Monday, May 31, 2010

The End of an Era

I no longer live in a house with a cat.



I guess we've known for a while his time was near.
He was 18. That's a pretty good age for a cat. Angel was Eric's cat.
Come to me by marriage. I knew he'd gotten him as a kitten when he was a junior in high school. I thought he named him Angel when he thought the cat was a girl, and just never fixed it when he learned otherwise. Only like 3 years ago, did I learn the ex's name was Angela..uh huh. Well, Eric was going to be taking his cat when he graduated, and when we got married, I got a cat, 2 actually. A Dog person marrying a Cat Person. It was a mixed marriage. The Cat did NOT approve. He peed on my stuff, our bed. Repeatedly. I wanted to change his name from Angel to Lucifer! (Or Roosifee (as Gus gus says it in Cinderella) My MIL missed having him around, she made a point to mention it all the time. Finally when he peed on all my scrapbook supplies from my bridal shower, well that was the last straw, I yelled, if he does that again, he can go live with your mother.
He didn't do it again.
At least, not that we counted. When we moved to L.A. less than a year after our wedding, we drugged the animals and took them with us. When we arrived in our 1 bedroom furnished apartment, decorated in shades of hotel white...the cat jumped up on the bed, with it's white bedspread and peed on it. He objected. So did I. I burst into tears, and never did I want to go home so badly. Angel got that, and we bonded while we were in LA. And as he got older he got nicer.
He and Dusty became "the Welcoming Catmittee" whenever anyone came over, they'd greet them at the door. Even without Dusty, whenever we had a new visitor in our home, they got a cat in the lap. And if you were allergic, he had a 6th sense, and would stay even longer on your lap. My 88 year old grandfather, came to our house to visit, and the cat sat on his lap. Later, at lunch, I noticed Grandpa Jim's red eyes, and asked if he was allergic to cats, he said, I don't know. Well, I think you are...Imagine! Finding out at 88 that you're allergic to cats.
Leave it to Angel to smoke out the truth.
He loved to escape, or try to. Sometimes he wouldn't get far. Sometimes we'd take his cat food tin, walking and shaking to get his attention. I remember being out looking for him for 1/2 hour after the maids let him out in LA. After surrenduring and coming home, he was waiting at the front door, eager for me to let him in.
And the boys, oh how he loved them, and vice versa. When Chris had his ostomy, and we had to "bowel prep" at home for his second surgery, the nurses came over to do it. The nurses were worried that Fina would try something, try to defend her baby or something, but when Chris started crying, it wasn't the dog that leapt to his defense, it was the Cat. The Cat started Meowing at the feet of the swing, and climbing in my lap, and running around everyone involved, as if to shout, FIX THE BABY! Yup. Angel was Chris's cat. But Chris declared the cat his a long time ago. I've made the recent mistake of saying that the cat was Sam's cat, because Sam would chase him all over the house calling, DAT, DAT, DAT. And when he caught him, he'd wrap him up in a full tackle, and roll his entire body over the cat. He was Sam's cat too. Both the cat and dog would stand guard at the nursery door or at the front window, making sure all was safe on the mid-western front.
But then in the last few months, he started losing weight. Then his fur started getting all matted, and he wasn't effective at cleaning. He started randomly puking, sometimes food, sometimes not. He wasn't eating as much. My friend said when he stops eating, or if he's hiding, it's time. Then I found him hiding in Sam's room, behind the door. Then last week it started falling out, in clumps, the matts, and bunches that weren't matted. It was time.
I was blessed to have two friends able to come over and help me end it. Really blessed, that it was quick and he just drifted off into gorky sleep, no more pain, and we didn't even have to put him in a car. He hated going in the car; he would cry out and make noises that sounded like someone pulling his intestines out his nose. And his hair would fall out, somuchso that the clumps would make it hard to see while driving, and if I opened a window, he would try to dart out it to escape, or try to creep down the front of the dashboard. If we crated him, oh the noises! I decided like 6 years ago, maybe more, when he was an officially Old Cat, that we weren't going to take him to the vet anymore. He was an indoor cat. It was more harm than good to torture him. And to have him go, in our own home, well, that was the best way, with me petting him. Even though Angel and I got off to a bumpy start, I really was honored that we had enough love for each other to be there at the end.

Bye Bye Kitty. You were a Good Kitty.



I feel like now I should change my blog name, since we are no longer a household with dogs and cats. If you have any suggestions, I welcome them. In the meantime, I ask for prayers for healing hearts for our little family. It's going to be hardest on the boys.

You know you're loved when...

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When you have A Rough Day:
We had to lose a friend, our cat, Angel.
During the course of fixing our master bathroom tub, Eric knicked a copper supply pipe causing a leak, resulting in the shutoff of water to our house.

Now the Up Side:
A Cookout at Grandma's house (E's parents)
which led to a Slumber Party for some happy boys

True Friends who come out aid when the water is leaking, postponing their own plans to check up on us.
True Friends who make a house call and help euthanize a beloved old cat, and then clean with me, so I am too busy to be sad.

And don't get me started about how wonderful the Fam has been taking us all in on the spur of the moment....



Parting of the clouds, just long enough for some swinging in the sunshine.



And lots of giggles.



That turns the whole day around. That sound makes my day.
Thank you God, I am so Blessed, how Lucky I am to be so Loved.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

What Vacation Means

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On Friday, Christopher declared that we were on vacation, and that going on vacation means there is water. Well, now that we're on Summer Break...it's a kind of vacation, so that means there must be Water.

And so there shall be.



So we christened the baby pool and the matching swimsuits for the season. Too Cute!



But there's something else about being on Vacation that causes us to just get a little goofy. Goofier than usual.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Summer Surprise

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Last summer marked the end of our plastic pool, so this year we've been on the prowl for a cute something new for swim time, and this whole week has been in the high 80's, making mama wish we had a pool!

Today, Daddy picked up a Summer Surprise while at the hardware store, and while the boys napped, he put it together. However, because of Time Outs, Chris was not allowed to participate in the Inaugural Swim.



Sam, however, was amazed at the beauty of our little backyard Oasis.



He just sat there happy as a clam, clapping and splashing, splashing and clapping.



It was funny, he didn't need any toys, he just sat there, splashing, and having so much fun doing so, that he'd clap for himself because he was so excited.



Well, and he was enjoying watch Daddy get the grill ready for supper. Sam really loved his summer surprise.



He almost crawled around in the pool once, but decided not too, much better to just sit and soak...I have to agree.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Big Little Things

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I was driving home this evening, Sam playing happily with a water bottle in the back seat, and all was quiet on the midwestern front. I began to toy with how I was going to express how wonderful today has been. I just felt so wonderfully Blessed, for the day's events, which seemed to just pile on top of eachother, adding happiness upon happiness, such that I was so smiley I probably annoyed people around me, and mostly for husbands, who are wonderful as to let wives go out and play with their girlfriends, and willing to watch crazy kids multiple nights in a week so girlfriends can bond. I got teary eyed thinking off all the wonderful things.
So as is Easiest, I decided to make a list of today's fun and festivity.
1. I got to spend Quality Time with my best friend today. She came to my Jewelry Party earlier this week, and then was able to bring her girls over to play and hang out with us today, to celebrate Last Day of school, and to surprise Chris.
2. We watched our kids play together, and they were being extra precious. Sam was in a great mood, even when he was attacking (the cat) or being attacked (hair pulling by girlfriends) he still managed his normal adorable sweetness, which made for a Happy Mommy. I'm about 90% sure I felt a molar in his mouth today!
3. Dunkin Donuts - The youngest boy ate 2 3/4 Munchkins, I had to cut him off, because he'd already eaten one meal, and it was supposed to just be a wee snack while we waited for big brother to go to lunch...but Sam LUVS him some donut holes.
4. Chai Tea - Did you know Dunkin Donuts makes a mean Chai Tea? Yah.
5. LAST DAY OF SCHOOL (for Chris!) I don't know if it's sunk in yet, but he must've had a good day, he was in a great mood when he came home, and he was so thrilled his own best friend was here when he got off the bus, he barely remembered to say Goodbye.
6. McD's play area. Kids play, Mommies and Babies play and eat.
7. 5 children napping ALL AT THE SAME TIME all over our house, allowing for Mommies to have a whole hour of quiet conversation.
8. I got a haircut... see below. I had gotten a coupon in the mail for a free haircut, and yesterday Chris told me my hair "looked like a hat...a hat like those football guys wear." OK, that was it, I was jealous enough of his nicely shorn head, so now I'm going a'choppin! So I told the gal, something summery, something light. It is both, it's layered, which is a look I haven't had in a decade, and even then they were Very Subtle. These aren't, some of these hairs haven't been this short since 3rd grade, other's have been for Locks of Love, but I'm sorry I was too hot, too tired, and impatient to wait another 6-12 months to reach locks of love length. Though see the picture....I think I still had plenty of hair, I could've covered a cat, maybe 2 with the lengths chopped.



9. Crack-laced Garlic Cheese Bread! We all met up at Monical's for dinner to celebrate last day of school, and summer, and end of the soccer season...and well, lots of other things that seemed good to celebrate.

10. E took Chris shopping on the way home (allowing for my contemplative drive home) to go Tub Shopping to replace the tub in this old house Eric ripped out last weekend...and they found one they think Momma is going to like. Hooray!

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Strange

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This morning was the entry to another bright sunshiney day, and while I was feeding Sam breakfast, I offered to let Chris go out and play. I don't really know why, he didn't ask, but it was a pretty day, and he'd had a good morning, got his bat out of timeout for pottying, so I let him go. (Of course 20 minutes later, the bat was back in time out.) But in the meantime, it was a lovely morning, he swung the bat around, not at anything, just in general. He drew a picture, with sidewalk chalk. It's my head, can't you tell?



We packed up and went to the Children's Museum, and upon arrival, I realized I forgot my camera. Crazy, no? Me forget my camera? I know. And of course, the kids were adorable there; there were a couple moments where the kids actually played together.
I was puzzled though, by strangers asking me about the welt on Chris's head. I know it's ugly, but perhaps, made moreso by the very bald head. It wasn't until I got this sad, pitying, look from a gal, that made me wonder, do they think there's something really wrong with him?
He only lost a battle with the piano. He says, "The piano jumped up and bit me." It got a blood vessel, I watched as it swelled up. It looks like the inside is getting worse than the outside. Eric was asking me this morning if I should run him in, I was like no, it's been almost a week, it was last Saturday. But it does seem to be getting Uglier. Is that strange? Should I be worried?

Just so you know, he doesn't have cancer, he's not being abused, he just took a header into the corner of the piano, I swear.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

It's the Hats

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Today was Christopher's Field Day at Developmental Preschool. So, Sam and I crashed the party. If I wasn't so tired, and sore, I'd probably post a few more pictures, and go into more detail. It was actually quite transforming to see how Chris interacted with these kids, there were many different levels of disability, for it was all the kids in the morning developmental preschool program, and he was doing so great, It was Fun! I was so blessed to be there, to see him interact, and to be able to be a Mom that attended, there weren't many Moms hanging around, I was so lucky.

Don't know if I mention this very often, but I am so Blessed by these boys.




Got them some new sunhats this week, good thing too, it's been so hot and sunny, they need them! They are going to be a lot of fun this summer!

Wordless Wednesday

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Capes and Cousins

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Ever since we borrowed my neice Annie for a couple days while her Mom had baby Charlotte, Chris has been BUGGING me to see Annie. Today I obliged. We met The Girls(Love saying that!) at a nearby church, which has an indoor park. Too hot outside for wee babies.

It was the first chance the boys had gotten to meet baby Charlie. Chris was so sweet. First he admired how tiny she was, her sweet hair, then he says, "Her Head is SO SMALL!" And he gave her a sweet smoochie on the cheek.



Sam really could've cared less. He was more interested in playing or getting a steady stream of food. You see that the only way I could get him to come near Charlie was to bribe him with a banana cookie. Sad state of affairs.



However, he didn't have to be talked into going and playing with the big kids. He chased balls all around the room. Chris on the other hand, climbed everything in sight. Can't wait until they can all play on the same equipment at the same time.




At one point, a young girl came in wearing a tablecloth cape, and Chris was so interested in her. But what pushed him over the edge was when he saw a pair of brothers with awesome red satin capes with black spiders on them, well, he couldn't take that. Aunt Lisa lent him a receiving blanket. The Ghetto Cape. Luckily, he was perfectly happy with it, and obviously it helped him climb, and fight, and do whatever it is that superheroes taking on a playground do.



After only 2 hours, including lunch, the kids were Done. But they had a great time playing together. These cousins are So Cute together!

Charlie

So my neice is now 3 weeks old, and ABOUT CUTE!



I've said for a long time, Sam looks like my sister Lisa. And now Charlie looks like Sam. And Annie. Must be the Lisa component. And you can see where she gets her cuteness.



These two are a pair, what characters!

Monday, May 24, 2010

Momology 1.0

I'm actually pretty Lucky! I was chosen to proof the book for our MOPS group for fall. I get to read it, blog about it, and they want to read my opinions. As I've been doing with all my MOPS books, if they have a section that asks me questions, I answer. And I blog about them, as my journal, so I remember, but also to get you, my gal pal readers to also think about what your answer would be.

This first section was pretty interesting as an intro. The title of the book is Momology: A Mom's Guide to shaping great kids. I heard Momology and couldn't help think of the sciences: biology, zoology, psychology, sociology. So many -ologies, and how many of them we integrate into all the tiny teachings we do as parents. And although I was thinking this book was going to be all about integrating parenthood and science, it hasn't been yet. The author is going to focus on 4 areas that she feels are the keys to 'shaping great kids': CORE, FINESSE, CIRCLE, and GRANDSCAPE.

I just touched on the CORE section, this round. Now here's a quote that I found interesting, "Moms witha strong, resilient core are more likely to shape strong resilient children."

Has being a Mom made you more or less resilient? More. Yes More. I have had to bounce back from things I never thought I would...physically like major surgeries, or the kid's illnesses or surgeries. Emotionally too, just when I can think I can't take anymore, God shows me I can, and shows me just how much it's worth it.

Since becoming a mom, I've had to dig deep within myself in order to
cope and comfort the child first. When we've gotten unpleasant news in the hospital, I just let it sit there, I can't fall apart. I have to dig deep to not turn into a blubbering mess around him, my sorrow could wait until later. Just live in the moment, and "there'll be time enough for countin' when the dealings done."

I keep thinking of how I have had therapists tell me how weak my core muscle groups are so weak, but to develop a good core for the health of my children...well, it makes me want to go out and get healthy....for them. A mentally and physically healthy mom will be a better mom for the kids.

If the beginning of this book gets me thinking so much, I can't wait to see how the rest of it goes.

Where's Chris?

144/365



Oh! There he is.



What is it about cabinets?

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Guess who got a Haircut?

143/365

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Play Day

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Today was a fairly quiet day, we only had one thing on the docket, our big MOPS (Mother's of Preschoolers) end of the year party. We opted for a cookout/pitch-in, so of course, the Grub was Good!

They had set up a painting station for the kids to paint little pots, and they were going to fill them up with dirt (only so many painted the Insides, adding dirt would've been unwise). The girls loved it, having a fine time painting, jumping on that bandwagon. Now the boys...my boy in particular had to be really coerced.

I kept asking, Don't you want to go paint? Don't you want to make a pot? It was when I asked Chris "Don't you want a little pot?" That's when Eric laughed at me, and told me that was the one and only time I'd get to ask Chris THAT question. Somehow after that discussion, THEN Chris wanted to go paint a pot.



He didn't like getting messy, and as the girls had gotten crazy with the paint, I think he got more on his hands than on the pot. He didn't do much painting, he wanted to play on the playground with his friends. Then one friend brought a bocci ball set, and some other outdoor games, that was a pretty big hit with the kids too.



This crew didn't quite get to do all the playing, but Sam really enjoyed his lunch of Cheeseburger and snickerdoodle...good thing he was in a stroller, he left quite a mess underneath. I think he tends to drop things for Fina...even when Fina is nowhere in sight. What cracked us up was that though this 'generation' of kiddoes is not too mobile this year, by next year our MOPS group is going to have their hands full with these Toddlers.



Chris wasn't too into much other than playing on the playground. Once there, he didn't want to leave, so Typical. And would let Margaret push him on the swing All Day Long. And what's really sweet, she probably would have.



Two Sweetboys calling it a day...at least calling it Naptime.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Last Day of Soccer

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Chris had his last soccer practice today. I was so proud of him, not only did he do well today, just kicking the ball around, but he got a trophy, and played ball in the rain, not remotely bothered by any Sensory Processing. He didn't cry when he fell, he just laughed it off and kept playing.



Real Soccer Players Play in the Rain.



Chris was so proud of his trophy. We thought the best part was that they are Bendy, hard to break a bendable trophy!



Chris and Emily with their trophies. We are so Proud!

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Thursday Thirteen - Last Day

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Today Chris had his Preschool Last Day at St. A's. So our Thursday 13 will be pics from all that festivity for Chris.

1. Cousin Kaylee holds the Flag as the kids say the Pledge of Allegience.



2. The Whole Class...mostly sitting still. :)



3. The kids sing about Going on a Bear Hunt....with little fuzzy tails.



4. Still on a bear hunt, the kids have fun running through a Jello Field amongst other things.



5. Gotta go OVER it!



6. Bear says Rawr!



7. More hand plays...Chris actually was participating this year. Amazing!



8. OK, he wasn't sitting angelically still, but he's still pretty angelic. ;) One of the songs they sang was "Oh what a miracle am I. " The last verse as his whole miraculous life was flashing before my eyes, Chris started really belting it out, and I cried....like a Mom.



9. At the end, he was given a necklace, a DVD of a slideshow containing pictures from the whole school year, he was so happy, and I was SO Proud.



10. We kidnapped Daddy, since he had a couple meetings and couldn't make the program, we went after him, and took him out on a picnic, we grabbed tamales from The Tamale Place, which actually were quite good, and I don't even like Tamales. Even Sam liked them. So we took Chris to a park in Speedway that had been recently Revamped. This playground had some crazy modern stuff including this climbing net. Chris, ever brave, hopped right on to climb.



11. Chris, channeling his inner spider-man, Climbs the Spider Net.



12. Not too sure about this crazy modern slide...he was supposed to ride down it, legs hanging over like horse...very wary, but he's brave, he gave it a go.



13. Happy on the Slide...a good end to the day.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Weird Wednesday

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OK, this bud appeared in my garden last week. Not exactly spontaneous, not a weed. I had bought this plant 3 years ago, but it had only ever been greens, it never did this....



Then again, it's Never Bloomed. Until this year.



I was looking at this picture I took last night, and Eric peeked over my shoulder, "That's crazy," he said, "It looks all psychadelic."





"It should!" I told him, "It's a Poppy!"



Today, it really opened up and Bloomed!



"Poppies will make them sleep."

Perhaps this will help my children sleep who although in bed by 9, were up at 10, 11, 2, 5, 6, and up to stay at 7 this morning.