That lady with all of those kids.

Little Orphan Annie and the Animal Shelters of Doom. 12/03/2011

A few weeks ago. Actually, the day of this post we discovered that a litter of kittens had been born in our backyard. I'm not a cat person. Mama Cat's fairly new to the neighborhood and, due to illnesses running through our house, hadn't discovered that my yard was usually full of kids.

Every day the kids would go out to check on the babies and try to get an accurate head count. Every day I looked up places that would fix Mama Cat and the babies for free. Every day the kids were told not to wander too close and not to get attached. I'm not a cat person. Every day Mama Cat would run off and leave her babies, and every day the kittens would stumble and roll out of their nest in hopes that the kids were their mother. At final count there were 5 kittens. 2 black, 2 gray striped, and the prettiest of the bunch a black and white kitten who seemed to be the noisiest and least adventurous of the litter. I trusted the kids headcounts but never counted myself because I wasn't interested. I'm just really not a cat person.

On Monday the noisy kitten was insane. Like all. day. long. loud enough to hear inside the house mewing. I didn't worry much because Aidyn had seen Mama Cat moving her kittens early that morning, so we assumed that the noisy one would be picked up soon. We were wrong. Late that afternoon there was a knock at the front door. The neighbor heard the mewing and had also been watching and hadn't seen Mama Cat come back in quite a while. So I headed out to see if the kitten was stuck, to free it for Mama Cat. It stumbled across the yard towards me, certain that I was its mother. Sorry, kitty, I'm not even a cat person! The kitten was dehydrated and shivering so hard that it looked epileptic so I took pity and brought it in to feed and warm up a bit while keeping an eye out in case Mama Cat remembered and came back because I'm not a cat person and we weren't keeping the kitten. She never showed up.

I called the city animal shelter and asked if I could bring it in. They told me how to take care of it and when to give it shots and get it fixed. I told them that we weren't keeping it. I'm not a cat person. They said they'd put it down. The next morning an hour before opening time I called the SPCA. They said they'd put it down too, but gave us a list of rescues to call. All of the shelters and rescues said "It's kitten season, we're full, but we'll put it down for you." Have you ever told 6 kids that the kitten they've been helping feed with a tylenol dropper is going to be put down? The kitten that's kept them from doing anything for a day because they've been too busy petting it and holding it? (despite me telling them not to get attached???) Tears. Lots of them. "They're going to KILL our kitten!!!" Never mind the fact that it wasn't our kitten. Ever. We had no plans on keeping it. My husband's allergic, and in case I didn't mention it, I'm not a cat person.

I called my husband at work and told him about the kitty drama. He had me text a picture and showed it around work hoping to sucker someone into taking it.

You know you wants the cutesie-wootsie kitty! Yes you do! Wook at it's fuzzy-wuzzy face! Just look at those blue eyes! Look at those sharp needle-like claws!

No luck.

Finally, as a last resort we hit up Freecycle. (If you aren't aware of Freecycle the concept is awesome and we haven't had any bad experiences!) I gave the whole story and, of course, the picture. I had all sorts of fun titles for the post... "Free feeder kitten" "We're going to KILL this kitten!!!" but finally just went with "Orphaned Kitten". We were down to 2 hours for kitty to be claimed or it was off to meet it's maker... The kids refused to let me walk away from the computer. "Check the email again!" "Did anyone write back? Check again!" "Do you think someone will take it?" "Why hasn't anyone written back???" "Are you sure the email is working?"

With 30 minutes to spare the replies started coming in. Mostly people with phone numbers to animal shelters most of which I'd already called, but soon one reply that changed everything. A lady who had loved bottle feeding her own kitten a decade before was looking for a new pet. A sigh of relief went through our house as arrangements were made to deliver kitty to it's new owners the next day. Annie (if it turns out to be a girl), had a home!

The next day we delivered her to her new family. A wonderful couple with children (which made it even more of a happy occasion for my kids) who adored kitty at first sight. They had already arranged for a vet visit for her and had kitten formula waiting at home, instead of the cow milk we'd been trying to keep her alive with. Little Orphan Annie was home at last!

We drove home with a huge sense of relief. The kids jabbered constantly about how happy they were that Annie wasn't going to be killed after all. We got home and walked in the door and Ella looked at the now empty ottoman with the heating pad right where it had been left for Annie and yelled out "Oh no! Where'd kitty go???" I knew we were forgetting to tell someone!

(We have since received updates on Little Orphan Annie, as well as pictures, and she's doing very well in her new home.)

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The fragile flower and the green eyed monster. 11/13/2011

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When you were little did you have big plans of needing to use crutches, or getting a serious illness and barely making it out alive? No? Just me? Okay then.

In any case, Darcy has taken after me. The child lives for the day she can go to the doctor for anything other than a check-up. Her small athletic frame doesn't help her cause. Her sister, on the other hand, is built more delicately and never does things halfway.

While Darcy got RSV as an infant and recovered just fine without a trip to the doctor, a toddler-ish Catalina wasted away to nothing until, unable to force fluids into her anymore, she had to go in for an IV.

When Darcy gets colds that clear up and go away, Catalina comes down with raging double ear infections that last for weeks.

Catalina dislocates an elbow while being lifted over a puddle. Darcy tips a heavy television over onto her foot and the x-rays come out clear.

Catalina falls from the couch and breaks both bones in her arm. Darcy falls from a taller height onto a harder surface and again, the x-rays are fine.

Things really started getting ugly last year. First Catalina woke up crying about pain in her lower right side, a slight fever, and no appetite. A call to the doctor got us sent straight to the E.R. for an ultrasound of her appendix. As we were getting ready to go Darcy mysteriously fell from a standing position and was sure that her knee was broken and that she should go too. She stayed home and both girls were fine.

Next, Catalina (through no fault of her own **cough**), was pushed by a sibling and broke her elbow. She got to wear a sling for a few days. Darcy "injured" every part of both arms in an attempt to get a sling of her own to no avail.

We knew she was becoming more desperate when, after telling Catalina to drink her milk to make her bones stronger, we noticed Darcy's milk cup left untouched.

Recently she finally had her chance. While running full speed across the house she stepped on the paper that Ella was coloring on the floor. With a loud **POP** her head hit the wood floor and she started to cry. I took a few minutes to assess her, and while she was conscious and able to answer questions she couldn't stand or walk without falling over. If she wasn't so dizzy she'd be reveling in it! This was her moment! Just as I was about to call an ambulance her world stopped spinning and she got up and walked just fine. Within a few hours her head didn't even hurt. It wasn't until the next day that she realized that she'd blown her chance. There was no turning back now. She's been taking it on all of us ever since.

One day she'll come to appreciate coming from sturdy stock. Right?

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Our local occupy protest. 11/05/2011

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The Monarch of the Park 06/26/2011

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My kids are a touch on the nervous side. Just a touch. Some children are afraid of certain animals. My kids are all afraid of the same 3 types: Animals with more than 2 legs, animals with less than 2 legs, and birds. I suspect this comes from a granted wish that my parents made years ago. The same wish every parent makes: "I hope one day your children act just like you!"

In the city next to ours is a beautiful park. The playground is raised above the ground to allow ample room for wood chips to soften the landings of children raining from the giant castle and tepee structures. A few years ago, when my 3 eldest were capable of climbing a playground without help, we made our first visit, along with grandma and my siblings. We ate our lunch on the grass while waiting for them to join us. The playground was deserted, no wildlife was seen, life was good. As my mom, sister, and I chatted we were oblivious to the horrors that the playground contained.

It started when Catalina, then 2 years old, ran towards us bawling. She wasn't hurt and she hadn't been mistreated by her brothers so I sent her back to play. Princesses tend to blow things out of proportion. Especially when they're skipping a nap to play instead. As she toddled back to the playground wiping tears from her dirty face a small ground squirrel scampered along the ground in front of us.

A few minutes later she came running to us again, crying harder than before now. I gave her a drink, calmed her down, asked her if she wanted to rest, then sent her back to play. In the distance another squirrel scampered along the top of the castle bridge, keeping its distance from the boys playing there.

A third time, only moments later, she ran to me screaming. More water, more hugs, checks for bites or stings, tear wiping, and back to the playground she went. This time her teenaged uncle escorted her and stood at a distance to watch her play. She disappeared from my view, but sure enough the hysterical shrieks began again. This time her uncle yelled "Oh no!" and took off running in her direction.

Catalina had discovered that all of that wonderful soft bark was home to herds of ground squirrels. Squirrels that are convinced that she is their queen! It could have been the small size, the brown fluffy ponytail, or perhaps the very high pitch of her voice, but as good loyal subjects they were determined to follow queen!

Her uncle scooped her up and carried her to us, the growing herd of squirrels following at a safe distance. Safely in his arms she stopped screaming and kept a cautious eye on them as he carried her back to me and relayed the story. Wonderful mother that I am, I laughed maniacally then let her devour cookies until the emotional pain was gone.

Since that day, 4 years ago, every time we visit that park we check for signs of life. After sounding the all clear she nervously ventures into the playground. The moment her foot touches the ground herds of her royal subjects appear from thin air, following her every move as she shrieks in terror and takes off running.

This is something that I should have remembered before allowing her to watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for the first time tonight. Sleep well, Catalina'!

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