9 Lives

Uh...The black cat is not dead. It was an imposter! Repeat. The black cat is NOT DEAD!!!!

I was getting Ava out of the van today and was turning around to go into the house, and lo and behold...A little black head was peeking around the corner. I just stared at it for a second thinking, "I must be more distraught about this than I thought." He came bounding over just like he was never dead! I actually got down and started cooing at him and scratched him a bit, I was so happy to see him alive again! (I'm normally reserved around him after receiving ringworm from a stray I'd taken to in college).

So yes, cats do apparently have 9 lives! Sorry for the false alarm, y'all! HA HA!!!

Also...

Black cat is still lying dead on the side of the road. Aiden is very observant. It's only a matter of short time before he sees him. I'm holding my breath...

Invaders

I barely remember the times when I could reliably slip into a warm bubble bath with a Glamour and have a Calgon moment for an hour or so. I know it once existed for me, but it's hazy. Because my current reality--as it has been for the past 5 years--goes like so:
[me in a conspiratorial whisper]: Radley, I'm going to take a bath.
[I hold my breath as I tiptoe up the stairs...]
[I turn on the water.] MAMA?!?!?!?!? BAF?!?!?!?
[Me]: ARRRGH!
[little steps on the stairs]: clomp, clomp, clomp...MAMA?!?!?!?
[little steps entering the bathroom]: MAMA!!!!!! BAF!!!!!!!
[little one proceeds to try to strip--requires my assistance--I grudgingly oblige since I know my other option is listening to a fit, which will effectively ruin my bath anyway.]

As I lift my little one into the bath with me and she proceeds to dive into my sacred "bath things", I grit my teeth and think, "Well, nice try, Andrea." Until the little one smiles at me and laughs, "Mommy. Hair." Oh, it's time to wash her hair. "You wanna use Mommy's shampoo?"
"Yeah!" And then, I relax realizing my subterfuge was futile and useless from the start. It's a bonding moment--not such an invasion after all. It's just what it is.

Life and Death

Aiden's B-Day We have to reserve soon. Plus Black Cat is dead saw it on the road ran over.

This was the subject line in the email I got from Rad at work the other day. I'd already known the cat was dead as I'd passed the van over it on the way to kindergarten, realizing with horror as it went under that it wasn't a piece of black tire or trash in the middle of the road. It was "my friend".

The black cat is Aiden's "friend". He has no idea he's dead. And today as he played outside with his watergun (under strict orders to ONLY spray plants) he said to me with a gleeful look, "When I see my friend the cat I'm gonna spray him!" I just smiled and hoped that he would soon forget about our little adopted stray. He adopted us, really. He always knew when we were outside playing or having a cookout. Sometimes, we'd be sitting around inside on a cold, rainy or snowy day, and his little black head would pop up in the window, meowing and rubbing against the glass for us to come out. Or for us to let him in. He was sneaky. I don't know how many times we found that cat inside the house, not knowing how he'd gotten in or when. We didn't even feed him or anything. He really just seemed to genuinely enjoy our company. It was sweet :) I was really sad when I realized that he was lying sad and dead there on the road. How sad Aiden would be and I'm just not ready to deal with that kind of life lesson right before his birthday. We'll just pretend that he decided to go off on an adventure and see new places--Reichenbach is quite a sleepy little town anyway. Here's to My Friend and his new adventure...Thanks for the company and for adopting Aiden, becoming a good friend.

Guilt Complex

Is it that I'm a woman, a mother, or just compulsivity that I tend to feel guilty about things I shouldn't? Probably all of the above. Anyway, I have been invited to go this Saturday on a traveling bridal shower for a friend at work. It'll take all Saturday cuz we will catch the train in one town and ride it to Speyer (of the famed cathedral--a place and cathedral I've wanted to visit since high school AP Art History days...Holla, Beth!) So it'd be fun; a bunch of us girls wandering around, eating, drinking wine (surely), shopping, and chatting. A total girl-day. But I feel guilty because Radley would be taking the kids by himself to a BBQ we've been invited to that same day. Which would be fine for him. He always reports that his single-dad days are "easy, fine" (much to my infuriation...Is it too much for him to say, "Aw, it sucked! I don't know how you do it when I'm gone all the time! You're awesome--the best wife and mother ever!") Anyway, ugh. What is with this guilt?!?!

Spring Fever

It's been sunny and warm two days in a row now!! "Warm" meaning upper 40's/low 50's. I went running out on the farm roads yesterday for the first time since I last blogged about it and it was great. I actually missed the aroma of manure--ha ha!! Anyway, I'm so sore. But it's worth it. I've got spring fever from this weather and started trying on some skirts and capris (since I have no shorts yet) and was thrilled to find that my pre-Ava ones fit! That's the kind of motivation I need to keep the running up despite the pain :)

Today, we popped over to the Toone's place to wish Jimmy a safe trip back to the desert now that his R&R is over. We're planning on uncorking some Dom and a lamb dinner (grilled by Chef Jimmy, of course) when he gets back for good and we're looking forward to that! Jimmy is the only person who can cook lamb the way I will enjoy it. It's always good food and good friends at the Toone's place!

Now, we're getting ready to head over to the Reichenbacher Sportzplatz for some schnitzel and more good friends' company with Hans and Natti! It's been the kind of weekend that makes me also feel like spring is in the air--hanging with friends, grilling, eating, fresh air, and squeezing in a good run or two. Perfect!