Bye, Bye Kitty...

The angry cat is gone!  The park is safe!  The cat is safe.  Hoo and Ray!

I gave up on animal control who visited the park twice without ever seeing a cat.  I set out to catch the cat myself.  I donned my thickest pants and my winter coat.  Oh, I knew that cat could still scratch me, but why make it easy for him!  My niece came over to watch the kids.

Half way to the park, I started to worry.  What if the cat didn't show?  What if he ran away?  What if he sensed a trap?  What if he scratched me?  But, it was too late to change my mind as the cat suddenly appeared at my feet.  He followed me into the park.

The plan:  open the tuna can, put can in box, wait for (starving) cat to go for the tuna, hurry and close box before he can scratch me. Perfect.

I set the box down to open the tuna and the cat walked into the box.  Scared he'd scratch me if I put the tuna in while he was already in the box, I just closed it.  Job done.

I taped the box closed, telling the cat all about the safe warm place in store for him.  He clawed at the opening.  His amber eyes peered up at me.  "I trusted you", he seemed to say.... OK, so I dumped the tuna thru the crack in the box.  I'm such a push-over.  (My kids know it, too).

Animal Control picked him up 10 minutes later.  They'll care for him for a few weeks, and then find him a home with no kids.  We figure a kid must've been mean to him at some point.  I'm glad the cat is safe, warm, and fed.  Plus, my kids aren't scared of the park anymore.

I feel like I completed a rl quest!

Bad Kitty!!

Delightful Finch earned a trip to the park today (no accidents, yay!)  We invited a neighbor girl, B (age 4), to come with us.  It's freezing cold outside today!  The kids climbed and chased and swung and played.  Then they found a cat.

I think the cat lives at the park. He has no collar.  He's been at the park the last several times we've gone.  He's usually very nice.  So, I thought it'd be OK for the kids to follow the cat as long as they didn't touch him.  Wrong.  The cat jumped up and attacked B.  He scratched both of her cheeks!  Oh no!!  I felt awful.  We did the Neosporin thing.

I called animal control.  They told me they'd come by but it's super hard to catch a cat.  Yeah right.  I waited at the park for an hour.  Animal control never showed, but the cat jumped up on the park bench and kept me company for the whole hour.  If I'd had a box, I could've caught him and turned him in myself.

I do hope animal control picks him up.  His fur was much thicker today than it was last summer.  Still, it's freezing cold out there.  He kept licking the puddles of melted snow for a drink.  He also kept trying to sit on my lap.  I hope they find him someplace warm...and start feeding him.  He's such a pretty cat and I'm pretty sure he was only mean because he's so cold and hungry.

The kids ate lunch with grandma and grandpa while I sat at the park with the cat.  The kids didn't want to go back to "the angry cat park".  Doh!

Happy Birthday!

What better way to celebrate Beautiful Rabbit's birthday than with 10 screaming rabbids! The kids played Rayman's Raving Rabbids.

It was loud!  The first cake crumbled, so we tried again.  The kids ate both cakes!  We also had pizza and popcorn. and popcorn and popcorn and popcorn.  Rabbids eat a LOT of popcorn!

We also played the Rabbid's School game with Haqon as the teacher.  While his back was turned, the kids threw paper wads and paper airplanes.  Haqon tried to catch them to send them to timeout (on the stairs).  If he didn't catch anyone, the kids "tattled" on each other to try to get each other in trouble.  It's loud and messy, but great fun.

The party ended too soon!  Oh, and of course, the cake:

Sushi Night!

My 4-yr-old...

I think I was seven or eight when my father came home with his first personal computer.  He brought us into his home office, showed us the computer, showed us the mouse, and told us we were not to touch it.  Ever.  Later he let us play a game on the computer--nibbles.  (the one where you are a snake and each time you eat a number you get bigger and you can't crash into your tail or you lose.  I STILL love that game!)

________________________________________


Strong Bear: Mom, we need to have more than one computer.

Mom: Oh?

Strong Bear: Mom, can we get me a computer....and Beautiful Rabbit a computer, too?  Then we can play [an online game] together!

Mom: Well, I think you should go tell your dad.

------------------
Strong Bear: OK.  I told Dad.  Now, can we go get my computer?

Mom: Not right this second, honey.

Strong Bear: Right.  We better find a place to put my computer and  a place to put Beautiful Rabbit's computer first.
Strong Bear: I know! We can put our computers together--like next to each other.  Then I can play and she can play and we can be by each other!

Mom: That sounds like it would be fun, sweetie.

Strong Bear: Mom, we need to go get my computer right now!!

Mom: ....talk to your dad, hun.

Everybody Needs a little Girls' Night Out!

I went to the movies with some friends over the weekend.  We watched Avatar. [It was good - I wanted to jump into the movie and be a part of it.]

When the movie ended, I was very naughty--I left my cup of ice in the cup holder!!  I always try to "accidentally" forget throw away my trash, but Haqon ALWAYS reminds me:

I say,  "Can't we just leave it here?"
he says, "Nope, you're supposed to take it out - see they have garbage cans by the door so you can throw it away."

Hah!  I felt a tad guilty leaving it....but then I saw rows and rows of cups left behind from my fellow movie goers.  I knew it!  I mean...they have people who do that, right?  If we all cleaned up our own messes, the movie theater might decide to cut back.  Think of the poor people who might lose their jobs if I don't leave my popcorn bucket on the floor!  I probably saved someone's job!! You're welcome!

[Haqon worked in a movie theater when he was in highschool.  So, I have to defer to his expertise.  Still it felt good to let it go just this once...]



  Fun to see friends I hadn't been out with in a while, too.  If you haven't seen Avatar, go see it.  and the 3D was great :)

Hey, What's Up There?

I can hear my mom's voice in my head saying, "Your days are numbered."  and she's absolutely right!

Outsmarted by a Preschooler

Delightful Finch:   Mom, Mom - what's in the box?  Can we open it, can we? can we? Pweeeeeeease!!!
Mom:  It's just diaper wipes, hun. You don't want that.
Strong Bear: Hhh-Uuuu-G-I-Ees.  Then why does it say HuggIes?
Mom: You're right, Bear.  It says Huggies.  That's the name of the wipes.  Good job.
----------------------------------------------------------

...wait, did he just read that??

My Favorite Cleaning Accessory....

The Rake!
I have a special indoor rake.  Plastic works better than metal.  Gently rake the mess into a big pile next to the toy cupboard.  Put away the toys.  Put the clothes in the laundry basket.  Dishes in the sink.  Throw away all the garbage.  Sweep up the rest.  It's quick!

The kids "rescue" their favorite toys before I can rake them.  Kids 3 and older can put away the toys from the pile. [Don't have them put away toys and garbage at the same time because they WILL mix them up.]

It works great on carpet and tile.  Then you're ready to vacuum or sweep.  In a pinch, you can rake everything into the mudroom (or closet or behind some door or in some corner). Don't leave it too long or you'll be featured in a Shel Silverstein poem.

I've never met anyone else who was willing to try it.  I guess I'm crazy, but it works great!

Dinner Salad my Kids Will Eat...

Sexy Haqon makes these fantastic salads!  So, I thought I'd try to create one.



mix:
-cubed ham
-cubed cheddar cheese
-quartered/sliced cucumber (unpeeled but scored with a fork to soak up dressing)
(lightly salt, if desired - salt is for the cucumbers)

microwave:
~1 C frozen blueberries
~5 frozen strawberries

The fruit will melt into a nice sauce.  Slice up the strawberries.  Add fruit (with juices) to main salad bowl.  Mix well.

Add 3 splashes of balsamic vinegar.
Add 1 splash of olive oil
add a tiny squirt of lemon juice.

Mix well.

Serve over a bed of fresh, baby spinach.  We had ours with toast on the side.


Strong Bear: Ewwwwww!  I don't want to try it mom.
Mom: OK
Strong Bear: I don't want to eat the black stuff.
Mom: oh.  I thought you liked blueberries.
Beautiful Rabbit: Those are blueberries??? [squeals] I thought they were beans.
Strong Bear: I want some, I want some!!

..................................
Everyone asked for seconds...and thirds...and they even finished off the spinach so they could have more salad.  Poor Haqon was late getting home and only got 1 bite. I wanted to add some rings of onion to the top of the salad, but I know my kids would never go for it, so I left them off.  If you try it w/ the onions, let me know if they work with the salad.

Funny like a Puppy!!

I have a problem with faces.  Often, instead of remembering what people's faces look like, I only remember what their hair looks like.  This only works if they do their hair the same way every time.  And all those boys running around with short haircuts - forget it!!

Therefore, my own boy has never had short hair.  He has these adorable curls!  I get yelled at when I chop them off.  Well....I'm gonna get yelled at today.  We gave Strong Bear a puppy-dog hair cut!

Won't his daddy be surprised!!!  (and, I can still tell it's him - whew!)

[picture 1: Strong Bear with Seraph. January 2010]

[picture 2: Strong Bear with Delightful Finch May 2008]

[picture 3: Strong Bear January 2010 - today!!]

Let's Play Breakfast

Finch: Angel, do you wanna play breakfast?
[Angel runs off]
Finch: Angel, do you wanna play breakfast?
[Angel runs off]
Finch: Angel, do you wanna play breakfast?  Say 'yeah'
Angel: yeah

.....twenty minutes later they're at the counter with 9 cups partially filled with water.  Each cup has it's own spoon.  They push the cups around until they spill.  Then they get a towel and push the water around on the floor a few times.

Yep.  That's pretty much breakfast.

Stay By My Cradle...

Delightful Finch sleeping next to Angel.  Their beds make an L shape.  Angel LOVES sleeping near her sister.   For each of my other kids, the transition to a toddler bed was a huge pain.  With Angel, as long as she's by someone who loves her, she is fine.

That's why we call her "Roo" like the baby kangaroo from Winnie the Pooh.  She's happiest when someone is carrying her.  She'd love to be kept in my pocket all day long.

Tonight I went in to fix their blankets (am I the only one who does that after the kids fall asleep?) so they'd be toasty warm.  We let the kids "read" books 'til they fall asleep.  Angel grabs a book and "reads" right along with them.  She even copies the other kids about being super picky about which book she wants to read.

I've read so much about twins wanting to sleep near each other as babies - even in the same crib when they're very little.  Since Angel can't sleep by Seraph (who has to stay downstairs near her oxygen supplies), I'm glad she likes sleeping by her big sister so much.

night night :)

She's Doing It!!

That's right - she's standing up!!  My sweet little Seraph who only learned to crawl a few weeks ago, likes standing.  She reaches onto the couch for toys and faces.  Today (while I held her arms), she walked 5 paces to the couch.

Tonight she started bear walking! She still likes army crawling the best.

Delightful Finch loves playing peek-a-boo with Seraph.  She throws a blanket over Seraph's head and then runs over to ask me, "mommy, where's Seraph?"    I say, "I don't see her." By then, Seraph's pulled the blanket off and Finch says, "there she is!!"  Big smiles all around.

Do You See What I See

Delightful Finch (age 3) walked off with my camera.  I scolded her and cleaned the smudged lens and forgot all about it.  Then I found the picture she took.  Life from her eyes.

I still have the first picture my oldest daughter took - a triangle of fuzzy green carpet - in her scrap book.  For his first, my boy took a fuzzy picture of something white. Then for my sweet Finch I find this picture.  Did she focus or is she just lucky?

I only take pictures with people.  Unlike my other kids, she didn't just click.  and I can't throw it away because I've never seen life from her eyes.  Those are the two chairs that she likes to sit on; the end of the counter that she claimed as her own.  The boxes atop the cupboards are hopelessly out of reach.  The doorknob encourages tippytoes.

I don't look at things the way she does and I don't see the things she sees.

When I ripped the camera from her grasp she cried.  Her brother yelled at me, "Hey Mom, Fi wants to take pictures!!"  I decided I'd give the camera back if she hadn't left fingerprints on the lens.  I didn't give it back. Now I wish I had.  I wonder what else she wants to show me.  I wonder if I'll take the time to see.

I Can Paint with my Eyes Shut!

Beautiful Rabbit adding the final coat of paint to her new bedroom.  Once she got bored, Haqon and I finished the painting.  Haqon, who is usually very messy with paint, minded all the details and made less of a mess than I did!  Good job, Haqon :)

Rabbit picked out the color herself.  She wanted her room to match the blue of her eyes.  Then if she's crying in her room, we'll think it's so beautiful that we'll go easy on her.  (and yes, it'll prolly happen just like that.)

I've never had walls that weren't some shade of white.  The paint looks lighter in the can; dries darker on the wall.  At first I thought the store had messed up the color.  I'm glad she'll have her own room - her own space.  Now if she'll just keep it somewhat clean.....

A Little Break...

Sweet Seraph goes through oxygen dots like crazy! (Dots are the stickers we put on her cheeks to hold her oxygen tubing in place.)  She worked so hard to pull them off today, I thought I'd give her a short break from the tubing. She played with her Christmas present and found mommy's necklace.  We went for a walk upstairs.  It's been months since her last visit.  I tried to get her to play with the baby in the mirror, but she was more interested in the mommy in the mirror!

She looks so happy - I wish I could leave the tubes off.  She is within her prescribed oxygen range.  However, the oxygen dilates her blood vessels making her whole system work better.  She makes fewer extra blood vessels when she's on oxygen full time.  These extra blood vessels are bad--they make her circulatory system less efficient.  So, they surgically plug them when she gets too many that are too big.  So, time to put the oxygen back on.

I miss being a little kid.  I miss being irresponsible and just going after what I want instead of thinking things through to their natural consequences.  I miss being too scared to try new things.  I miss jumping on the tramp all day and into the night with my lil brother.  I miss watching the clouds roll by; imitating the hawk calls; star gazing.

I hope my kids are having lots of fun they'll miss when they're older, too.

Good Eats!

Tonight for dinner the kids had Mac n Cheese. Haqon and I had breakfast steaks with squash.  Do you cook twice for your family?  I can't stand feeding the whole family steak because some of it goes to waste.  The kids do better eating dinner and then snacking off my plate.  They all love tastes with steak sauce.

Done!

500 pieces all done - yay!!  My family always does a puzzle on New Year's Eve.  It helps you stay awake AND if people drop by, there's plenty of munchies and pieces to put together.  I see fish every time I close my eyes.  More amazed that we didn't lose any pieces than anything.  We left it out over night unprotected from the kids!!

Strong Bear was banned from the computer and wii today.  Beautiful Rabbit stuck up for him and tried to get him a second chance.  I LOVE it when my kids defend and protect each other...so I almost always lighten the consequences when they do.  It didn't happen today, though.

I felt bad, too.  I know when my internet is out I can't think of a single thing to do that isn't on my computer.  Bear had that same problem today.  He tried various ways of asking to play on the computer/wii:  demanding, crying, whining, ...he even tried being extra nice and uber polite.

Angel and Delightful Finch started doing somersaults together today!  Angel usually just stands on her feet and her head with her butt up in the air w/out going over.  Today she tucked and rolled.  I'd never seen Finch do one, either.  The kids were all dancing today and Finch just started doing them like she'd done it hundreds of times.

Today was cranky - coming off too little sleep and too much sugar.  I'm glad we have such a long weekend.  Hopefully tomorrow will be more fun :)

Happy New Year!!

We finished this much of our jigsaw puzzle before we all fell asleep.  It's one of those 3D puzzles that looks different from different angles.  So, you go look for a piece that matches and there isn't one because you're at a new angle.  My eyes are going crazy!!

We watched G-force -- sooo cute!  Esp as my kids have been quoting a certain line since the first previews:  "Get your butt out of my face!  Get your face out of my butt!"  They were thrilled to see it in a real movie.

We've been learning (trial and error) which games/activities are so fun that they become an exception to Bear's potty trained status. Girls are easier!

Beautiful Rabbit is stealing my sense of humor and using it against me.  Is that allowed?  It looks way cuter on her, too.

Lil Seraph is playing with her Alphabet Town toy in her crib before sleepy time. She's the only one still up with me, but she cheated and had LOTS of naps today.

nite nite, lil girl :)