Metal Meredith

We just had one of those cold spells that lasted a week. There were days when it barely got above freezing. Here in the Mid-Atlantic states, that is cold. During those days, I spent a lot of my time opening and closing the back and front doors on the whim of the cats. Both Liesl and Friedrich, who combined are maybe smarter than a can of nuts, would consistently forget how cold it was outside and ask to go out again and again. Then, four minutes later, one would come back in. She would eat and then walk right back to the door.

Liesl, she likes to meow until the door magically opens. Friedrich paws at the door like he is running on a exercise wheel. Both are equally as bothersome when I am trying to be on the computer, watch TV, do any number of household chores or cook meals. It happens again when they want to be let in. But instead of meowing at the door, Liesl has taken to jumping up to the 4th window pane on the back french doors and hanging there with a pained look on her little kitty face.

I found the Cat Windoor and immediately started to research it. It arrives 6 days later and only took Phil 2 hours to install.

Now, a week later, Friedrich is using the door like a champ. At 5am, I was greeted in bed by a cold and somewhat damp cat. Believe it or not, I was happy in my half awake state. It meant he had finally not only learned to go out the door, but he can get back in! Then, I went downstairs at 730 to be faced with Liesl at the front door, meowing to be let out. She will be a tough nut to crack.

Meanwhile, Henry thinks it is a really cool toy and likes to push it open and say “Bye!” out of it. At least we know he is smarter than the cat.

Maybe you could take a look and see if you would be interested?

...my daughter has finally thrown out all of her diapers and taken the ‘plunge’, so to speak.

I never though, as a mother, I would be brought to tears by poop. At least not just due to the smell. But I have.

After almost one entire year went by since the last time we took her diapers away and a mere 4 months since it became a non-issue. Tonight was the big night.

I will fully admit to using my new found parent book juju to turn it toward her and make it less about what I wanted. After letting her know that she is the boss of herself and then having her throw her own diapers out into the garbage can, repeating to her that I know “she is brave and smart and when the time comes, she will be able to do what needs to be done” and not allowing her to trick me into telling her she had to do it, she had a little breakdown this evening.

Phil took Henry upstairs and I spent a good 10 minutes telling Vivienne about a little girl named Viola who was having the same sort of problem. She was brave enough to just go try and behold, she did it and was SO PROUD!

Vivienne went upstairs and grabbed her blanket, told me she wanted to go and marched into the bathroom. She told me she was scared, I told her to just pee, nothing more. She sat on the potty and I excused myself to go get her teddy bear. While I was gone, she apparently got brave.

I had to go get Phil and both of us took turns staring into the toilet and commenting on what a lovely poop it was. Thank god she didn’t ask to save it or make it a pet. 

Vivienne had a major fit in the parking lot of a bookstore this week. She was trying to wriggle away from me in an attempt to get to the car before her father and brother ("Let’s Race! I bet I will win!"). Even though we are in a parking lot and I am yelling “STOP NOW!”, she is still trying to get away. So we got to the car and I put her in and took her toy away. She cried and kicked my seat and pouted for 3 or 4 minutes. When she was done, she got very quiet. The conversation went like this:

Me: Vivienne, are you ok?
Vivienne: Yeah. I wasn’t a very good boss of me, huh?
Me: No. Are you better now?
Vivienne: I guess so. But I think I need to get my ears checked.
Phil: Why is that?
Vivienne: Because I didn’t listen so good.