 1:And I did see all our friends. So, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, I will not run that route at that time she's impressed though. And it was nice to see her, so tell her. I said hello. That's actually kind of a segue. It's what we're talking about today, our topic today is siblings.
Speaker 2:We're talking about Sibs, I know, and we're both lucky, we have, we both have one of each. Yeah, we do the brother and the sister.
Speaker 1:Growing up.
Speaker 2:I was the oldest of three.
Speaker 1:You still are, I still am. Sometimes I don't feel like it Really, and sometimes my brother teases me he's the youngest by eight years. Oh, wow A lot. Wait, he's eight years younger than you, correct? Yes, and then my sister is five years younger than me, so they're three years older, correct?
Speaker 2:That was some fast math. My dad will be very proud of me.
Speaker 1:But he is kind of wise beyond his years and he's the typical youngest brother, but he's also very smart.
Speaker 2:So is my brother. He's the smartest one of all of us. So is Mac. Yeah, they're both youngest, but I'm grateful for that and my sister and I talk about it where we're glad that he was the youngest and the smartest, because it would have been annoying if he was the oldest and we'd be like that's smarty pants going first, Like don't get your hopes up for the rest of us.
Speaker 1:Well, they do say the oldest is the smartest and the youngest is the funniest.
Speaker 2:Oh, oh see, sean's probably the funniest too.
Speaker 1:Sean's funnier than you and Aaron.
Speaker 2:He's pretty funny. He's like smart, funny and he can write it out when Aaron and I are pretty good like improv conversation. Sean is a writer.
Speaker 1:You are the funniest family I know and I'm not just saying that? Do people tell you that? Often no. Well, but that's what I mean.
Speaker 2:I don't think people are like you.
Speaker 1:guys stink Like we don't want to hang out with you, but that's very kind and it's neat that you and your siblings all live nearby.
Speaker 2:It's really nice. That's been a new development in the last two years and, to be honest, it was not something I ever thought would happen. I, you know Sean, went to NYU and I think I mean I'm speaking for him, but I think he kind of anticipated staying in New York forever. But then he went to LA and then he was like well, no, I think I live here, and then it was just fate that brought them back because his wife got a job in Chicago. So I'm grateful and I never thought I'd live in Chicago ever. And Aaron did. Aaron.
Speaker 1:I think was like this is home yeah.
Speaker 2:I mean I'm happy to be here.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's just so nice, and I bet it's nice for your parents too. I think so, because I'd imagine, once our kids are all flown and grown, it'd be kind of fun to have them all nearby.
Speaker 2:Yes, but my parents say this and they did. They were like you know, sometimes we miss that you don't live in London anymore, just because it was such a nice place to visit.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's yeah.
Speaker 2:You know, so my sister is four years older than me, and my brother is two years younger than me.
Speaker 1:So similar to offset yeah. Kind of a thing. A study from Penn State said that you spend 11 to 17 hours per week, depending on the size of your family, with your siblings.
Speaker 2:I thought that was high 11, like when you're growing up. No, now as an adult. Yeah, 11 to 17 hours a week? Yeah, oh, I don't think I spend that much time, don't you think? That sounds like an awful lot. That sounds like a lot.
Speaker 2:I wonder that's interesting. It's like more than two hours a day, some weeks it's. You know, if you have like holidays or birthdays or events and stuff like that, I could see that, but that seems a lot. I think it's interesting. This quote was like you know, your siblings is the longest relationship anyone will have in their whole life. I know I read that as well. Which is what? Because recently Rory had asked me. He said what, just out of the blue at breakfast one morning he goes why did you have four kids?
Speaker 1:And what was?
Speaker 2:your response. Oh, I was like, well, to be honest, it was a lot easier when you were babies and when you were little. I think it would be so hard when you were bigger. And he was like no, but really why? And I thought about it and I think part of it, I always knew I wanted to have three or four, I think because when I was growing up I always loved to listen to my dad and my mom with their siblings talk about old stories or they always got along well and they'd always be laughing about stuff from growing up and just stories. And then I was like, oh, that's cool, I want that.
Speaker 2:Want that for your kids? Yes, and so I always knew I wanted them to have siblings also, because I wanted them to have people who they could talk to about growing up. It's nice to have that resource.
Speaker 1:It is nice to have that resource. Whenever I played MASH as a kid, I always wanted four kids. Oh, here we are, can't argue with MASH, my MASH, my MASH, my MASH. Well, where's my?
Speaker 2:mansion, mash and my limo.
Speaker 1:I forgot about the limo, yeah. So I don't feel like we have a big family, though I don't feel like four kids is that big of a family, but I think for other people.
Speaker 2:I think where we live it seems very normal, but then when you leave our bubble of this suburban area, people are floored. I think I told the story when we went to Al's work conference. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. People were like are you the people with four kids? We're not a freak show.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't think four is that many, but it's funny because Al had sent me something ages ago. This was in 2017. And I said I love you. I hope you have a great day. You mean everything to me. You are the best mom ever because you own four kids. Thank you for hosting my birthday party, Aw. But, because you own four kids. You own four kids too.
Speaker 2:I feel like it's more of like. You sponsor four children.
Speaker 1:I'm responsible for four, but yeah.
Speaker 2:Does she mean like you own it? No, I think she meant like you have four kids.
Speaker 1:But, like you just said, it is nice that they are able to have each other and, like you, my oldest are very close in age I acknowledge a year apart and they are so close and I think it's cool for them because, I wasn't so close with my siblings growing up but they hang out together. We call his room the dorm room, aw.
Speaker 2:I mean they really, they're thick as thieves. Yeah, that's Edan and Rory are like that too. They share a room so they don't have a choice. But they're like the odd couple, because Edan is a slob and Rory is really tidy. But God bless them Like. Rory doesn't complain about it. Every once in a while he's like get your Skittles rappers out of here, and I don't blame them.
Speaker 1:I don't blame them either. That's got to be annoying, but I have a messy room.
Speaker 2:Lately they've been staying up super late. They like play.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:They did when they were little, and it's kind of cute.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I never shut it down, even.
Speaker 2:But then I'm like oh, it's 1130. You got to go to bed, but now I can go through. They have an Alexa in their room and I can pull it up on my phone and I'm like go to bed, guys.
Speaker 1:It's too long, so it's like an intercom.
Speaker 2:Yes, what I'm like? I'm in there, like you know, prison warden quiet down, but I also want them to quiet down so I can go through my Alexa.
Speaker 1:It's the 2023 version of an intercom.
Speaker 2:Hey, go to bed. It scares the crap out of me. Can they talk back on it? Yeah, and where does it go? To your, to my phone, so it's like I'm talking on the phone. It's pretty awesome. I should look into that. That's good, but it's interesting with four kids because with three it's pretty easily to easy to decide who's the oldest, middle, youngest. I consider Kevin to be our middle child and I consider Catherine Grace our middle. Okay, yeah, because the oldest are so close in age, it's almost like they're one kid.
Speaker 1:The oldest, l, was raised like an oldest.
Speaker 2:L and.
Speaker 1:Mike were both raised like oldest, then Catherine Grace is our middle and John is our baby, and they are, I mean they are so on point with the descriptions for those.
Speaker 2:Because poor Kevin, like Aiden and Rory, want nothing to do with him and our council, oh, they don't Get out of here. Oh, it's so sad and Kevin likes different things than them, I'm surprised because he's a boy.
Speaker 2:I know I kind of. But you know what? Kevin is more sporty, spice and competitive and like, wants to be like physical play, when Aiden and Rory are more artistic in setting things up and more chill in that way. So they're kind of into different things and as a middle child I feel like I can say this Kevin is kind of full on and can be a little irritating at times, as was I.
Speaker 1:But they do say middles are adaptable, social, generous. I also read that middle simulator is most successful.
Speaker 2:They are Maybe not monetarily, but like most, like all around successful in their lives. Maybe it's Like just like content, Because maybe they're just like. I'll take what I can get.
Speaker 1:Now, when I looked at the oldest descriptions for birth order, Mike and Elle both fell into this. What is the oldest one Outspoken? Well, which neither are really outspoken Stubborn. They're both stubborn, but they'll advocate for themselves. They're both very independent. They're both perfectionists. They're both responsible, hardworking and rule followers. And there you go. Bossy's on there too, but I don't. They're not really bossy. I don't see that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, what about youngest Outgoing?
Speaker 1:Check Disktaker Check. Charming Check yes. Persistent. Check Free spirited Check Aw. Is that Rose? Or is it different because she's the only girl full of boys?
Speaker 2:I think it's a little different, but she's a lot of those things she can turn it on.
Speaker 1:Yeah, she knows when to be like she has that little voice, she has that little voice she has that little, please face, please face.
Speaker 2:So yeah, she knows how to, but she has that little tone in her voice too.
Speaker 1:And she misses Westfall.
Speaker 2:Oh my Lord, I love it. And we're also going through parent teacher conferences right now, so I'm kind of break. I can't imagine what her conference is going to be?
Speaker 1:Is that going to be today?
Speaker 2:But for Rory, who's not quite the oldest, he's the second and the teachers were like I can always count on Rory. To be honest, I'm like, oh God, that's great, but it's good and all that, it's a great quality. I was like, oh my gosh. And the teachers are like, no, I always know where I stand, I know he's going to have his work done, I know if he has a problem he's going to tell me. There's no guessing. That's great, they're like it's an admirable quality, it's good. He just has to be careful, because one of the teachers you know what he has a problem with is and they do this a lot in schools because it's hard for a teacher to single one child out. If somebody does something wrong and nobody will own it or tell on them, the whole class gets punished and he has a real big problem with that.
Speaker 1:I see both sides.
Speaker 2:I see both sides too and so yeah, and that's happened recently a lot with his class, where everyone's gotten homework or everyone had something was canceled or something was changed and he's like I guess it depends what group you're in.
Speaker 1:If you're in a group full of rural followers where nobody really stirs the pot.
Speaker 2:It's probably a rural follower with a bunch of nodding Like stir the pot kids Shoot. That is tricky. And now a word from our sponsor.
Speaker 1:Things are getting spooky at Mike Haggerty Buick GMC.
Speaker 2:Oh gosh, nora, I'm so scared to ask, but do they have any cars in?
Speaker 1:stock they do. They have spooktacular savings on the Encore, the Envision, the Invista and the Enclave. Oh, I'm getting chills. Well, you should head on down to 93rd and Cicero and check them out for yourself.
Speaker 2:If I say trick or treat, which will I get?
Speaker 1:They're full of savings and treats at Mike Haggerty Buick GMC. So head on over or give them a call at 708-423-5000 and just tell them the Norse, the.
Speaker 2:Norse and chip. And now back to the show. How were you as an oldest? Were you kind to your siblings?
Speaker 1:I think, because there was such a big age gap we never really fought, because it was five and eight years. I was so far removed from them. I really felt like an only Really.
Speaker 2:Oh, okay, that's interesting. It was an only for five years. Yeah, that's true.
Speaker 1:And then I just remember growing up, everybody thinking my brother and sister were so cute because they were so little. They were, yeah, I could see that, but I think I was fine, I kind of did my own thing and I wasn't really too concerned with what they did because they were so much younger.
Speaker 2:They were so little.
Speaker 1:But they did everything together Because I think it was probably just easier for my mom.
Speaker 2:Sure, they're only three years apart. Yeah, yeah, that's because my sister she's four years older than me. I was not thrilled when I came around because she, like you was, like, this was great.
Speaker 1:See, it was kind of fun for me.
Speaker 2:I think she was the oldest cousin, oldest On both sides. She was the oldest cousin and oldest child, so her world was rocked. But, she held all the power.
Speaker 1:Made for some really good stories.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh. Well, she, just because she, sean, was so cute and six years younger than her, so she and Sean would have like a little alliance. Plus, I was a very chubby child. You were chubby, oh yeah. Oh, I was a nine pound baby. You really thinned out.
Speaker 1:You really came into your own there. What if he were so?
Speaker 2:I was like I was a really muscular child and I really let myself go. No, I was a pretty, pretty tubby, solid, substantial, if you would. So and Erin has always been slender, so my mom would put us in matching outfits. And so Erin was like looks like she's ready to go to work, and I was like slavingly, like slav, I was like food on my face.
Speaker 1:I was like I'm not going to eat a turtle and I didn't do you any favors.
Speaker 2:And then I also had like a bowl haircut. I kind of looked like Andre the Giant. And then my cousin Carrie, who was two days older than me, was always super cute and skinny and she always looked tidy.
Speaker 1:She was the oldest and right in the middle too.
Speaker 2:She was the middle as well, she was gorgeous red hair and it was like kind of curly. And I was like big chubby kid. So, Erin, just like antagonize me all the time, oh, but now we're very close. Yes, I even I was annoying and I always wanted to be with her friends and she was like, absolutely not.
Speaker 1:Elle likes to not be with Mike's friends but be involved Like he. They snap her and they say they're connected through social media, but Mike's not. It doesn't go both ways.
Speaker 2:He's not looking to be friends with them. Yes, that makes sense. But even now, like there are some of my sister's friends from high school that are parents at our school and I say I get little sister syndrome, I get nervous. That's funny, isn't it? Which is so dumb? No, it's funny, but I still do. But I will say, first of all, it's Erin, antagonize me. She did some very cool stuff and she organized.
Speaker 1:She let you go to college with her. I think that's pretty cool, Well she had graduated already.
Speaker 2:We didn't overlap. Oh, on the visit. Yes, she did not want me on the visit.
Speaker 1:Nora.
Speaker 2:She took you. She wanted to go over the summer and my parents said she could only go if she took me. And we got into the car and she turned around from the front seat. I was like I didn't want you on this trip, I'm only bringing you. Because mom said don't ruin my weekend and I was like, ok, awesome.
Speaker 1:You know, you really redeemed yourself, you've really turned it around, yeah, but Erin organized for all my Ryan cousins.
Speaker 2:She organized the Ryan Olympics. It was like a whole Olympic thing with all her cousins. She used to record her own books on tape, read along books. Oh, that's so nice. She would make little fake businesses and stores and stuff. She did a lot of fun, creative stuff. So that was good. It wasn't all bad. But I love to hear stories like my parents talk about growing up and stuff with their siblings.
Speaker 1:Yeah, my mom is one of eight and my dad is one of nine. My gosh, which nobody really bats an eye at around here, no yeah.
Speaker 2:That seems like well, you know what's. Four more.
Speaker 1:And I asked my grandma all the time how did you do it? You have doubled the amount of kids, and she would have the same answer every time. That's just how things were back then, but still, you still had eight children, right.
Speaker 2:Well, my dad was one of five, but there was four boys and one girl, and so my aunt had a bedroom upstairs, and so did my grandparents, and then my dad and his brothers were in the basement and it was finished, but it was like linoleum floor, it was like a frat house, like cold dorm, and then it just had beds down there and my dad was like my mom never came down, like it was just like it was just different back then. Yeah, yeah, they used to play hockey on their knees.
Speaker 1:Oh.
Speaker 2:And they'll say I think two half my dad and my uncle have gotten neighbor placed Probably two on the way, get ready. The stories about in that basement is like oh my gosh.
Speaker 1:I think I would have liked to be a mom during that time, because yes and no?
Speaker 2:No, I don't know. I think it would have been really hard.
Speaker 1:I don't think you had but the X-Fix. You certainly weren't schlepping to club sports all week.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think it was just different expectations. It was probably less expectations on your child's happiness.
Speaker 1:I'd probably be a better cook.
Speaker 2:But I would probably be a better cook too.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but like yeah, I guess there's some give and take there's differences.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's certain. I would say I would think like if you time traveled back to the 50s that's where I want to go, I know, but then you would, there would be things you'd miss.
Speaker 1:Like you'd come with me, right. We'd be neighbors in the 50s, right.
Speaker 2:Oh my. God, that would be fun We'd wear cute dresses the dresses would be cute, but thinking of the oh, it'd be so much ironing. That's all right.
Speaker 1:We'd walk to the dry cleaners.
Speaker 2:We'd walk into town with our dry cleaning and we'd walk.
Speaker 1:We'd have to walk with our elbows up yeah, that's how we walk. And then we'd walk home like this, because we'd stop at the meat market and we'd stop at the beef.
Speaker 2:We'd have maybe like a little cart. Yeah, we'd have rows and a pram. Still. Totally, I don't know. Do you ever watch? Call the Midwife. No.
Speaker 1:Well, no, I love this show. We wouldn't have Midwives, I know, but we wouldn't be calling Midwives, we'd be calling to make reservations.
Speaker 2:You're romanticizing the 50s, and if all the conveniences were used to, it would be gone.
Speaker 1:Like what. What would you miss so much?
Speaker 2:I would miss the internet to help me.
Speaker 1:We just wouldn't know us, we'd be fine. We'd be fine, but if we kind travel.
Speaker 2:We'd share cookbooks. That is true, we would share cookbooks, like I just think about my grandma talking about ironing clock diapers.
Speaker 1:Well, we wouldn't do that. We would have something do that for us. Oh, so we're wealthy women?
Speaker 2:Oh, yes, Okay, I'm imagining this. I'm so flogging Heck. That is the amazing difference. I'm imagining me as like lower middle class Scraping, like pans and like roughing it. In your Donna read yeah, okay, all right. Well then, sure, I'll do that.
Speaker 1:Okay, I'll give it a whirl, and I don't know if I maybe have more than four kids, because I think that's just what you did back then, yeah.
Speaker 2:Well, that's because you didn't have a Netflix, so you had to keep yourself busy somehow. So what you're saying? I can't say anything this is not an exclusive podcast.
Speaker 1:Oh my God, here's a fun fact.
Speaker 2:Do you know that if you were to do a DNA test with your siblings, siblings typically only share 50% of their DNA oh, because of the way DNA works, when?
Speaker 1:because you're Is that DNA Right? Is that your DNA? Those are my DNA, jazz hands.
Speaker 2:The entire listeners really missed out on, because you're half your dad, half your mom I'm still using my gestures and then they're half somebody and somebody else and they're half some. You know all the genetics, so you're only really matching about 50% of your DNA with your siblings, which is, I thought, an interesting fun fact and something boring to share to get us out of our fit of laughing.
Speaker 1:Thank you. Maybe we should launch into highs and lows. Okay, what's your low? My cabinets came late for my kitchen. Oh, just by a few days, but it kind of jazzed things up.
Speaker 2:They're here, I'm sorry, yeah, and speaking of late, my low is that I woke up late yesterday and I know you love these stories. I had to be at St John of the Cross for Speech Club at 7.35 with three out of my four children dressed and ready to go to school. I woke up at 7.07. How did this happen to you? I'm not a morning person, I know, but you heard me.
Speaker 1:I had three alarms.
Speaker 2:You what I had my alarm clock and then two alarms on my phone. I do for when I really need to wake up. But the funny thing is I woke up and my alarm clock was in between my bed and my nightstand.
Speaker 1:Oh so the eight so sleepy Nora must have just been like brrrr, and I must have hit it and it fell, okay, so the snooze didn't go off or something, no, so I woke up at 7.07 and just jolted out of bed and shouted from outside my room. Your whole house was asleep at 7.07? Except for Al. He was awake.
Speaker 2:No, I know that and I was like I woke up late. I'm going to need some help. I'll hit the check and God bless my children.
Speaker 1:They all just like came in their rooms. They really did.
Speaker 2:Rory was an all star. He was super helpful. He's good in the morning and when I was in Rosing Kevin, I was like let's go.
Speaker 1:Do you have them laid out?
Speaker 2:like fireman style for the morning On speech club mornings. I do, because the other thing that saved me was that I didn't need to make lunches because it was an early one, oh my God, but I made it on time.
Speaker 1:That gives me so much anxiety, I know.
Speaker 2:But I got to speech club and to the other moms that were there. I was like I woke up 30 minutes ago.
Speaker 1:Less than 30 minutes ago, crazy 28 minutes ago.
Speaker 2:Yeah Well, good for you. I hope that's also your high. No, I mean, I feel like I spent the whole day like ugh.
Speaker 1:Yeah, when you wake up late, you're not tired, I'm not too scared.
Speaker 2:No, you're not. You're terrified. It's not a good feeling. When's the last time you woke up late, though? Can you even remember? No, no, I woke up early.
Speaker 1:This morning you wake up. I woke up at 4.45 and I didn't need to be up. It's so dark, yeah but so I was like, oh, I may as well just get up.
Speaker 2:I have you call me on speech club mornings.
Speaker 1:I had to take care of something at 7.15 this morning or 7 this morning, so I had to be on the computer with Ryan. So I was like, well, I may as well just get things done. So I did.
Speaker 2:Wow, yeah, I don't have that kind of get up and go in the morning, but my high is that my parents brought us me and my kids and Al and my sister's family to Night of a Thousand Jack-O-Lanterns. I've never been to that At the Botanic Gardens and it's one of my favorite things.
Speaker 1:It's cool.
Speaker 2:I just am impressed with people who can carve pumpkins as works of art, also because it's temporary yeah, they put so much time into that and then it's just like do you think somebody?
Speaker 1:scoops out all the guts for them and they just carve that they have like an assistant, uh-huh Maybe, and they have people, they're doing it.
Speaker 2:I should have asked who scoops out the guts A gut scooper? But it's cool because they have different themes, like they had a whole theme that was movies filmed in Chicago. Oh cool. A little pumpkin and an Uncle Buck pumpkin breakfast club. It was awesome. It was really. The only bummer was that it was raining last night. It was yeah.
Speaker 1:Oh, it's kind of coming.
Speaker 2:So we kind of spit through it pretty quickly.
Speaker 1:But that would be perfect for you.
Speaker 2:And there were less people. I think that's it, but I love this and this is up north. It's, yeah, the Botanic Gardens, chicago Botanic Gardens. It's Highland Park. My mom will be mad at me that I don't remember the name of the town. It's beautiful.
Speaker 1:It's up there somewhere.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they also do a really cool light show at Christmas time, which I also like. What's your hi?
Speaker 1:We were shopping over the weekend and popped into Barnes, noble and John got a couple of things and Ryan waited in line to check out with them and I was looking at some other stuff and when they checked out, ryan tossed me a little box of Goobie Bears.
Speaker 2:They were Sugarfina, oh those are really good Butterflies, and I've never had them.
Speaker 1:They're yummy, they are so good. I'm with you. Yeah, I brought them, but I don't want to dig through and the Botanic Gardens is in Glencoe.
Speaker 2:Oh wait, I just looked it up, sorry mom, sorry, mom, I live in Glencoe. Oh, so were they delicious.
Speaker 1:I was like I've never had these. He's like I know I thought you might like them.
Speaker 2:They're yummy, they're kind of fancy, they're fancy.
Speaker 1:Sugarfina, I never knew it was a thing.
Speaker 2:He said there was a store there as well. There's one in Oprah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah yeah, yeah, but they were so good and it was soft, I told them you know, see, it's just the little things, like it made my whole day. We bought some really big ticket items that day and had a lot to check off the list, but it was the little box of butterflies that was hanging. That's sweet. That's sweet Cute, all right. Well, on that note, thanks for joining us today All right.
Speaker 2:See you next week.
Speaker 1:Bye, he liked it.