Finally, the sun came out!

Our foster kitten - 7 weeks old.New foster kitten. It's a girl!
One of our cats ~ Mater.

Lake Sammamish
Katie playing in the water this afternoon.

Katie, the soccer player. Practicing in the backyard
after we got back from Red Robin.

Where's the SUN???

Our weatherman sucks! I kept hearing over and over that we were to have clouds in the morning, giving way to sun in the afternoon, everyday starting on Wed ~ 3 days ago. Well, at least here at our house, that's NOT happening. The sun has made an appearance only a couple of times, for a few minutes each time. Oh well, at least it's not raining, right?!

Katie started soccer yesterday. I signed her up for an Arena Sports Lil Kickers class in Klahanie. I didn't take video of her first class like I planned. Ended up talking the whole time to another Mom there. Next week I'll get pictures.

I have another appointment with Dr. Nowicki, the naturopathic doctor I met with a couple of weeks ago, to discuss the results of my blood work. In particular, we will go over the list of foods on my "food sensitivity" results. I spoke to him briefly when I was in there with Bonnie this past week and he said he skimmed the results. He said I have around 26 foods that I'm sensitive to which could be causing some or all of my problems. I'll find out on Tues (6/17) what those foods are and what I need to do about it.

Yesterday we got another kitten, for our little sole survivor kitten to pal around with. So far, they are not getting along! Of course, the Momma is pissed. So, we're taking it very slowly.

Quinoa (Kee-nwah)

The other day I was browsing the bulk food section at PCC and came across a bin of quinoa. I'd heard about it from Dr. Oz on Oprah a while back, but never got around to looking for it. He raved about how nutritious it is and highly recommended it.

Today I had some for lunch and discovered that I like it. I mixed it up with black beans and cheese, like you would rice. In fact, you cook it like you do rice, and I imagine you can do all the same things with it that you would do with rice, and it's better for you. It's especially great for vegetarians because it is high in protein, compared to other grains like rice. Although I read that it's not technically a grain, but it's treated like one.

I fixed it again for dinner, but this time l wanted to see how it would turn out in the rice cooker. It came out perfectly cooked. I mixed it up with ham and asparagus, and a little soy sauce. Yummy!

Kung Fu Panda

over the weekend, we saw this movie.
we all enjoyed it.
it kept Katie's interest.
for the most part, anyway.
she giggled a lot.
but some of it was scary
to a four-year-old.
even so,
we all enjoyed it.

Rice Cooker and Warmer

I've been using this non-stop lately and I love it!
Mostly for white and brown rice or steel cut oatmeal.
It does a beautiful job, every time.

It's made by Zojirushi, model number NS-LAC05.

Check it out.

Hooked on LOST

I have finally succeeded in finding someone to watch all four seasons of LOST dvds with me, from the beginning! My sister Bonnie agreed to watch them with me! Hurray! She saw a little bit of it when it first aired, but not enough to feel compelled to watch it every week. We're about to watch the 2-episode finale of the first season and she's hooked! There is so much going on in this show that each episode I rewatch, brings up numerous things that I either forgot or just simply didn't catch when I watched it the first time. This is just too much fun!

Very Quick Update

Katie's favorite part of eating a cupcake...

the frosting, of course!

My sister, Bonnie, got here a week ago. It's been raining almost every day since she arrived, so we've not done much sight seeing. She's gonna be here for several weeks, so we might as well wait until nicer days to get out and about.

Regina came home this weekend and is still here for jury duty tomorrow. I made her an appointment with the naturopathic doctor I met with a couple of weeks to see if he can get to the bottom of her headaches too. I'm guessing she'll be doing the food allergy testing, too.

The momma cat is already weaning her kitten. He's almost 7 weeks old and she started weaning him at least 2 weeks ago, maybe 3. So, he's learning to take care of himself a little earlier than I expected he would have to. He's doing well, but seems to be having some trouble with constipation, on and off. I'm hoping tomorrow to take the momma cat back to the shelter to get her spayed and I'll bring a couple of orphaned kittens home with me to play with our kitten. He's very playful and really needs some buddies his own age. It's gonna get crazy around here!

Gastrointestinal Distress... BIG Time!

Yikes! Today was so miserable!

This morning I had the same amount of Xylitol in my coffee that I'd had the last two mornings without incident. However, today I put it on my oatmeal too. Well, that was evidently TOO much. My digestive tract was in extreme turmoil all day long. Only now, after eating a huge batch of plain rice a couple of hours ago, am I beginning to feel close to normal. I can't wait to get Katie into bed so I can relax!

Being A Slug...

I am in Portland this weekend and the week (it was even a short one) seemed to really take it out of me. I did take a 2 mile walk and watch the Hokies lose in the Softball World Series... but since then it has all been movies! Wild Hogs, DaVinci Code, Failure to Launch and a Bruce Willis movie (can't remember the name of it). I feel rested but now I am missing everyone. I thought about driving to Seattle but since it is after 7pm probably not a good idea.

I am headed back to Seattle next weekend and get to stay for some of the following week as I have been called to Jury Duty again! I think this is the fifth time! Guess I need to do my civic duty... but it seems like they could get more people if they have a voluntary option and only "draft" people if they don't get enough volunteers.

Well, I hear another movie starting... wonder what it is?!

Headache Update

I had an appointment with a naturopathic physician a couple of days ago. My primary care physician urged me to do so in hopes that he can help me with my chronic headaches.

I do think my sinus surgery was beneficial in that I am finally infection-free and congestion-free. However, I am NOT headache-free. I continue to wake up pretty much every day with a headache. Some days, like yesterday, it was a relentless, pounding pain that negatively impacted most of my day. It was a three-pain-pill day and I went to bed early. Today I woke up with a headache as well, though not quite as intense. About two hours after taking pain medicine, it had subsided enough that I could function normally. I'm grateful for that because I had to be able to take Katie to a classmate's birthday party.

Anyway, back to my appointment with the naturopathic physician. His name is Dr. John Nowicki (he introduces himself as Dr. John) and I have to say, I was NOT looking forward to telling yet another doctor my sad and depressing headache history. But, he's one of those people you instantly feel comfortable around and I had no problem sharing my story with him.

He said he LOVES treating people with chronic headaches, especially migraines. He, himself, used to suffer from them, but he no longer does. The cause of his own headaches turned out to be the same cause of headaches in most of his patients. Food allergies. He's not talking about the people who are allergic to peanuts, or shellfish, etc., where they have to carry an epi-pen around at all times, but it's possible to be allergic to foods without really realizing it because the symptoms are so common, like headaches or depression or aches and pains, etc. He found out which foods he is allergic to, he now avoids those foods, and he no longer suffers from migraines. So, that's where he wants me to start, by taking a food allergy blood test. I went to the lab yesterday to get my blood drawn. I should know something within the next 7-10 days. I'm excited to find out if this could be the cause of my chronic headaches, but also fearful it'll come back and say I need to eliminate huge food groups, like wheat or dairy. That's very hard to do, but if that's what I have to do to live headache-free, I'll give it a try.

Something else he recommended is that I begin to eliminate artificial ingredients from my diet. That means fewer processed foods, more time in the kitchen making things from scratch. He specifically said to get rid of artificial sweeteners. Well, I love my coffee every morning and in every cup I add a packet of equal or something comparable. He told me to throw that stuff out and use xylitol instead. It's a completely natural sugar substitute, has fewer calories than sugar and actually tastes good without an aftertaste. It can be used in baking and cooking, although I read there's some reason it can't be used in recipes for yeast-based breads. It reacts with the yeast, somehow. Maybe prevents it from rising. Oh, and also, it has several health benefits.

Anyway, I found it at PCC in Issaquah and it's about $8/lb. So, it's more expensive than regular sugar, but I really don't use that much on a daily basis anyway.

In addition to being more expensive than regular sugar, it also has another negative. It has a laxative effect on your body. So, if you decide to switch to it (like I am trying to), you'll want to do so slowly to allow your body time time to adjust. So far I'm having it only in the morning with my coffee and I haven't had any trouble. However, if you have trouble with constipation or irregularity, this laxative effect could work in your favor.

So, that's the latest development in my quest to rid my life of headaches. I'll keep ya posted.

New Clothes and Kitties

It's like all of the sudden the other day she outgrew 90% of her clothes! So, I hit the outlet mall in North Bend and got a few things for the warmer weather. In this picture, she's wearing one of the new outfits. She especially likes this shirt because it has flower beads on the front.

The first thing she wants to do every morning is visit with the foster kitties. I cleaned up their cage while Katie gave them some love, but I couldn't resist taking a break from cleaning to take a few pictures.

The kitten is now 5 weeks old and the Momma is weaning him. It's so hard to watch as the kitten struggles to nurse while the Momma is growling and pushing him away, harshly sometimes. He's clearly still getting some nourishment from her because he is growing, gaining weight and always has plenty of energy, but even so, I worry he's hungry. I have been trying for a few days now to get him to eat food, but he isn't interested. I'll keep trying anyway. I'm happy to report though, he is using the litter box!

Well, Katie has a birthday party at 11 this morning, so I need to get going. I'm cooking steel cut oatmeal in my rice cooker, which should be done about now. It does a wonderful job cooking oatmeal on the "porridge" setting. It's as if I have a chef downstairs cooking my breakfast!

If we are talking about TV shows...

...then tonight we see the beginning of the end for Men in Trees. It was a fun show on Friday nights (yes - my Friday nights are spent watching TV!) that was certainly entertaining. It has been cancelled but they are running the last few shows over the "summer."

I am really looking forward to watching ESPN this weekend as the Hokies are in the women's softball world series tournament in Oklahoma City! Go Hokies!

OMG! There's Fur Everywhere!

We've been so, so, so careful to NOT allow our two cats, Hudson and Mater, to meet the foster Momma and her baby. Anytime we leave the room where they are, we crack the door open just enough to see if Hudson or Mater are there waiting to get in and if they are, we get them out of the way, especially if the Momma and baby are not closed up in their kittie cage.

Katie has been pretty good about also being careful, but I doubt she really knew why. I've talked to her about how important it is to keep them separated, but until you see what happens when two unfamiliar cats meet, you really don't fully understand. Well... after this morning, I think she fully understands!

Katie and I were in with the Momma and baby, giving them time outside their cage to play. I was paying attention to the kitten and didn't realize that Katie had opened the door to the room. It really isn't her fault, and I told her that, but Hudson was sitting right by the door and walked in as soon as Katie opened the door. I heard her say, "Hudson!" and I asked, "What about him?" She shrieked, "He's in HERE!" I panicked for a moment as I asked, "In HERE, where?" I didn't know where Hudson was, but the Momma cat sure did. She darted over to him and backed him against the wall, her teeth and claws were out. She was ferocious. I ran over to the door, which Katie had closed after Hudson entered, and I opened it, hoping Hudson would run out. Sure enough, he did, as fast as he could. But not before the Momma dug her claws into his back, extracting clumps of black fur that flew everywhere. My heart was pounding. I was so worried the Momma would follow him outside the room and chase him around the house. Fortunately, she would not leave the room. Probably because she knew her baby was still in there and she had to protect him. Anyway, Hudson flew out of the room, I slammed the door and then realized Katie was horrified at what she just saw so we spent some time talking about it. Then I checked the Momma. She was a little shaken up, but fine. I closed them up in their cage and we left the room, closing the door behind us. Hudson and Mater were on the stairs, their eyes wide, the fur on their backs stood straight up. They relaxed immediately when I touched them. I checked Hudson and he's okay.

Holy cow! What a way to start the day! Well, before all that happened, I had taken pictures of Katie in her new outfit, playing with the kitten. It's not really warm enough to wear shorts, but she insisted.

You're Bothering Me!

Okay, so Katie and I were in the backyard this evening. I'm watching Katie as she kicks the ball around and I'm holding a bowl of yummy strawberries that we're both eating. It sounded like the neighbors were grilling and eating in their backyard. Their son, Tyler heard Katie playing and he called to her through the fence that separates our yards. Katie was totally ignoring him, which surprised me because she is usually so excited to make contact with him. I called her over to me and quietly asked her why she wasn't responding and she said he was bothering her while she was busy exercising! So, I told her it was really rude to ignore him, and he could see her through the space between the wood slats, so he knew she was there but not answering! I asked her how she would feel if someone ignored her and she quickly said she wouldn't care. Hmm, that tactic didn't work. Okay well, I asked her to please just run over there quickly and tell him she'll talk to him tomorrow. So, she turned and ran over to the fence and said, "You're bothering me! I don't want to talk to you!" Hey, wait a minute! That's not what I asked her to say! She ran back out into the yard and continued to kick the ball around. I called her over to me again and told her that wasn't the nicest thing she could have said. And she probably hurt his feelings. I could tell he was still standing there, but was no longer saying anything. I insisted she go over there and tell him she was sorry and that she had to go now but would talk to him later. Fortunately, she went over and said something close to that anyway, so hopefully it ended on a positive note afterall.

Before all this happened, Katie and I ate dinner at Red Robin. I ordered my usual veggie burger with sauteed mushrooms and swiss cheese on whole wheat. Well, they were out of veggie burgers but they did have Boca burgers, another kind of meatless patty. I said I would try it. Well, I have to say that Boca patty was disgusting! The consistency and the fake beefy taste were just not to my liking at all! So, I had a mushroom and swiss sandwich and learned my lesson that those two patties are NOT interchangeable!

Only about 45.5 hours until the LOST finale begins! Anyone else out there a huge LOST fan, like I am?

Kitten Video

Music: Nature Boy by Shahin and Sepehr

Nearly 5 Weeks Old

Umm, no I didn't plan this "naked Katie with kitties" photo shoot. She was naked in preparation for getting into the shower, but decided she must first visit with the kitties. I thought it was cute so I took some pictures.

The kitten is now going on 5 weeks old. He's not quite so clumsy anymore. He's very active and playful. He has figured out how to climb the kittie cage in order to get himself up on the first bench. I hope to get video of that today so I can post it.

It's also about time for the kitten to begin eating soft food and use the litter box. He already has full access to the litter box, but I need to run out today and get some canned kitten food. He's definitely got his baby teeth in because we see him chewing on things often.

Regina spent the weekend with us, but unfortunately she's getting ready to leave in a couple of hours. We had a good time together and hate to see it end. ~sigh~

Some Things Never Change

Oh, nothing special, just stuff

Spent as much time as I could the last couple of days working on a new design to sell. It's available now in my shop online. The theme is "Two Moms, One Family". This particular design is probably my favorite so far.

Had an appointment with my ENT today. I called because of sinus pain and constant headaches that I just can't get rid of. I'm not congested and don't feel infected, yet my face and head hurt. The doctor confirmed today that I'm not infected. Her scope couldn't easily reach the area where I feel the most intense pain, so she ordered a CT scan of the sinuses which I'll have done tomorrow morning. We'll see what that says and go from there.

I'm still doing Curves, believe it or not. And for the last 4 weeks I'm eating about 1200 calories a day. Finally, I'm losing weight! Hurray! Anyway, the exercise machines at Curves have been upgraded so they collect data as you use them and then report back to you when you're done about how you're doing. It's like your own personal trainer. I actually worked out harder today because of it. It lets you know if you're slacking off so you can kick it up a notch and get maximum benefit. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that it calculates how many calories you work off and today I burned 484 calories in about 30 minutes! I LOVE that!

Katie talked me into taking her to eat dinner tonight at Red Robin. It didn't take much to convince me though. All she really had to do was ask and since I didn't have anything yummy in the works for dinner, I thought, why not? She got her usual Chicken Quesadilla while I got the Sauteed Mushroom Burger, but with a veggie burger instead of hamburger, and a whole wheat bun instead of white. Oh, and fruit on the side instead of fries. That's my new default meal there. Katie and I go at least once a week.

The foster kitties are doing fine. Both Momma and baby are healthy and happy. The baby is simply adorable. He is starting to swat at things, but his reflexes aren't very quick yet.

The lilacs I picked in our backyard a couple of days ago are already dead so I threw them out tonight. There are two lilac bushes in our neighborhood along the street behind the house and I noticed the other day they are in full bloom. Well, since I don't have anymore blooming yet in our yard, I figured it can't hurt to go snip a few off the bushes behind the house. So, Katie and I snuck over there tonight under the cover of nightfall and I cut myself a huge bouquet of lilacs. Mmmmm, they smell soooo good!

Katie got a big package in the mail today. She was so excited to open it up and find a 2-piece set of special Tinker Bell luggage that's all her own. Her first suitcase! It's on wheels, of course, so she can pull it around all by herself. That will be her job, she says, when we go on the cruise this summer.

Dancing with the Stars Finale

I really love most reality TV shows... Survivor, Amazing Race and Dancing with the Stars are my favorites. Forget the dating and cooking ones - I need competition that requires strength, speed, team work and endurance!

Dancing with the Stars has a habit of having a final that is predictable - the best dancer, the one that has the best personality, and one most improved. Usually, the best dancer doesn't win. All I have to say is - the best one should win!

Go Kristi!

24 Days Old ~ Starting to Get Playful

What Happens in Vegas...

I went to see this movie today and loved it. I laughed out loud all throughout! It's silly, but not too stupid. This was actually my first time seeing Ashton Kutcher in an acting role and I really enjoy him. He's a cutie!

Lilacs From Our Backyard

Lilacs have always been my favorite flower. The scent takes me back instantly to my childhood on the farm when I didn't have a thing to worry about (and I was skinny!). It's a good feeling.

Big Responsibility

Katie has said this to me before and said it to me again today, which I thought was so cute. She said to me, "You know, Mom, it's a big 'sponsibility to take care of a kid like me, right?" Don't quite know why it came up today, but when she first said it to me a while ago, they were discussing at school, things that require responsibility and what that meant.

I Would be Surprised If It WEREN'T 100!

Oh my... it is 10:30 at night and it is soooo hot here still. Driving home from work at 7:00 my car thermometer said it was 95 degrees. I have no air conditioning in the corporate apartment, and it is as still as it can be here. No breeze. All the windows are open but still no relief yet. It is great to have the warm weather and sun... but I need the air conditioner!

If it is this hot tomorrow, I may have to go to the mall and the movie theater. I remember my very first apartment in Virginia. It too, did not have air conditioning and there were many Saturdays and Sundays when I would see two movies a day just to get out of the heat! I have come full circle!

Enjoy the weekend!

Our first really WARM day!

Okay, so about 30 minutes ago, we're outside in the front yard, Katie is playing in the driveway and I'm on the phone sitting in a lawnchair. Suddenly I see Katie running over to the neighbor's gate and she's talking to their 3-year-old son, Tyler through the closed wooden gate. Somehow he got the gate open and came over to our house. Within minutes, his Mom was outside looking for him. Of course, she was not happy he had left the backyard without her permission. So while Tyler was spoken to about it, Katie ran over to me and said they invited her over to play and was it okay? Well, I wasn't sure I had heard it go down that way, so I joined the conversation to find out for sure. His Mom said of course she could come over, but I don't think it was her idea. I think it was Katie's idea and she was initiating the process by asking me for permission as if she had already been invited! Anyway, she's now over there playing. She and Tyler get along so beautifully, and they are just the nicest people you'll ever meet.

Katie will be completely exhausted tonight! Yay! We spent between 3 and 4 hours today at the Houghton Beach Park in Kirkland where we had a picnic lunch (Subway sandwiches) and I lounged in the shade while she played on the playground and later she got into the water. The freezing water! I noticed it was only kids who were crazy enough to actually get wet. All the parents gathered along the edge, careful not to get wet unless absolutely unavoidable.

I don't know what I was thinking, but it didn't occur to me to bring Katie's bathing suit, so I asked her to go in far enough to get only her feet wet. Next thing I knew, she was soaked from head to toe! She did what I said and went in just far enough to get her feet wet, but I failed to tell her not to splash herself! Once I noticed she was so wet, I just let her play for as long as she wanted. Didn't matter at that point what she was wearing. She might as well have fun.

She made friends with a group of kids who let her share their beach toys (buckets, shovels, etc) and had a grand time. How bad am I? Not only did it not occur to me to bring a bathing suit, but it also didn't occur to me to bring beach toys! I guess I imagined we would eat our picnic, she would play on the playground for an hour or so and we would go home. Hmmm, now I know better.

It's a wonderful park though and I'm thinking we should go back tomorrow, but better prepared. It's supposed to be hot again and I have to say it was just cool enough by the water to keep me from getting grumpy about the heat.

Katie loved it that she got to ride home naked, except for her undies. I happened to have a clean pair of underwear in my purse, but didn't have dry clothes for her to change into. (Mental note to self - put a change of clothes for Katie in the trunk!)

Love Reading the Blog. Forget to Post!

It is so much fun reading the blog and catching up on what is going on but I forget to post anything. A blog to me feels more like reading the newspaper and less like email which is more interactive and personal. In email, I know who my audience is but with the blog it feels like I should have something of importance to say in order to share it with everyone. Am I being weird?

Spending the weekend in Portland instead of driving up to Seattle. I enjoy not having to drive the three hours but miss seeing everyone. The bright side is that the weather is already beautiful here in Portland... sunny and warm. It started late yesterday and today was fantastic! I think it was 85 today! Can you believe it... last week I was still wearing a coat and gloves to work?! I think by the end of next week it will be back in the low 60s. Ugh.

I hope everyone is having the same nice weather this weekend - get out and enjoy it!

Bubbles and Bike Riding

Video of Our Foster Kitties

Music: A Love for Life by Yanni

Happy Birthday, Sue!

Ever Been Licked by a Giraffe?

Well, Katie can now answer, "Yes!" to that question. Yesterday we went to the Woodland Park Zoo. We walked by the giraffes during the time when they were letting visitors hand feed them. For 5 bucks a person, they'll let you hand a bunch of leaves to the hungry giraffes. There were two of them, both about 2 years old. It was quite a thrill to see them so close! Katie wasn't scared at all and did a great job feeding them all by herself. As she reached out to give them one last bunch of leaves, one of the giraffes swiftly lowered his head toward Katie's hand and his long, purple tongue wrapped around her hand before taking the leaves into his mouth. She was so thrilled! Her face lit up with excitement. And, can you believe it, I have no pictures of the whole thing! I decided that I would not take any cameras so I could just focus on enjoying the day without the task of photographing it. I now wish I had taken a camera though. I could have gotten some terrific up-close-and-personal shots of a giraffe. Oh well. We'll just have to do it again.

So Cute

I know, I know - I'm pathetic with all the kittie pictures. Sorry, but these were just too cute not to post.

Darn it, more sad news!

Just called and found out we lost the other sick kitten yesterday. She said he was trying to nurse (from the bottle, I imagine, since his Mom is not there with him), but would cry as if it hurt. It's sad, but also a blessing they went early rather than lingering on in agony.

Kitty Pics

I know not everyone wants to see so many pics of our foster kitties, but I'm posting them anyway! I just can't help it! The kitten is starting to respond to the sound we make as we enter the room and open their cage. He also spends a lot of time holding his wobbly head up and stares at things. I'm gonna call today for an update on his brother. I'm hoping we can go pick him up today.

This made me laugh, so I must post it!

Be patient, after you click on the play button, it might take a minute for the video to load...

Flash player required. Watch Hydrofoil Water Scooter in action.

Unlike other watercraft, this unique hydrofoil frame allows you to skim across water simply by hopping gently up and down, propelling you as fast as 17 mph (more than four times faster than some world champion freestyle swimming speeds). At only 26 lbs., the lightweight aircraft aluminum and fiberglass frame is easy to transport to a dock or boat for launch. Wide steps and handlebars allow confident control as your own hopping motion lifts the hydrofoils to skim quickly across a lake; the aquaskipper also provides a brisk cardiovascular workout. Virtually maintenance-free, it has no moving parts or noisy engines that require fuel.

This can be yours for a mere $499.95!

And think of all the wonderful exercise you'd get!

Kittie Pics on Tropical Day!

I don't have an update on the sick kitten still in the "hospital" but I do have a cute picture of the healthy kitten here at home. His eyes are almost completely open and his ears are beginning to twitch. He's sweet, as is his Mom. I still hold out hope for his brother.




I've also included pictures of Katie this morning before going to school. Can you tell what the dressup theme is for today? Yep, it's Tropical Day. So, Katie wore her new dress covered with colorful tropical flowers and took in our entire collection of leis to share with her classmates.

Sad News

Just got an update on the two sick kittens and we lost the calico yesterday. Her brother is still needing to be tube-fed since he won't suck, so he's not ready to come home today.

The momma is doing fine. She's energetic and no longer has symptoms of the infection. The kitten here with her seems to be doing fine. I don't see him nurse very much though. He searches for a teat and sometimes gives up if he can't find one. I try to show him where one is but even when I do, he still won't latch. Crazy! It's like he's saying, (with the attitude of a toddler), "I wanna do it myself!" I have seen him find one and nurse for a minute or so, then quits. I worry there isn't enough milk there anymore. I mentioned that to Missy at the shelter and she suggested I express milk now and then to keep it in production. Yikes! She wants me to milk a cat! Reminds me of that movie Meet the Parents. Okay well, I guess I need to go upstairs and give it a shot. They need their antibiotics too. I definitely don't like doing that. If I could do it gracefully like the vet does, it would be different. But I can't seem to. Oh well, here I go.

Another Kittie Update

Well, this morning I woke up to the momma cat's meows. That was a first. She's usually very quiet. I think it was 5:45am. I got up to check on her and she had made quite a mess of her space. She didn't quite hit the litter box last night and overdid it trying to cover it up. There was litter all over. The towel she was sleeping on was no longer neatly folded, but it was all crumpled in a pile, as if she had been digging in it. The kitten was in the middle of it all, sleeping. The momma was sitting up, looking sad. She's got to be upset about losing her babies, don't you think? I keep telling her it's only for a couple of days, but she just looks at me, wondering what in the world I'm saying. I didn't call about the two sick kittens today. I am planning to call tomorrow morning (Wed) to see if they are well enough to come home.

TShirt Design for Gay Dads

So, this is one of the things I've been working on recently ~ a design for 2-Dad Families which is now available as a product line in my shop on CafePress.com. Click the above image to take a look and pass along to anyone you feel might be interested!

Sick Kitten Update

I called the shelter today and described the situation to her. She said bring them in right away. Turned out they all have respiratory infections. The calico and one of her brothers were not fighting it well at all on their own. Both are dehydrated and very sick. They kept those two and put them in an incubator. They'll be fed for the next couple of days by putting a long tube down their throats and simply inserting milk directly into the stomach. They don't even have energy enough to nurse or suck on a bottle right now. It's amazing to me how quickly they went downhill! It was only yesterday they began exhibiting symptoms.

So, I brought home the momma and one of the boys who isn't dehydrated and is doing okay nursing. It'll be his job to keep momma's milk flowing so when we pick up his siblings in a couple of days, they'll have something to eat. I have antibiotics for both momma and baby. Oh, and the kitten we brought home is starting to open his eyes!

Momma and baby are all settled back in their kitty cat playpen/cage thingy I'm keeping them in. Momma growled a bit as she looked around searching for her two lost babies. Poor thing. That must be confusing. She'll welcome them home in a couple of days, won't she? Or will she not remember they are hers and reject them? I guess we'll know soon enough!

Calico's Got the Crud

Over the weekend it was brought to my attention that the momma cat was bleeding through her nostrils. So I called the shelter and they weren't worried as long as her appetite is normal, which it is. Probably just a burst capillary in her nasal tissue caused by sneezing from her cold. All day yesterday I didn't see anymore blood and this morning too. Her cold symptoms are also diminishing. I think she's fine.

However, two of the babies aren't doing so well. I began to worry about them yesterday evening. Especially the calico. She's lethargic, seems to have lost her voice, coughs and sneezes, her body feels cool, and I rarely see her nursing. I was really worried we would have a dead kitten this morning.

I was awakened early this morning by migraine pain. Yuck. So, I got up to take imitrex and went in to check the kitties. The calico was lying apart from the group, very still. I was certain we'd lost her. But no, she responded to my touch and when I picked her up she managed to get a few squeaky meows out. I put her next to momma's belly and held the other two back while she nursed.

It's the funniest thing about nursing kittens. Instead of looking for their own teat, they simply go toward the kitten who is already latched on and try to steal theirs. I didn't want anyone stealing the calico's teat, so I stood guard for a few minutes while she nursed.

I know there are already too many kittens up for adoption, and one or two less would not be such a bad thing overall, but I find it incredibly upsetting to think we might lose one or two of these kittens.

Have you seen this?

Watch as hundreds of candlelit lamps fill the sky during a Thai tradition.

Happy Birthday Suzie!

Join me in wishing Suzie a wonderful & happy 44th birthday!

Enjoy your day... I will get there as soon as I can to help celebrate!
May 1, 2008

5 Days Old

I'm pretty sure the momma came to us with a head cold, but in the last couple of days since putting a humidifier next to her, she is sounding less congested. Poor thing. She's such a good momma, even though she probably doesn't feel great. She purrs and knits all the time, when we're with her, so maybe she's not as miserable as I imagine I would be in her position. Anyway, she's much better now. For about the first 24 hours or so, she didn't eat, drink or use the litter box at all. She is finally now doing all those things, resulting in a noticeable increase in energy. Even so, she won't spend more than a minute or two away from her babies.

Happy 48th Birthday Regina!

Katie and I are thinking of you,
Hoping you're having a terrific day!

We love you!

Click here to email a birthday greeting to Regina.

Kittie Update

Well, looks like we have two boys and one girl. The two boys are the white and orange ones while the girl is the calico. They are thriving. I have to admit I couldn't stand it anymore and today I let Katie hold a couple of the kittens. It didn't seem to bother the momma, as long as the kitten wasn't crying.

Katie really is gentle and loving toward them and the momma too. I'm impressed. In fact, I learned over the weekend how much she really does listen to me. Our neighbor's son, Tyler is three years old and came over on Saturday to play with Katie. They just adore each other and play together very well. Katie wanted to show Tyler her kitties so I escorted them up to the forbidden, locked room upstairs where the kittens are kept. That is, the sitting room off the master with the child-proof thingy on the door handle. Anyway, Tyler, being a boy, was not quite as gentle (don't worry, nobody got hurt!) and I heard Katie repeat to him, all of the things I've been saying to her! She very calmly and kindly explained to him the proper way to behave around such tiny, little animals. I thought I would cry. She sounded so mature.

We're a Foster Family Again!

I hesitated, big-time, when I got the call yesterday to foster this momma cat and her three babies, but I hate to NOT help if I can. So, I asked her to let me think about it for a few minutes and call her back. I got off the phone and weighed my options about how I could take care of the new kittie family for about the next 10 weeks while keeping them separated from our own kitties, Hudson and Mater - who were, by the way, two of our foster kitties LAST year! No, we're not keeping anymore! Anyway, I called her back pretty quickly and said I thought I could swing it. She said the momma had just given birth that day (yesterday Aug 25) and she was anxious to get her out of the hustle and bustle of her pet store. Of course everyone wanted to see the new babies and kids wanted to hold them, etc... Too much for a new momma.

Since getting them home, Katie has been BEGGING to hold the babies, but I just can't let her yet. If I do just once, she'll see that as a free pass to do it all the time. Even I haven't held them, well, except for when I moved them out of the kennel they came in so I could wash the bloody towels. It's just not a good idea yet to hold them.

The momma is sweetest of sweet. She purrs the moment either of us walks into the room. She's precious. So far, I've seen only one little bottom and it is a boy. I'm assuming the calico is a girl (isn't that the rule?) and the other one is a mystery for now. I asked Katie what she would like to name the girl and boy. She thought for a moment and said quietly, "Um, Jack and Avery?" Well, of course she would say that! Too funny.

Caitlin's Shop on CafePress - benefitting MS research

Click the Wobbly Walkers logo to visit Caitlin's shop.

Support NMSS with your purchase!

$5 of each purchase will go directly to NMSS.

We will find a cure ...

Caitlin, David and Bridget Wobbly Shopkeepers

Just Opened a Shop on www.CafePress.com!

I learned about CafePress.com from my cousin Caitlin and as I looked around, I became more and more convinced that it could be a good outlet for me to sell some things. In particular, products featuring my Two-Mom Family design. I've modified the design and added color, as you can see. CafePress allows you to apply your own design to any of products they have in stock, like tshirts, caps, tote bags, coffe mugs, buttons, etc. So, when you get a minute, check out my new shop on CafePress! Click here to go directly to my shop, or click the image above. Enjoy!

Katie's Flower Drawings

Feels like I'm getting a migraine, but want to post these pictures anyway. (Click on the image to see an enlargement.) Katie loves drawing and reading and playing school. Last night she was sitting on the couch in the family room reading one of her books to her "class" and I walked past her, only to get scolded nicely, "Mom, you just stepped on my friends!" They were invisible to me, but not to her! So, I apologized and made sure they were all okay!

Alright, that's it for now. I need to take an immitrex and lie down.

Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!

There are so few people who reach the 50 year anniverary milestone and its hard to believe that this year marks 52 years together for the two of you! Congratulations!

April 21, 2008

Playing in the Snow

We're getting SNOW!

Unbelievable! It's supposed to be springtime, isn't it?! Even so, we're getting snow this evening. It's unlike any other snow shower I've ever seen though because it's not coming down in flakes, but very tiny balls of snowflakes. At first we thought it was hail, but it's not icey, it's snowy.

Jack and Avery Video

These babies just get cuter and sweeter every time I see them!

Katie's Picnic Breakfast with Her Kitties

The Wrath of Katie

I forgot to talk about this the day it happened. On Sunday morning I was dressing Katie (I know, I know, SHE should dress herself at her age, but it's just FASTER if I do it! Leave me alone!) She was watching TV (I know, I know, TV should not be used a babysitter, but it gave me time to get things done with minimal interruption. Leave me alone!) I picked out a t-shirt and lightweight pants for her to wear and I dressed her while she was watching the TV over my shoulder, not really paying me any attention, or the clothes I was putting on her. So I finished with her, went back upstairs to get myself dressed and about 10 minutes later I hear her thrashing around downstairs, crying and screaming like the very worst, most horrible thing had just happened. I ran downstairs and found her crying the biggest tears ever, her body face down, draped over one of our footstools and when she saw me, she stood up, folded her arms over her chest and told me I was the worst Mom she ever met. "Bad Mom", she screamed at me, more than once, I might add. I hadn't yet figured out what was happening and finally she clued me in. "I HATE these pants Mom! I want tights. How many times do I have to tell you that?" I promptly told her she could wear whatever (the hell - I didn't say this, but wanted to) she wanted and told her to just go up to her room, pick out her own outfit and CHANGE her own (damn - I didn't say this, but wanted to) clothes (and stop screaming at me! - didn't say this either) if she didn't like what I picked out for her! She continued to scold me as she stomped as loudly as possible up the stairs. It didn't end until she had gotten those horrible pants off her body and was in the process of picking out a dress and tights. At that point, everything was good and I was back in her good graces. Geez!

Ice Princess, Gym Bucks, Ironing!

That's what my day consists of so far. Oh, that and finally talking to Bonnie on the phone, after playing phone tag. And, while I was on the phone, I glanced outside and noticed it was hailing! Tiny little white balls of ice, falling hard, bouncing all over the new plants I transplanted on Saturday! It was 70 degrees and sunny on Saturday, but today, just 48 hours later, it seems like I must have been dreaming or hallucinating, or maybe just living in Seattle. I don't mind though, really.

Anyway, last night Katie and I went to the mall. We went into Gymboree, armed with $50 worth of "Gym Bucks". If you have kids, you probably already know about these coupons. You earn them when you buy stuff and then you redeem them later during about a 10 period when the store says you can. If the Gym Buck is worth $25, you have to buy $50 worth of stuff. So basically, you're getting %50 off. I like that a lot. So, I picked out $100 worth of clothing for Katie and paid only $50. I like that a lot! And, you can pick things that are already marked down, if you like. I like that even better! So, that's what I did. The only problem is that we picked out things that need to be ironed. I haven't ironed in ages, until now! And, it's not even for me! I'm ironing for my 4-year-old! Crazy. Note to self: Never again buy a shirt with ruffles all over it that isn't wrinkle-free. But, geez, it's soooo cute! Maybe if I hang it to dry next time I won't have to iron it.

I mention Ice Princess because it is what I'm watching on TV while I iron. It's a cute movie I recorded on Disney Channel (yep, I'm watching a kid's movie). Joan Cusack is in it and I love her. Kim Catrell (from Sex in the City) is also in it and it's nice to see her in a role where she's not using her annoying high society accent (I don't know how else to describe how she talks in Sex in the City, but it always irritated me.) I am actually enjoying watching Kim in this movie.

Okay, that's it for now. Sorry I've been absent. I promise to post more often.

What a difference a sunny day makes!

It was a long week but it is amazing what two sunny, warm days can do for you! I took the time to exercise, relax, read and watch some fun movies... and a little of the things that you need to do like grocery shop, dishes and laundry. Its funny how you need to take time to regenerate by just doing nothing or just doing the little things needed to get by.

It also helps when all the week's stress settles down -- things at work are trying to get back to normal, Edy is home and healing, Mom is dealing better with Dad, and Suzie is healing and getting better each day. And, then there is Katie, my little bug. She is so full of life that even when she is mad at me it makes me smile! ;)

Enjoy your weekend!

Happy Birthday Betty!

~ click the image to watch eCard animation ~

It's Not a Good Idea to Eat a Mouse

That's what Katie said to me in the car this evening on the way home from her school. I agreed with her and then questioned her about what might have prompted that sort of a comment. She never did provide much of an explanation that made any sense.

Hmmm, well I had hoped I would be able to write something interesting today, but I just don't have it in me. Sorry. Maybe tomorrow.

Don't Be Afraid To Ask For Help

A member of my new work family ended his life last night. Shock and disbelieve are the only two words that come to mind to describe the day. He seemed on top of the world and no one saw it coming.

Hug your loved ones. Tell them how much they mean to you. Remember that your loved ones want you to ask for help if you need it.

We were not put on this earth to do everything on our own. We are a community of lives that survive together, not alone.

Love to all.

Did I Open Pandora's Box?

Today was a big day for Katie... on our way home from visiting with friends Katie announced to me that she had drank too much "diet coke soda" and needed to go potty right now. Well, of course, we had just gotten on the freeway with no "potty" in sight and I figured we could get home as it was only 15 to 20 minutes away. As we past the only real opportunity to go potty she began crying saying that she needs to go right now!

I remembered back to those long car rides with Mom & Dad when we announced we had to go. Dad would stop the car and Mom would open the car doors so we could go "in privacy." So, I pulled off on an exit and quickly ran around to her car door. When she realized that I wanted her to go outside she cried out in horror... "Where is the bathroom? I need to go potty! No, not outside!" I told her she had to go outside and pulled down her tights, and held her up so she could go. While crying and telling me that she can't go in the dirt... she started to go. Tears of pain and fear turned to the joy of "going outside in the dirt!" She thought it was so funny (not to mention that she now felt good) that she couldn't wait to go home and tell Mom that she went potty in the dirt. On the drive home she hypothesized about other funny places to go potty! I hope I didn't open Pandora's box... I hope she realizes that the bathroom is the best place to go potty!

First Post-Op Visit With My Doctor

Today was my first visit to see the doctor after surgery. It was an uncomfortable visit, though not necessarily painful. She used an endoscope to take a look around my sinuses and she also used a tiny suction tube to remove mucus and dried blood that could potentially get in the way of proper healing. Overall, she was pleased with how things looked and said I should heal just fine.

I asked for more pain medicine since I've almost finished what she gave me last week. I figure why not? Why be in pain when I don't have to be? But I know, it's gonna be a sad day when I run out and she won't refill again. I guess I should start weaning off of them now. ~sigh~ It's amazing how quickly it becomes a habit to take something like that, especially when it works well. Now I'm at the point in recovery when I need to pay better attention to whether or not I really need another dose.

My Sister

Bonnie turned 36 this year on March 22. For her birthday I had a pair of earrings made for her (I got a pair too). The stone is a teardrop shaped black star sapphire. It came from a necklace our Grandpa Finger bought in Thailand for our Grandma when he was in the military in Vietnam. Grandma gave it to me several years ago and I'd actually forgotten about it until recently when I came across it as I was cleaning up, getting ready to put the house on the market. The necklace wasn't something I'd ever wear and the jeweler said it really didn't have much value outside the sentimental value, so that's when I decided to have earrings made out of it. I'm also going to have a pair made for Katie.

Worst Day So Far

I woke up to a pounding headache. Just as bad, if not worse than anything I felt prior to surgery. My whole face throbbed. So, I quickly took a pain pill and made some breakfast. The pain medicine didn't even begin to put a dent in it. I knew I was in trouble. So, I retired to the recliner and just laid there praying the pain would subside. It wasn't long until I began to feel nauseous, too. I never did throw up, but it sure felt like I would numerous times. Regina made me my favorite soup for lunch, but I just couldn't eat it afterall. It sounded good, but my stomach said otherwise. I went back to the recliner and even though the pain persisted, I managed to doze on and off for a couple of hours. Both kitties slept with me, curled up on my lap. Finally around 3pm I called my doctor to see if feeling so bad at this point in recovery was normal or not. They said, unfortunately yes, it happens. But if I don't feel better tomorrow, I should go in to the office to be seen by the doctor. So anyway, I ended up taking an imitrex (migraine medicine) at about 4pm and fell asleep again. At about 6pm I felt pretty good, considering. And now it's bed time and I don't feel so bad. I'm a little worried about how I'm gonna feel in the morning though. Hopefully the worst is over.

Got a Nice Treat Today!

Thank you, Mel and Courtney for the yummy basket of fruit and cheese from Harry and David. The timing of its arrival was perfect. I was hungry after not eating much all day due to a horrible headache that had finally begun to subside, so I immediately devoured one of the apples and a good portion of the Dill Havarti. It really hit the spot. Thank you for being so thoughtful.