Kitties vet check

I had to take the kittens back to the Animal Control today. Jamie got hysterical in the driveway when I left the house with them this morning, and silly me thought she was sad to see me go to work without taking her to daycare. No...she was freaking out cuz she thought I was taking the kittens away...for good! "Daddy kitties gone?" she sobbed...Anyway the kittens were due for their shots and to get weighed. They were less than 2 lbs each when we picked them up 3 wks ago. Now Truman (the Siamese) is 2 lb 15 oz and Minnie (the dark calico) and Spicy (the dilute calico) weight about 2 1/2 lb each. They were very happy to see me come back to pick them up! Next I get to take them back to be spayed and neutered. Can you believe they are able to do that to such young kittens? they just need to be at least 2 lbs and 8 weeks old. Then we can adopt them. So we're still a foster family. A gal I used to work with just started working there doing PR and I saw her on the news Thursday and again this morning. Sounds like an interesting job but I am afraid I would want all of the animals. I remember once going to a kennel with a friend who was thinking about getting a cat, and just sobbing in front of the cages, knowing that most of them would be put down soon.

Truman is the most loving or codependent of the 3 - he reminds me a bit of my dear Poncho- he follows me and wants to be where I am and talks alot. I am glad Jamie loves the kittens as they will be part of her life a good long time. I hope they play with her and follow her around as time goes by- right now they tolerate her petting them and thrusting stuff in their face all the time. She is starting to play with them though, she was rolling a ball for Spicy for over 10 minutes earlier.

The kittens are about 11 weeks old now, I figured their birthday is March 23 2008, my 15th anniversary of working at the paper. (Who'd a thunk I would be at this job so long!)

Truman is sitting on my tummy (I am laying on the couch typing this on my laptop)...he is such a lovey. I am so happy to have kitties in our lives again.

Move over Dora, Elmo, Barney & Boobah ~ Make room for Thomas!

As Jamie gets older she is much more demanding about what she would like to watch. Although our public library here in town has a fine selection of dvds available to borrow at no cost, OnDemand is a wonderful, convenient source for all of her faves, including the new one on the list - Thomas the train. Who'da thunk that a show about a train would be so popular...but there is something about it I like...could be I love me some Alec Baldwin voiceover and the use of 'cross' instead of mad always makes me smile.

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Mike installed 'Twitter' recently (see the sidebar on the right) and it's kind of neat, but it is a bit of a new widget program. I wanted one that would allow me to announce a sort of 'swimming pool open house' whenever we were in the pool...so far nobody has taken us up on it. I guess people are just more comfortable with a phone conversation instead when you are talking about coming by...there is a function that can alert people via cell phone but I think it involves text messaging and my friends and I just arent there yet. Also before I got in today Twitter was down so I couldnt change the widget to say we were in the pool.

So anyway everyone I know irl if you read my blog and its Sat or Sun, check it to see if we are 'in the swim'.

These kitties are so much fun

The first couple of days with the kittens Jamie behaved very badly...a bit like a (need I say it?) B R A T (Now we are the only ones to be able to call her that. I don't believe in calling her that to her face. She is not a brat, she just acts tht way sometimes). She was clearly a bit upset at the change in dynamics in our household. When we realized that, we changed our behavior. When I got home at night I would ignore the kittens (which was hard) and focus on Jamie. Her behavior has improved and she also seems more amused by them lately. Its hard not to be - they are constantly wrestling under foot, tumbling, skidding and mewing away. We of course are in love with all 3 and they won't be up for adoption by anyone else. We have always been a three cat family, so we will continue in that vein. The dilute calico - Spicy is a hoot, she can growl and mew so fiercely when they are play fighting, but she also purrs the loudest and will come often for cuddles. Truman - the siamese, is also very affectionate and seems to tolerate Jamie the best. Minnie is a bit more aloof which is typical of a calico, but she has her affectionate moments as well. She is alot quieter than the others but seems a bit more laid back. We shall see...

Boy! Am I hungry!

Since I really haven't contributed to the family blog as of yet I decided it was time to do so for a couple of reasons. As my girth has now reached the "beached whale" phase of by being now is the time to contemplate the old diet and exercise regime. Now that we have Jamie, I want to make sure I'm around to see her thrive and grow into adulthood along with my beautiful wife. There simply are not words one could utter to express the sheer joy my wife and I have felt ever since we have been fortunate enough to have Jamie come into our lives. Now though, it's time to get the health issues in line and go for the "fighting weight" I need to get down to in order to start feeling better and give me a chance to keep up with our daughter.

Though I wasn't really into the prospect of taking on three new additions to the household in the form of three kittens I have to how wonderful it has been to have them around. I just wasn't sure I was ready to handle three of them Pancho's loss still so fresh in our minds. I still can't believe we lost our other three cats so quickly. It's like I turned around and they were just "gone." The emotional price is always greater than you realize when it does eventually happen.

Jamie's reaction to them have been interesting to say the least. She seems to like them well enough but her behavior had taken on a noticable change since we've gotten them. There is no doubt in her mind there is a competition for attention now with our three new additions. Martha and I have even, as late as last night, taken to not discussing the kittens when we need to focus on here. I think later she'll be o.k. and fall in love with them as we already have.

Now, back to the fact I'm sitting here at school where class just ended and I'm so hungry. Martha and I have planned to take out as much carbs in my diet as possible. Bread, pasta, rice, or anything related to spuds is now out. Since Monday morning I have been pretty good about holding to it. How's that for bragging about 24 hrs. of will power. One thing though, last night in a fit of determination checked to see how much carbs are in raisons and my jaw dropped when I looked closer: 33grams per serving. Aaarrrrgggghhhh. No more raisons in salads for me. The last time Martha and I struck out on this journey towards slimsville we did pretty well. This time though, I hope to get within the neighborhool of my target weight: 215 to 220 lbs. In the next day or two I'll do a weigh in to start tracking my progress. Jeez, actually weighing myself to see my true weight is not something I'm looking forward to. I imagine I'll put it off as long as possible to keep the denial train in full throttle but I know it has to be done for a point of reference goal wise..

Hopefully blogging about it will give me the incentive and a good way to track my progress. Hmmmm...should I do a before and after photo? The answer is yes, but I won't post it until I've dropped at least 20 lbs.

kittens are us

Minnie, Truman and Spicy (names so far, not etched in stone!)

Jamie holding the boy kitten (Truman?) on the way home from the shelter. Isn't she a serious kitty mommy?

Here they are and have they ever settled in to our home! We are fostering these three and I had told Mike we didn't necessarily have to keep all of them but I think they have all found their way into our heart. And as there are no birth parents to get them back I think we are pretty much assured that they will be here forever. I didn't realized how big Truman was until I downloaded these pictures, but the dominent one seems to be the 'Dilute Calico' who we have nicknamed Spice or Spicy as she bulls her way t whatever food or comfie spot there is in sight. They are very sociallized, the litter had been found by someone how nursed them for a couple weeks, and then relinguished these three to the shelter. So they have been handled and socialized which is extremely important for kittens btn 5 and 8 weeks. If they don't get that human interaction they will often be skittish and not very affectionate with humans their entire life.

The city animal shelter is a wonderful place to adopt. Yes they do have to euthanize many animals, but as an enticement to folks to adopt, they offer lots of benefits with getting a shelter pet. For only $60 per head they give them all their beginning shots, spay or neuter them and microchip them. It's much more of a bargain than getting a 'free' kitten.

I miss having a kitty

Here are 3 kittens that were found as strays by our towns animal control. I just fell in love with them especially the calico in the back. They were in the found pages and have to stay there until they see if someone lost them. I really doubt someone 'lost' a litter of kittens so I thought I would check into them as Mike said it was time we got a kitty or two. It just so happens that an ex-coworker emailed everyone at the office yesterday and said she just got a new job as an Animal Care and Control worker - good job in PR or something...Anyway I emailed her yesterday about them and when I hadn't heard back I called this morning. The guy on the phone just wanted to get me off..." they are in foster care and aren't available for adoption" When I pressed him he said all I could do is call back or check the internet every day to see when they come up for adoption...15 minutes later my friend emailed me and asked if I would be interested in fostering...Later she emailed me an application, so I just signed up to be a foster mommy again! I am not sure I will get these kitties, but will probably get a couple or a few. Mike really doesn't want 3, but my one friend said she may take one of the kittens, maybe the one in the front, which is cool cuz I really like the calico and the siamese.

I miss Poncho, but I really need to have a kitty in my life. I have been wandering over to the neighbor lady's driveway, as she has 15 cats to try to get one of them to let me pet her...but they are pretty wild so I can't get my kitty fix. This is really been the first time since '93 I haven't had a kitty and then it was only a few months after my first kitty Iggy died. So really it has been since '85 since I didn't have a kitty in my life and home. I miss having a kitty.

Happy Mothers Day! << @ @ @>>

Mike got Jamie up and was changing her this morning, when I came in Jamie said 'Ha..y mdders AY!' Hee hee so sweet of Mike to prompt her with that greeting!
Then after breakfast (Mike cooked us French Toast - yum!) we spent a good part of the morning in the pool and had a great time despite alot of wind and an approaching storm.

Jamie wanted her 'Waddy' earlier when Daddy was cleaning up after breakfast and I was striping the beds and putting her clothes away. As we had the big bed stripped her Waddy was up on the tall dresser too high for her to reach. Waddy usually spends the day on our bed as Jamie doesn't get to bring Waddy downstairs. Waddy is excusively for napping and bedtime. It has become quite the cue to her to bring on sleepiness, fingers go in the mouth and she begins rubbing her eyes furiously once she 'assumes the position'.



Anyway she asked me more than once for Waddy while I was running around upstairs and I kept telling her 'not now sweetie', or 'it's not naptime yet' So next thing I know she went downstairs and got her little chair and dragged it up the stairs, took it to the high dresser where Waddy was and got him down! She's a smart one, maybe she will be an engineer! Uncle Bruce thinks so.

I want to get some sort of widget on the side that would let our friends know that we are in the pool and they are welcome to come by and join us. Any ideas? I thought I could post something during the week like: Tentative pool schedule for the upcoming weekend is 12:30 - 2:30 Saturday and 11-1pm on Sunday, come back and check the blog to see if we are in the pool! Then have the widget indicate that we are 'In the swim'. I don't want to use the Live Video function though I did think about it, as it is a bit of a pain to set up. I love to have people over to swim in the pool but if it is a formal affair it always involves a meal and I can't stay in the pool with the guests very much of the time - I have to be setting up the meal or cleaning up. So I was thinking I really like to just have people over to swim...this would allow me to enjoy the pool with my friends, then when I do have a Pool Party where a meal is involved it would be easier to tear myself away from the action.

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I was looking at my stat counter at the bottom, it gives me lots of info on where people are coming from who read my blog. I had some wierd 'come froms'

One of them is a search for 'Michigan lawn tractors on craigslist
another is a search for a bounce house on craigslist, ( I guess I do mention Craigslist now and then) but the oddest by far is a search for 'the pony went poop on the couch' Strange indeed. I did the search and we were 8 pages in and of course it was fragments of what I have posted in the past all strung together:

Jamie & Us Now and Forever He was in the kitchen when I cooked, on the couch or in my lap when I was on the .... And she Picked the pony ride. She cried a bit when we went to leave, ...

I don't see poop mentioned in this fragment, but know it has been mentioned on more than one occasion on this blog. :-)

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A fellow blogger (Click on Leap of Faith on the right) got these shoes for Mothers Day today:


After going to the site and reading reviews I just had to have them! They are Crocs with a kick! So much cuter than the Caymens and one of the reviews I read said they are more comfortable than Birks!! They were $30, they didn't have the Khaki colored so I got black as I have been holding off buying the Black birks I want for the last 5 years! So I told Mike this was like saving $100~! How do you like my rationale?

Jamie & Friends - Ander and more

First time in the pool!

First she went in the little pool that I warmed up for an hour or so, then it was time to plunge in the big pool. A girl after my own heart! 80 degrees sounds warm but it felt a bit chilly.

RIP Poncho 1997-2008

I will miss him so very much. He was my constant companion whenever I was home. He would follow me into the bathroom even while I took my shower, sitting on the vanity waiting for me to pet him...He was in the kitchen when I cooked, on the couch or in my lap when I was on the couch, following me down to laundry, out on the porch or on his leash when I went outside etc.

After the downturn on Sunday, and going to the vet, he just got worse every day. I started to force him to eat on Monday, and Tuesday morning, but it was apparent he didn't care to go on. He would just lay there moaning...and last night he crawled under the couch - I think to die...I was able to get him out this morning by wedging Jamies step stool under it when I managed to raise it, thinking he was dead. He was alive, barely...I had an important meeting at 9am in Flem Island so I went and made an appt at the vet for late this afternoon. I sat and held him and cried and said Goodbye, Jamie sat with us for a couple of minutes before we left the house...Mike and I took him together to the vet this afternoon and the Dr agreed - It was time. It was very peaceful...

We decided to share the experience with Jamie as when we got home she asked for Poncho and cried when he wasn't there. We showed Jamie his body and explained that this was Poncho's body and that Poncho was gone. But we had to go into further detail because she knows the word gone in the context of her best friend in daycare Sydney who left the home daycare 2 weeks ago. She is constantly telling us in a very sorrowfilled voice 'Syndey gone' so we had to explain Poncho had died. Not just gone, but died.

Then tonight we did our regular ritual and watched the beginning of a dvd I bought for .50 at a garage sale called Cats & Dogs (we finished Finding Nemo last nite - it was great) and read her "goodnight Moon" and "the Napping book" and we put her down as we always do. Well she was crying like her heart was breaking. Mike went in a couple times, and then I did and rocked her for a while, she was really crying...and she said "Poncho Gone?" "Yes baby Poncho is gone, he died" She calmed down and went immediately to sleep when I put her back in the crib.

Gosh I hope it was Ok to handle it this way...I am so sad.

I think my kitty is dying

Poncho is the last of our three cats, Kimba died in Oct and Katie died 2 years ago at Christmas. Poncho has a kidney stone which was diagnosed a year and half ago and we hve been administering fluids subq (under the skin) three times a week since the diagnosis. The diagnosis came shortly after we got Jamie and we were just leaving for a trip north to see the relatives - Mikes folks in N. Carolina and my dad in Michigan. A friend of mine had been a medic in the army and she felt able to come in and not only feed and scoop poop but irrigate Poncho.

Sunday Poncho had a downturn, he was crying (Yowling) and straining at the litter box, and just lying on his side. So we took him to the vet yesterday and did his bloodwork. The vet said he could live another year or another month or two, that there wasn't really anything we could do and that he wasn't in any pain. So we brought him home. He isn't doing well...I am not so sure he isn't in pain, he doing a lot of yowling and not much of anything else. I force fed him by syringe last night this morning...but I hesitate to do it tonight. I think he wants to go. I have an important meeting first thing in the morning, I think I will come home from that and if he is still so bad, I will take him in. This is so hard.

Crib diving

OK so last night we heard Jamie thump thump thumping like we often do when she is in her crib, when we checked her at 11 before I went to bed she was sleeping in a hole, she had broken one of the supports by jumping and the crib was slanted quite a bit towards the wall. I laid down with her in bed while Mike fixed the crib.

Tonight there was a loud THWACK!! -she had climbed out and landed smack dab on her head...pretty big bump but otherwise ok. After tears and snuggles and a bit of a session with an ice pack on her forehead we just put her back to bed with piles of pillows and comforters next to the crib.

Does this mean we should get her a toddler bed now? Or should we wait and see...I can't believe my baby is turning into such a big girl!

Parks and Fun with Jamie

Jamies New Push Buggy

Choo Choo

First Pony Ride


Park between Rain Showers


We have been having so much fun. Yes we both went back to work last week which was tough, especially since I had a work event on Friday night which kept me away from my family until 10pm. Last weekend we went to Kids Kampus and on the way it was pouring rain. We almost turned back but after we crossed the river the rain slowed and when we pulled up it stopped. So we grabbed the trusty towel I keep in the Mommy van for just this purpose and played in puddles and wiped down the playground equipment for Jamie to use. SHe got soaked anyway, and when we left it started raining again.

Then this weekend, on Saturday morning first thing, we went to a garage sale where this lady was holding a Push Buggy I had found on Craigs List...We got it for only $15 and it should be good for another year or so. We found a park down there in that part of town, but not until we tried to pull into the YMCA where they were having some sort of carnival and we were waiting for this lady to back out onto the road...and she backed right into someones car who didn't notice her backing out...MIke was mortified, he felt guilty that he didn't honk the horn. Too bad I wasnt driving, I never forget to honk the horn. Anyway we found another park and we played and rode her new buggy and she even tried out a battery powered car these folks had just bought for their 2 year old. Very cool, but is that necessary do you think? I like the idea of the Push Buggy - let me have the control while I can! Mike got to fly his kite for a bit but it really wasn't windy enough.

Then we went further down the road in search of food really, we were going to go to Q..znos because we had a Entertainment book coupon for $5 off with the purchase of $5 in food. On the way we saw another carnival at an elementary school and it had ponies and other farm animals as well as a Bounce House and a small train. We stopped and it was a fund raiser for this public elementary school. Tickets were Four for a Dollar and most of the stuff cost four tickets - even the Pony ride, bounce house and Train ride. Well we do enough bounce houses at no charge and Jamie had never been on a pony or a train. We did the Pony first and she like it, but there wasn't a meltdown like there is when we take her off the carousal horses...maybe she was a bit intimidated? There were lots of animals right there where we got off the pony so maybe that was it. Baby rabbits, chicks, goats,ducks and a baby pig all there to pet and touch.

Then we put her on the train ride, it was so cute, this guy had fixed up a lawn tractor to look like a train, and taken barrels and cut them and painted them and put on wheels for the little kids to ride in. After the train ride I asked her 'Which do you want to do again? Pony ride or Train?" And she Picked the pony ride. She cried a bit when we went to leave, but nothing like the melt down she has exhibited both times after the carousal ride.

Then we went to Q...znos. Do you think it's right that they change the offer of the coupon? They had a sign up that said 'Because everything has gone up so much in cost we need you to purchase a drink and chips to get the $5 off.' What a rip...Well i had just seen that clip on Negotiating for what you want, and I offered to buy 2 large subs to get the $5 off - In other words to spend $20 to save $5. It was turned down the first time, but not the second. I just can't see buying chips and a drink when you have that at home. So that is my rant about using coupons.

Anyway life is grand, wish I could take another week off soon with my girl.

Jamie's Spring Break

Spring break

Well my Mom was here for a visit - she stayed a week and left Friday at 8pm to drive back to Clearwater. Why 8pm you say? Well she had brought her cat Kiwi because she didn't want to leave her alone so soon after her boy cat Corky died. Anyway, Kiwi wouldn't come out from under the bed so I went up there with Mike and we attempted to get her. After 20 minutes of struggle, in which we moved furniture while wearing socks on my arms, I was bitten right through the sock- quite a painful puncture wound. So we gave up, and Mom spent the next 7 hours sitting up there waiting for her to come out, which finally happened at 8pm at which time she left. ( We had taken Jamie to the Mall play area to get her wiggles out so we were quite surprised to see that she had left that late to drive 5 hours home!)

She thinks she found a place that she can move in here in Jacksonville, but she still needs to sell her mobile home and that may not be doable so quickly.

Jamies first hunts

We went to a egg hunt at a local park on Saturday. When we got there Jamie wanted to 'See the Bunny!' which was fine, at first she was a bit timid, but with me holding her she was thrilled to meet the Easter Bunny. Then they gave her a sucker...well the egg hunt was about to start...and all she cared about was that sucker! So when they blew the whistle she could have cared less about running out to get the eggs! They even had some golden eggs which gave the kids some huge prizes, like bikes and big baskets full of toys. Oh well we had fun, she was a bit traumitized when after hunt was over the bunny took off his head and put it on the picnic table...I am still hearing "Bunny head momma" four days later!

We also went to Anders house on Sunday morning and did another egg hunt. This time Jamie was too enamoured of Anders wonderful playground like back yard to care much about looking for the eggs. Ander was sweet enough to restrain himself from taking all the eggs, even helping Jamie find the ones she missed. Now days later I hear from Jamie "Ander park?" she wants to go back to Anders park! hehhehee... I wish we had a better playyard for her at our house, with the pool it's tough to feel real comfortable out in the back yard with her, unless we are all in the pool that is. (which is coming up soon! yippee!)

Blogger is giving me issues when I try to load more pictures so I will try to do a slideshow later. Hope everyone had a Happy Easter.

Spring has sprung

And it has knocked me for a loop. I woke up the other day feeling like my nose had gotten punched. Every day the pain behind my nose spread farther along my jawline and this morning my left side looked like I had been punched but hadnt bruised. Very puffy and swollen and so very painful. I thought I was going to make it through the winter without a sinus infection but no, I am not so lucky. I hear the pollen count is really bad this year. Could it be from global warming?

My mom was going to come this weekend, she is hoping to move back to town from downstate. I think she misses her friends, me and wants to be near Jamie. Anyway she is coming next week sometime instead as I am off March 31st for a week. So I will be able to spend some time with her, and her with us and Jamie.

I hope I am feeling up to doing Easter egg hunts tommorrow. This will be the first time for Jamie and I think will be very fun. I am making her a custom basket, I have been picking up trinkets since Christmas - I am trying to keep it to fun stuff, not just candy. There will be a bit of candy of course :-) I am sure we will help her eat it.

I need to stay out of the thrift and consignment stores until I sell some of the clothes Jamie has outgrown but I can't seem to. This week I got her a beautiful pink pair of Tennis shoes that were hardly worn for $2 in size six which will be her next size and a couple of barely worn size 4 dresses, and some cute tees. I am buying ahead as she really does have enough clothes in her size. It's a sickness I am telling you. (As some of you already know!)

Dancing again this time with Mommy

Ander this one is for you

Dancing in the new mirror in the kitchen

Jamie has recently become quite 'girlie'. She has expressed interested in shoes and has been very vocal on choosing the footwear of the day for quite some time. "Mommy Sponge Bob!" or "No Mommy, want those!" I try to give her choices between a couple of pairs that could be suitable. Because I am a prolific thrift store shopper she does have alot of shoes. (12 or so pairs in her size - is that alot?)

Anyway, she has recently become interested in wearing dresses, and while wearing them she has noticed the new big mirror in the kitchen. We got a new dishwasher - in black - so she uses it to showcase her dancing talent, but only while wearing dresses. Just now she was in my lap and I showed her the two videos that I downloaded for this post and she ran right to the kitchen and started dancing to the dishwasher. (and yes she was wearing a dress!) Maybe I will post that video later. I have recently figured out how to post videos via youtube so now I will be be putting them on the blog regularly.

Jumping with Bobo

Here are the videos I talked about in the last post. Notice Jamie yelling "OWL! OWL! OWL!...She was impatient for Ms. Owl which follows storytime in the children's theatre- a mechanical owl in the dark theatre with birds and woodland creatures all around. Also notice the wild boy child on her left and how he ends up smacking Jamie in the face...and her reaction - poor baby ran to her momma.




This is part 2, notice Jamie holding her own with the wild child and look at the kids faux temper tantrum during the exciting part. Doesn't Jamie do the yelling part pretty well?