Our Family Expanded

My blog was correct last time, but now we have two new cat friends.  A mother daughter duo.  Sophie is three and Charlotte is one.  They are both rescue kitties who needed a loving home.  I realize that we are crazy for taking on more pets but sometimes it's just so hard to say no.  On our latest visit to the pet store Saturday we saw that one of the other girls was still there.  Adoption fees have jumped in the past week but most of the cat spots were empty.  It breaks my heart to see cats that need a good home, somewhere safe, somewhere they can play, their forever home.

Bringing the new girls into the house has been interesting.  When they aren't hiding under the stairs they are under our bed.  Charlotte and Duncan (our german sheppard cross) do really well together.  When we arrived home Duncan shoved his head right into the crate to see what we had.  Then looked at us with a confused look.  Momma cat has been keeping her baby in line.  The new girls have been roaming around the house a bit more and we do get the odd hiss at the older cats but they seem to be adjusting well.  Sabrina (the original cat and pet) seemed excited that she has a bigger food dish - but she expects it full all the time.  Even with five cats this bowl only needs to be half full.  She expects it completely full at all times.

We only have two litter boxes in the house.  General guideline is to have one per cat plus one.  When I figure out where another one can go we will consider buying more.  However, 6 litter boxes around the house?  I don't have a overly large house and that would be one in half the rooms - if the cats can't walk more that 20 feet to do their business then we have a problem.  Right now there is one upstairs and one downstairs.  Both out of the way of people and easy enough access for our cat friends.  I have been looking at the self cleaning ones though - maybe i'll compare if it's cheaper to buy a self cleaning one of put the cats in care while away.  I don't want to have to make anyone clean litter after all these poopers.

My heart is in the right place but realistically more cats would be too much.  I just hate to see any cat without a home and stuck in the shelter cages/lockups.  It breaks my heart to see them there.  All my cats and the dog are rescue animals.

Pets

Nine pets in our home.  I was asked the other day what pets we had.  3 cats, 1 dog and 5 fish.  Sabrina, Jersey, Tux, Duncan, Sam, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  It did make planning care while we are gone a little more tricky.  I will need someone daily going to the house.  Duncan, our dog, will be at a kennel so he can have lots of run time and fun.  The cats would have been good someone coming every couple days to feed them and play abit - that is if they will come out because they won't be impressed we are gone.  The fish though need to be fed daily.  Easiest pet to take care of and great entertainment for the rest but want food every day.  Not much to do to get the pets ready for our departure, except for Duncan.  He has a visit to the vet on Friday.  Needle time for him.  He is getting an extra one because of being kenneled.  I know they will be safe while we are gone and any intruder in the house will be eaten by the cats - because my cats are badass.  In our news though there has been a virus that affects dogs going around, and that worries me some.  It worries me to leave him with other dogs, I don't know what they have.  I only know that all dogs in the kennel will have their vaccinations up to date.  That makes me happy.

Not only is the night before we go going to be a long one, but we won't have Duncan here to keep us company.  He is going on his trip a day early thanks to 5am (maybe earlier) airport drop off times.  Sad thing  is we can't pick him up until the day after we get home, again thanks to airport times but this time it's midnight.  He has a new little buddy who plays with him multiple times a week.  They will both miss that.   I'm so glad dogs adjust well.  

So the cats will have rule of the house without the worry of a dog.  Not like the dog bothers him, Duncan knows who's boss.  The fish will just swim in circles as they tend to do.  The tank has a full lid and they will be secure.  Mind you the cats have alot of planning time.

Quiche

This was on the menu last night and the kids were happy to hear they were having pie for supper.  The oldest was happy and very suspicious because he knew it wouldn't be that easy.  I have never made quiche before but took the plunge and did.  I made a broccoli and mushroom one.  To my benefit you couldn't taste the mushrooms - I have one sometimes two kids who hate them.  Got away with it though last night.  With the quiche I had tatertots, which weren't served until the quiche was gone.

My oldest didn't care for it but ate it with the knowledge he can't have tots without it.  The middle two kids devoured theirs and went back for more - lots more.  Then there was the munchkin.  Even tots took a long time to get him to eat it.  He didn't think trees in his supper was cool.  Eventually it was gone though and the tots hit his plate.  The adults all enjoyed it - even my dad who stopped by to drive the kids and had a piece.

The verdict from the munchkin was mommy please don't make that anymore.  My oldest who didn't like it but said it would be alright if I tried a breakfast one with ham in it instead of the veggies.  The other two kids can't wait to have it again.

I call this an almost full success.  New foods don't always go over well.  Usually when we serve up something new it's either loved or hated, I don't usually get this reaction.  I don't usually get the request but to alter it.  I was happy with the result.  I think even the munchkin would do better with a ham one (maybe with hidden mushrooms again).  Next time it's breakfast quiche.

Back Again

I have returned after going with out since late last Spring.  I didn't get to the library like I wanted to but life still went on.  I don't feel like much has changed over the past several months.  The big thing is my kids are excited about food again.  I made menus and they now look forward to different meals.  I find that we get stuck in the sandwiches for lunch all the time and that is a big part of rough mornings.  They don't want that but that's all I have around.  Well today was a sandwich day for school and guess what?  No fighting about having to bring it.  They looked at the menu and saw it was the only one of two sandwich day this week so they were fine with that.  They also have homemade lunchables, homemade pizza dippers, and hot lunch at school to finish off the week.  They like variety, as any adult does.  I'm really happy to see that.  I always know different things they can bring but if we don't mark down what's when then they get in that rut.  I did the same for breakfast so it's not all cold cereal or toast.  Suppers have always been a decent variety, unless we don't know what to cook, then pasta is a fallback.  I made full menus and they were kid approved, well  maybe not totally but heck Pea Soup is always a good meal after having ham.

Another thing I changed is now we have a bowl of fruit out.  I try to keep a variety in it and watch what the kids are really going through.  This way if they are hungry they know they can have a piece.  It's hard with snacks after school because usually within 90 minutes of a snack we are getting ready to eat dinner so it has time to sit and the kids can do something after dinner before bed.  Fruit works and if it curves their dinner appetite, well at least it was healthy.

The menu has also made the kids want to help more.  They were apprehensive sometimes to offer to help make meals because they didn't know what was coming.  Kids talk while they prepare food, sometimes alot.  I have to say there is more about some topics than I really wish to know or even care about but it makes them happy to tell me everything.  Conversation is a good thing, even when one sided.

Disconnection

Life is full of time wasters that don't build good relationships with people around you.  I see how much my family watches tv and it has gotten out of control.  I see how much the kids play their video games - not enough according to them - and it's spiraling the wrong way.  Internet usage is blowing out the roof here.  There is an easy, yet difficult fix to two of these things.  As of today my internet is being cancelled.  As of May 27th my tv will also be cancelled.  I have already warned the kids that their game remotes will do just fine sitting in my locker at work if that continues to be a problem.

The air is sort of trying in a way to be nice outside.  It's time to get more fresh air, more family time.  As a family we use to love being outside.  We use to love doing things together.  It all seems to be slipping away the more and more the screens are on.  We had a talk last night and it's hard to admit that the kids don't know the last time they did something to help each other out.  Finally after thinking about it for a bit they came up with a couple things - from long ago.  When I asked them though when the last time they yelled/fought with each other they new it was that day and the previous.  I can't control what my kids watch when they aren't home but not having tv here will sure control what they see here.

I told them I want them to be able to smile when they leave the house to go to school.  Not because they have to go to school but because the had a great morning before leaving the house.  I have set a rule, although those who know me know I hate rules, that there can be no fighting or yelling at each other in the mornings and as people come home you can't say anything bad or tattle on anyone for at least 10 minutes.  We need to make it a welcome home for anyone coming back.  Their friends already think of our home as a safe home.  Some of them want to be here regularly because they prefer it over the drama in theirs.  If their friends think that I know i'm doing something right, or they have extremely messed up homes.  I want this to feel like a safe home for anyone who visits and not one where people don't get along because they never talk.  One where people aren't interested in only themselves and making sure that they get as much tv or computer time as they can.

To this I say good luck to my readers (well one reader I know of at least) and I will be on from the library when I can.  I won't forget you.

Will it end?

I know it's not just us but much of the country.  But will it ever just go away and stay away for a few months?  The weather this Spring has been crazy to say the least.  When we do get some nice weather, we are reminded of where we live and get snow to follow it up.  Our snow was almost gone and then a couple weeks ago we had white out conditions and horrible weather.  Woke up the next morning to snow everywhere again.  It melted and people were out in shorts and t-shirts this past weekend and enjoying Spring, finally.  Hope they haven't packed away their winter clothing though because we are to be hit with another dumping tomorrow. A few days later it should be warmer again though.

I can handle snow and cold but by this time of the year it would be nice if it was gone.  The kids have worn out or out grown their snow pants and boots.  I'm not buying new ones this year because this crap should be gone.  There is one store I can get pants to fit my son properly and I can't do that because they are constantly out of his size due to our never-ending Winter we are having.  I would love to just put all the winter stuff away and pull out the summer clothes but it just won't end.  Problem is, the kids have missed wearing shorts, sandals, t-shirts that they will wear them even if it isn't weather appropriate to me.  One of those battles that I don't like having so I hold out until it can be avoided.  Some of the clothes have made it out and they are worn regularly but the two offenders know if they are going to under dress they are, under no circumstances, to complain to me that they are cold - even if they are turning blue.  If the weather would just co-operate with me, this wouldn't be an issue.

Fun and frustration

It happened.  I got away for three days and nights for some relaxation time.  The first night we stayed at the casino.  They had amazing ribs for supper and I lost no money - I used what they gave me and that's it.  Monday morning we woke up to heavy wet snow.  Why must it always snow when I want to go with my mom and why is it still snowing into April?  The roads were fantastically plowed though and we made our way to Duluth.  The shopping as pretty good and I found alot of good deals and things we can't get here that the kids would enjoy.  Decent weather there and none of the snow they called for - until the day after we arrived home.  I stayed well under my limit for what I could bring home too!  We went to Red lobster for supper and wow - not sure where we fit it all.  I had a lovely pasta with crap and lobster sauce plus two lobster tails.  My mom had two kinds of shrimp, a lobster tail and crab legs.  I sat very patiently as she carefully got ALL the crab out of each one.  I'm impressed on how precise she is - she didn't miss a bit.  That was my birthday gift to her.  This was the fun part of the week.

When I arrived home Duncan ran up and gave me kisses after the kids.  He is our German Sheppard.  Then came a beagle to give me kisses and boy can he kiss.  That's Max - a dog I had no idea we were getting.  It was rushed to surprise me.  To me it was $300 out the window - he came with nothing, not fixed and one of the most irresponsible purchases possible.  No thought on how we would afford his vet bills or food or anything else with him.  I admit he is a cute dog but one we didn't need.  He came from income tax and a little more money because my father was told by the buyer "it's my money and I can do what I want with it".  Problem is this person doesn't have an income more than the family bills to buy the extras for a dog so now that has to come out of my extra, which I don't think is fair.  I have notes to say that I don't have to work because my husband doesn't want to be home alone.  I chose to so I could have extra money to do things and life a little easier.  We each pay half the bills and that uses up all "his" money plus what I get for the kids. The luxuries of eating out, going to a movie, shopping all comes from what I get from work.  I think owning a pet should be a joint decision and equal paying for it and it's not now.  It's so frustrating.  I hate feeling like this but I do and it happens all too often lately.  Feeling frustrated with my life, feeling like I can't do anything for myself without stuff like this happening (last time my charge cards were racked up when I was gone 18 months ago), feeling like I have 5 kids most of the time and not 4.  I want to have 2 responsible adults in the house to go with the 4 kids, 2 dogs and 3 cats.