We have new pets...

...in addition to our kittens we got in October, we now have new goldfish.  My husband insisted that it would be good for our girls to have goldfish.  I assured him that Grimmy and Earl, our kittens (now half grown), would agree with him.  I warned him that our older cat, Thissy, may just hide under the bed for a week once she has discovered their presence. 

Personally, I can't say that I'm terribly excited to have 5 more little creatures to clean up after or take care of.  I can hear my readers say, 'But goldfish are simple and contained.  They're really easy.'  My answer to that would be that cactus are simple, contained, and easy also, but I've never had one survive in my care.  I'm pretty sure my children survive only because I'd be arrested if they didn't.  Plus, like cats, they kind of fend for themselves.  I'll I need to do is keep them away from the street and throw a bowl of chow their direction once in awhile.

Anyways, I really did try to talk my husband out of the purchase of goldfish yesterday.  However, since the bowl, gravel, peek-a-boo hideout, and fish food (to feed our live cat treats) only cost about $15 altogether, I gave in. 

As we made our way to the cash register at Walmart, I envisioned what the future of these poor fish would be at our house.  Of course, I envisioned Grimmy and Earl overcoming their fear of water to chase fish in the bowl rather than chase the bugs attracted to the light of the TV as we tried to watch a movie.  To me, that right there made the fish a good investment. 

I had other visions too.  One of which was the future of the fish if Penny decided to play with them.  I can see it now: Penny takes ownership of the fishbowl from off of the counter and walks it on over to the kitchen, splashing the water every which way.  Then, realizing the bowl is empty, holding it up under the ice dispenser at the refrigerator and overfilling the bowl with ice and water the way she does with her water cup.  I can also see her pouring the contents of the bowl into some other container, back and forth, just as she does when she gets her hands on two cups when one contains her drink.  And, if she's anything like Seren, I could see the fishbowl making it all the way into the bathroom.  Will the final destination be the bathtub or the toilet?  Either way, I'd better have the number for Roto Rooter. 

This was all running through my head as I carried the fish in a bag, in my hand, trying to keep it out of reach of Penny who kept running up to it and clapping her hands around it on each side like it was a baloon she was trying to pop.  The thought occurred to me that maybe the fish wouldn't make it to the checkstand alive.

We did make it to the checkstand though. As we waited, I evaluated the contents of our cart: 2 large packs of beer (found on sale), snow saucers, and goldfish with all of their necessary accesories.  With this being a Walmart checkstand and SuperBowl being so soon, I kept trying to think of an appropriate redneck joke as I held the goldfish out of the reach of a dodging Penny and collaborated with Seren on what their names would be.

In the midst of this, we got a wiley cashier who was either too intelligent or too oblivious to be working at Walmart.  As she was scanning the alcohol, she asked who was buying it.  We both indicated that Mike would be and she asked for his identification.  After she saw his, she asked to see mine also because I look under 40.  She seemed as if she was teasing (dry sense of humor?)  Not that I care whether I'm carded or not, but when I have my hands full trying to pacify 3 small children, who were both clamoring for the goldfish and for their lunch, I couldn't help but be a stinker and tease her in return that since I'm not making the purchase, I don't have to provide my ID.  She did explain that I should feel flattered that she thinks I'm under 40 and said something about it being policy to card everyone in the party with the person making the purchase who looked under 40 to be sure the alcohol is not being purchased for underage persons.  She said that if we didn't have our little ones with us, then she'd probably insist on it.  Asked her that since we do have them and they look under 40, would she be carding them too?

As we left, Mike tried to explain that she had a dry sense of humor and was trying to pay me a compliment by saying I look under 40.  I explained to him that I understood that and had even thanked her for that, but if she is going to pretend to hassle a frazzled mom busy with 3 small kids, she'd better expect some light hassling back just because I can.  It doesn't mean I didn't get her joke or her humor, but she obviously didn't get mine ;)

At any rate, we got the fish home safely then picked Evy up at school, got the kids a snack, and made a fun shopping trip to Ikea.  After that, we went to dinner and that is what supplied the inspiration for yesterday's Serenism.

Today's Serenism poll:

What were we doing when Seren said, "The dumping area is already open"?

A) Waiting for the waste management center to open
B) Refilling Seren's to-go cup
C) Impatiently waiting for Seren to get off the pot

Bonus round: can you guess what Seren was referring to when she said:"Look, Evy! I'm squishing it out very, very slowly..."

Answer: We were refilling Seren's to-go cup and she was holding the flap back on her lid when she said that the dumping area was already open. 

Answer to the bonus question: She was opening her after dinner mint.

I went shopping at the thrift store today...

...and so did Seren.  The picture is of what was in her basket: fancy party shoes, party invitations featuring martinis, and a package of drink umbrellas for fancy drinks.  Keep in mind this is my 4 year old daughter who helps herself to Mai Tai dispensers at weddings, sneaks the adult beverage menus out of restaurants, and, more recently, snuck a sip of Mike's shot glass of whiskey and accused him of drinking root beer without sharing.

Seren has a new recipe

I forgot to add that Seren has a new recipe that she invented all on her own this very day: It's a PB&S (Peanut Butter and Salami). She layers all-natural peanut butter on top of Honey Grahams and tops it with chunks of italian dry salami. It's pretty good actually.

Seren has always had a fascination with food and experimentation with flavors. I suspect that she will grow up to be a chef, or at least a great cook!

General Update Since Xander's Birth

I have made a few posts since Xander was born, but have not kept the blog as up to date as I'd hoped. There have been a few changes around here that I wish to report on.

First, my oldest cat is speaking to me again. As you may recall, we got two kittens in October (?) and our older cat, who is 6 years old, refused to acknowledge my presence over it. Well, maybe she acknowledged my presence, but it was always with growling and hissing. Yet, I used to be her favorite. She felt especially betrayed by me, I suppose.

So, did she just finally get over it? Not really. She treated me like this until a day or two after I brought Xander home. Then, one night, she noticed that I was up all night attending to my own noisy, fussy, "kitten." She felt sorry for me! She came over to me and started to be affectionate. It was like she looked at me with Xander and thought to herself, "Well, it looks like someone brought her home one of those too!" Little does she know that I caused all of these young ones to come home...lol.

Another change is that I finally quit school indefinitely. I was on LOA through the pregnancy, but I decided that it was just way too difficult to juggle children, school, and try to work full-time after maternity leave. Yes, I am giving up a grant that pays my entire tuition for the year just to be with my kids. I think it was the hardest thing I ever had to let go of. However, I already feel less stressed and I am enjoying having downtime with my kids. As for my business that I have in the works, well, I'm still working on it :) It will take a while. I'll be happy if it shapes up to be a seasonal side business that supplements my day job. This way, I don't have all of my eggs in the J.O.B. basket, I make a little extra money for vacations or whatever, and I actually further my education about my primary profession without incurring any more debt.

Now that I am not pursuing school, I have successfully potty-trained Penny. It took a good two weeks, but she's fit for going in public now :) Now I need to spend time with Seren to get her to start reading. That is my other goal before I go back to work in March.

From my previous posts, you know that I've been doing Atkins since I had the baby. I haven't weighed since January 10th and found I was 20 pounds down. My next weigh in is February 7th. However, I have noticed a change in the last two weeks: my favorite comfy pants with elastic waste is falling down! I also have some other pants that I just can't wear anymore because they are on the verge of falling down. Now I need to dig out some other pants that fit. It's a nice problem to have!

Other changes I have noticed includes having more energy and my skin looks better. Additionally, it's a great money saver because I'm not eating out as much. Also, I have a calorie goal I am sticking to also, which helps on the weight loss and the pocketbook. No, you don't usually count calories on Atkins, but I have decided to because I just plain need to learn to eat less than I used to. I realized that I didn't necessarily agree with the recommended portion sizes and felt they were way too small. Now that I am getting used to eating way less, it's easy to feel spoiled if I overeat on allowed foods every once in a while. And by overeat, I mean taking a few extra bites of allowed foods, or just a bite or two of foods that are taboo. So, I feel like I am cheating terribly, but looking at it with overall perspective, I really haven't cheated much at all. It's a good feeling to know I'm making progress. I could make this a lifelong habit - and I plan to!

Dear Xander Zane,

Shame on you for waking your mommy so often.  Your mommy now wakes up like clockwork to feed you.  Thankfully, you're awake within minutes of my stirring in my sleep.  Shame on you for going back to sleep after eating, for your beauty keeps me awake long after.  By the time I tire of it, you're ready to eat again.  Shame on you for that too.  You're not allowed to continue this behavior.  Your mommy is tired of your sisters laughing at her delirium during daylight hours.  In fact, your mommy is just plain tired.  It's ok to be hungry, but please stop being so cute in the middle of the night...and wipe that smile off of your face.  You are sleeping and there is no way you have a clue what I am posting right now.

Love,
Your Mommy XOXO

You know when potty training is successful when...

Despite the numerous daytime accidents and even the obstinence of my two year old, she wakes me up in the middle of the night because she has to go AND she is bone dry! Yup, sat her on the potty and there was plenty of tinkle to be had.  Great job, Penny!