Mercury Rising

Ever since we had to put Jazz to sleep back in November, the entire family has been longing for a  kitty.  Well, SOME of us want a dog AND a kitty, but we won't go there with that argument right now.      Andy was probably worse than the girls, continuously asking when we were going to get a kitten.  The problem was, there weren't any kittens to adopt.  That whole, animals having babies in the spring thing, is not just something Disney made up.  Turns out that most kittens are born in the spring and summer.  Our good friend Cecelia volunteers a the Burbank Animal Shelter on the weekends, and fosters kittens at her house when they come in.  Andy had me constantly asking her if she had any kittens yet.  Finally, one day at the beginning of May, she sent me an email letting me know that she had three little kittens.   The Dadekians were about to adopt a new member of the family.


The three kittens Cecelia took in were part of a litter of seven.  They had been found in a box on the doorstep of the shelter.  Well, at least someone took them to the shelter anyway.  They were only about four weeks and still needed their mom, but since she was nowhere to be found, they needed  foster care instead.  That's where Cecelia came in.  She took three of the seven and cared for them for the next five weeks.  She had to get up several times a night to feed them and make sure they ate, because they weren't quite at the point where they could do it on their own.  They got sick for a bit with a stomach virus, so we couldn't see them at right away.  After a couple weeks they were doing well, and we got a chance to go visit with them.  Andy went alone first, to get a feel for them and see which one might fit best with us.  


At first he was drawn to a grey boy tabby, Cecelia had name Kappie.  He was huge, as far as kittens go, and reached his two pound adopting status a week and a half before the others did.   There was an all black girl kitten named Pippa, and then there was the grey and white boy who's original name was Valentine.  He was the smallest of the three and probably the runt of the entire litter. 


We took the girls over one afternoon to visit with them.  They were all very friendly, didn't mind the girls at all and were playful.  Andy was still thinking Kappie was the one we wanted, but I had a feeling when this happened:

that this one was the kitty for us.  I decided to leave the decision up to  Andy though, because he's the cat person in the family and the one that took losing Jazz the hardest.  I wanted him to feel that he picked the one he wanted.  The girls didn't really care, they just wanted a kitten.  Lana, however, wanted Mercury/Valentine, because he was so snuggly with her.  At that point though Kappie was the one we were going with.  We had to wait for him to be neutered and over the next week  Andy started having second thoughts on which one to get.  He tried a couple times to convince me to get two, but that was just not happening.  First of all I'm actually allergic to cats.  However, after being around one for a while, I get used to it and am fine.  That is what happened with Jazz.  I felt like two cats would make it hard for me to breathe for an entire month.  Not to mention I'm the one who takes care of the fun things like the litter box, and the vacuuming all the cat hair.  I'm not really up for cleaning twice the poop.  Plus I still haven't given up on my dreams of having a dog. 


So we went back and forth for a while on which one to get.  I did like Kappie, but he was so independent and big already.  Was he going to be willing to let three little girls play with him?  Pippa was adorable and sweet, but she looked like he might be a long haired cat and again, because of my allergies, I feared that would make them worse.  Besides, we have enough females in our house and I really wanted to get a boy.  


Andy decided to go over one evening by himself to play with them again and make a final decision.  When he came home it was the little grey and white runt who won out.  We had to wait another week to get him, because he had just reached two pounds and hadn't been fixed yet.  When we finally got him, we only had him for two days before we had to turn around and give him back to Cecelia to take care of while we went to Florida.  Andy and I felt bad about that, but he warmed up to the girls and our house in the two days.  Hopefully he would remember us when we got back.  


Turns out he did.  He was comfortable in our house again within an hour of coming back.  The girls, as you can imagine, are obsessed with him and constantly want to hold him or play with him.  The unfortunate part about this is it's created another thing for them to fight over.  Yay.


"You got to hold him already!  It's mmmyyyy tuuurrrnn!!"


"Nooooo!!  I'm not done!!"


This is just an example of how the last few days have been.  Mercury has handled it well.  He doesn't really run or hide from them.  Maybe every once in a while, when he's really tired and wants to sleep, but for the most part he seeks THEM out.  He meows down the hallway until he finds someone to pick him up and give him attention.  He is very cuddly with all of us and loves to be held, and pet.  Although he is a crazy kitten and has a TON of energy.  Not so much fun at 2:30 in the morning. 

Must attack shoes!

 As much as I loved Jazz, she was never all that fond of the girls.  At least not in a playful, let them pick her up kind of way.  I know that has more to do with the fact that she was here before they were. It is better for us to have an animal that is coming into a kid situation.  I feel like he might be more friendly because of it.  As long as my girls don't completely torture him.  Don't worry, I won't let that happen!

It was two days ago when I  realized we had made the right decision in adopting this particular kitten.  Lana and Georgia were sitting on the couch next to each other, and instead of fighting over him, they had worked out a simple plan so they could both have time to hold him.  Sitting Indian style on the couch, one of them would hold him in her lap and then count to ten.  After the ten count she would pass Mercury to her sister who would also hold him to the count of ten.  I peeked in on them after a couple rounds of this and and told them they needed to let him go if he wanted to.  I said they shouldn't be holding him if he wants off their laps and wants to go.


"But, Mommy!  He's fine, see!"  Lana assured me.  She sat back with her hands off of him and he kind of leaned back on to her and looked at me with an, "I'm good" look.  There was not even the slightest attempt to run.  

Yup, he's going to fit in with us just fine.  I only hope he doesn't mind baby doll clothes and being pushed in a stroller.  I can only imagine that scene is not to far away.  

Annnd...We're back!

Hey everyone!  So here I am back from an 11 day stint to hot and humid Florida.  Actually it wasn't too hot and humid the first week or so we were there.  The last few days when it rained on and off, yes, but it was suprisingly bearable. I was worried about this because you have to remember I live in hot DRY California.  Desert country.  Yes, it may reach 100 degrees during the summer, but at least you don't feel like you just stepped out of the shower five minutes after being outside.  Weather aside, we had a fantastic time.  


I mentioned the few days we spent at my parents house in the last post.  The second half of our trip was spent on the west coast of Florida with Andy's parents.  It was there that the weather took a turn, but only for the last couple of days really.  We managed to visit America's #1 beach, Siesta Key, fed the Flamingos at Sarasota's Jungle Gardens, and swim in the pool a few times before being trapped inside.  So the weather didn't hold us back that much.  It was just cloudy most of the time and I didn't get to finish working on my tan to bring my skin from clear to pale white before we left.  Oh well, I have the rest of the summer to do that, I suppose.  Especially since we won't see a drop of rain here until at least October.  It was actually nice to step out into a summer rain downpour.  We don't get that here at all.  Remember-desert.  


The girls had a blast visiting with their cousins, Brigid and Moira.  Everyone got along well and they took turns on who were the best buddies.  After spending this time with them, it's evident that Lana and Moira were cut from the same cloth, so to speak.  She goes from 0-60 in five second like Lana.  One minute doing great and having fun, the next her world is crumbling around her and she is letting everyone know.  Good luck David and Brenda.  Call me when you need tips.  Although, I may not have them.  I will say, I think Lana may be a bit more volatile than Moria though, so you might have an easier time.  Brigid and Sonya are a lot alike.  They are the in-charge-oldest-rule-followers.  Brigid loved having someone older to look up to.  I remember feeling the same way about my cousin Michelle as a kid, because I was the oldest.  Georgia is so go with the flow, she hung out with everyone and kind of tied them all together.  I loved seeing them all interact and hopefully they can come out to visit us sometime soon.  


My in-laws were very gracious hosts, even opting to stay at their friends house across the street so we all had beds to sleep in.   We had delicious dinners, including Lobster on Medz Papa's birthday, and a couple yummy meals out.  I thank them for all their hospitality.  (Especially those Lobsters!) All in all the second half of the trip was fun filled too.  


It was a great time and I wish we could do it more often, but flying ain't cheap for 5 people.  Not to mention flying with three kids.  Actually that part isn't so bad anymore. My girls did excellent both days of flying.   I even received a compliment from an older lady at the end of our first flight on Saturday from Tampa to Phoenix.  She told me how well behaved my girls were and that you don't see it often anymore.  Totally made my day.  However, (total tangent...) let me save some of you out there with younger kids the trouble.  If your kids are between the ages of 11 months and 2 1/2, DON'T FLY.  Unless it's a really short trip.  Before our trip to RI in October we hadn't flown with the girls in 2 1/2 years and that was for good reason.  Our last trip back from FL, three years ago, was nothing short of a nightmare.  It actually wasn't the girls' fault, but everything we went through that day with them made it so we didn't fly for a few years.  It's a long tale and one that I will entertain you with at another time.  I'll just tell you we were supposed to get back into Burbank at 2pm that day and we weren't home until 11pm.  Oh what fun!  It's also why I will NEVER fly American Airlines again.  So yeah, save yourself the trouble and drive, or make people come visit you, until you can keep your kids occupied on the plane with coloring, reading or TV.  End tangent.


So that's it!  I'm back to writing and with mornings off this week even.  The girls' have camp all week in the morning.  I wish I could say I will get a lot done, but seeing how it's almost time to pick them up and this is all I've accomplished so far today...it doesn't look so good for all those closets that need cleaning.  

Sad to Say Goodbye

We are halfway through our vacation now.  This morning we left my parents' place and made the 3 hour drive across the state of Florida to visit with my in-laws.  I can't believe it's half over already.  We all had a blast with Nona and Grampy.  Every day was filled with fun things like the water park, Lion Country Safari, the beach with a trip to the pool thrown in just about every day.  The weather has been cooperative and we've had gorgeous days so far.  I am so appreciative to my parents who made everything fun, and my mom who helped us with the girls so much, I actually felt like I was on vacation!  I am looking forward to the next few days too.  They promise to be filled with fun times celebrating Medz Papa's birthday and visiting with Andy's brother, David, his wife, Brenda and their kids, Brigid and Moira.  It will be great for the girls to visit with their cousins.  I just wanted to check in, give a shout out and share a little Lana story. 


 Yesterday, we came back from the beach at my parents house and went to their shower with the girls where we dumped out a quarter of the beach from their swimsuits.  As I was showering with them later, Lana was working hard to get all the sand, piled in the shower, to go down the drain.  I told her not to worry about it.  Then I  jokingly told her we needed to leave it so Nona would have something to do the next day. 


"Why do we need to leave something for Nona to do?" She asked confused.  


"Because she's going to be sad that we are gone," I tried to explain.


I knew after having all  of us there for four and a half days, my mom was going to be upset to see us go.  On top of that she doesn't have as much to do during the summer, since she is a school teacher and off right now. Plus my father would be working all day with a business dinner that night.  He wasn't going to be home until much later.  I knew my emotional mom, would have a rough time after we left, and when she is sad, angry, frustrated, nervous, or any one of a number of emotions, she gets through it by cleaning.  When I was a kid and would come home from school to unnecessary house cleaning, I knew to steer clear of my mom.   I was pretty sure by the time my dad got home on Monday night the house would be sparkling and smelling of Pinesol.  


"So she needs stuff to do?" Lana asked, still not clear on what I was getting at.


"Yeah, it will help her to keep her mind off of us being gone if she has things to clean, like the sand in the shower,"  I honestly did not intend for my offhanded comment to create this much conversation.  Lana kind of shrugged it off.  Then, after our shower, she told me that she wanted to make a picture for Nona so she wouldn't be sad.  So sweet.  


The girls spent almost the entire morning with my mom.  Eventually we had to leave, so we loaded up the car and headed out.  About fifteen minutes down the road, Lana said to me,


"Mommy?"


"Yes, Lana?"


"Did we leave something for Nona to do?" She asked concerned.  


I giggled then asked, "Are you worried that she's going to be sad?"


She nodded her head.


 "Don't worry Lana" I told her.  "She might be sad, but you guys left enough of a mess for her to clean up so hopefully that will keep her busy for the day."  Or in my mom's case, it might have kept her busy for about two hours.  


Thanks for the hospitality Mom and Dad!  We had a fantastic time!!  

Taking A Break

Hello everyone!  I thought I should let you all know that I will be on hiatus for the next couple weeks, since we are in Florida visiting all the grandparents.  I might have a chance here and there to write a little something when the old folks go to bed, but in case I don't, I just wanted you to know I haven't disappeared on a plane to Hawaii by myself.  Although, that might be what I do before the end of July.  A few of you have asked about seeing my hair and I promise in the next few days, when I actually dry it and put some makeup on, I will have someone take a picture and post it.  In addition, I mentioned the kitty we were getting couple posts ago.  Here's a little preview of him.

I know!  Super cute, right?  I will tell you all about him and the additional fighting he's caused amongst the girls when we get back.  For now, I will tell you that he is 9 weeks old and his name is Mercury.  Lana came up with the name a couple weeks ago during the time when Andy was playing all the Queen music and concert DVDs for them.  So she suggested that when we get a kitty we name him Freddie Mercury, or just Mercury.  I immediately loved it and it  does fit him.  He's back with his foster parent, our friend Cecelia, until we get back from Florida.  We miss him already, but there will be so much to do here in the sunshine state that we will all survive until next week.  In the meantime, keep checking back here.  I'm sure there will be a number of stories to come after this trip.  

Not Making the Cut

In order to retain my sanity with the girls home during the first transition to summer week, I decided to go get my hair did.  Yes, I said get my hair did.  What?  That's not right?  Well you obviously  know nothing.  Anyway-I  had one of my babysitters, Julianna, come over to watch the girls. I then headed out to my long time hair dresser for a little cut and color.  I decided about a month ago that I wanted to really cut my hair.  Give it a good chop. It wasn't doing what I wanted anymore, and since it's summer and we are going to hot and humid Florida for ten days, I thought now would be the perfect time.  


Now those of you who know me, know I like my hair long.  Not Crystal Gale long, but past my shoulders long.  Every once in a while I will cut it shorter, but never to short.  I cut it really short once in college back when those 90210 styles were in (I had the Kelly Taylor cut). The pictures of me and that cut are horrifying.  So I will never have it "mom cut" short.  At least not until I'm 80 and go get it did every week.  No, I just wanted some kind of cute little bob.  Perhaps angled.  So I searched for pictures on the Internet and found a couple to show my hairdresser, Lydia.  I told Andy and the girls I was going to cut it, just so they wouldn't be completely surprised.  Nobody really cared, except for Sonya who wasn't really excited about the pictures of what would be my new 'do.  


I had a serene few hours without the girls and getting a my look.  Lydia did exactly what I wanted, and I was happy with the result.  I can still put it back in a ponytail, little and nubby as it is.  I was excited to come home and show off my new style to everyone. 


The girls all like to "hide" on the couch when Andy or I come home.  This means they cover themselves in pillows and we pretend not to see their feet.  Then we say something like, "Oh I guess the girls are gone!  Oh well!" Upon hearing this, they throw the pillows off and yell "Surprise!".  This never fails to amuse them.  


So I came home after my afternoon out, I walked in the house and they were all covered with pillows on the couch.  Lana and Georgia immediately threw off their pillows and yelled.  Then Julianna, along with the two little girls, started complimenting my new look.  Sonya was still "hiding" and I made a comment about her not being there.  That is when she threw off her pillow and  yelled  "surprise!" at me, only she ended up being the one surprised.  She took one look at me and her face fell.  Then she said,


"I don't like it."


"What?" I asked, thinking she was going to tell me she was joking.  


"I don't like it.  I don't like it at all!"


"Sonya," Julianna said.  "You don't like mommy's new hair cut?  It looks so cute!" She was trying hard to help out.


"No," she replied. "You don't look like mommy."


"Okay, Sonya," I said.  "I appreciate you being honest and it's okay if you don't like it."


I was actually a little taken aback because she is usually my one who is so worried about hurting someones' feelings.  In the past she would have just said she liked it in a way that I knew she didn't mean it.  This time she just came out and said what she thought.


Damn her father and I for teaching them not to lie!  Perhaps we need to tweak that rule a bit.  

Life's a Beach

See, a day like this is WAY better!  

Yes, I have pasty white legs. 

Sonya and I made a castle.  I might do this professionally.

They love to run in the water, which was actually above freezing for once.

Except  that I had to sit in traffic for an hour an hour and a half to get home, and the little girls fell asleep at 4pm,  and when I woke up Lana, she had a complete breakdown for 40 minutes for absolutely no reason at all.  THEN, we had to rush to eat when we got home to get to Sonya's player VS mom baseball game on time, all while trying to get Lana to calm down before we left.    So... yeah...but the beach was fun!!  As a bonus-no fighting!  (I rocked the game, by the way.  Turns out I can hit a ball.  Who knew?  Catching...not so much.)

The Dog Days of Summer

Oh Hi!  How are you?  Is it summer in your house yet?  Because it sure as hell is at mine!  yay.  That was sarcasm in case you didn't get it.  Summer began last week for Sonya and this is the first week the little girls don't have preschool.  It's Tuesday and I've already had to restrain myself from selling them on the black market at least three times.  Mostly because of the fighting.  O! M! G!  THE FIGHTING!!  I can not take it you guys.  They are going to drive me insane with the fighting.  When I am taken away and people ask what happened to that girl who used to write a blog about her three adorable girls, you can tell them it was the fighting that drove me mad.  The worst part about it is that it comes from nowhere.  They will all be playing nicely and quietly when all of a sudden someone, usually Georgia, is crying about something that happened.  Someone either hit, pinched, pushed or told her that they don't like her and aren't going to be her friend anymore. Oh well, too bad for you! You're sisters and you will be forced to be friends for the time being! Especially during the summer.


I'd like to tell you all that I have a plan to help this situation.  That things will get better.  Truth is, I don't and I'm not sure it will.  Summer is so bittersweet.  I was looking forward to it because it means less running around for me.  I don't have to pick up and drop off from school.  The extracurricular activities like Girl Scouts and Baseball are on hiatus too.  The little girls had their dance recital this weekend, which they did an awesome job at by the way, but dance is over until the fall also.  All we have this week is swim lessons for a half an hour in the late morning.  I couldn't wait for this week.  I was so done with running around.  Apparently, I had forgotten about the fighting.  Suddenly, driving around all day doesn't seem so bad after all.  


I do have some things planned.  This isn't my first summer break after all, but there is still A LOT of downtime.   We will go to the beach a few days here and there. Take a trip to the museum perhaps.  Maybe we will visit the aquarium.  The problem is- those trips are in the middle of days when I have to take THREE kids to Target, the grocery store or any other errand I need to run.  They are also in the middle of other days when nothing else is going on.  The days when all the fighting occurs.


We also have our Florida trip next week, which is going to take a week and a half out of our summer.  When we get back from that the girls go to camp in the mornings for a week.  That will put us to 4th of July week and from there it's only half a summer left!  I think the bigger problem for me this week is that I have to prepare us all for a long trip.  Oh and we are going camping with the girl scouts on Saturday, so I have to get everything for that with all kids in tow. Plus, PLUS!  We are getting a kitten this weekend.  More to come on that later. So there has been a lot of errand running in between our-hang out at home and get into trouble time.  What I've realized is- bottom line-there is no down time when you are a mom.  My relief of not having to drive anywhere, has just been replaced with my girls driving me crazy.  So my choices are running the kids around Burbank, but they're not home as much or they are home all the time and I have to find things for them to do to keep them from killing each other, or killing them myself.  If I come up with anything really good, I'll pass it along.  I know most of you out there are about to feel the same pain, if you don't already. 


In the meantime, I'm off to BevMo to stock up on my wine, because I have a feeling I might be needing it.   They are having their 5cent wine sale right now.  It couldn't have come at a better time.  Obviously,  someone who heads up that company is a mom with kids home for the summer.