cute. kittens. and other stuff.
Lately, all our kids can think about is this:
And goodness – who could blame them?
Our five tiny porch friends are ridiculously adorable.
They all have names of course. None of which I had any part in the choosing. (Hey, it’s a big sacrifice on my part to not insist that I name all creatures living at our home. I still have so many name choices stockpiled.)
We have Ninja, Moonshine, Peace, Bandit and Slice.
Prior to the birth of the wonder babies, we had two cats. Two cats that we talked all year long about needing to take to the vet to have them fixed.
Two cats that were suddenly both pregnant.
And, you know, when we returned home from vacation – one cardboard box full of babies.
We have no idea which cat is the momma. It’s a bit of a mystery. Neither cat is pregnant any longer. Both cats carefully tend to the little brood. Both cats nurse the kittens.
ALL the kittens need a new home that is NOT our front porch once they reach kitten-giving-away age.
(Which is what age exactly?)
And who wants a stinkin’ cute kitten?
And in other news,
it seems my comment section has been overtaken by spammers only.
I have been receiving about twenty spam comments a day.
Can someone real and living please try to comment so I can see if any legitimate comments can get through any longer?
Many thanks.
Also ….
We are limping along trying to wrap up this school year.
A vacation in May sidetracked our progress – which was anticipated – but now we’re wrapping up the math lessons and finishing the last chapters of our Revolutionary War books.
It’s hard to concentrate with so much sunshine and so much cute around here.
In addition –
London Scout has been asking about her own room lately.
A nearly impossible dream in a three-bedrooms-for-six-kids house.
We’re brainstorming some possibilities for a clever bit of space of her own because I know how valuable it is to feel as if you can decorate and claim your space and trust that it will not get desecrated by your well-intentioned five-year-old sister. She’s at that age where she has treasures and prized objects she has saved to buy or earned or collected and she wants to keep them safe.
It’s a tough problem here as the girls’ bedroom is simply an enigma to both function and design. It is a rather small square with three beds and very limited options for rearranging. Any and all suggestions would be appreciated.
Riley will be leaving in the fall for nine months but I also want Riley to have a room to come home too as well. I think if a college-aged kid feels as if they don’t have a space to come home too – they won’t have a reason to consider this home. I think it would be worse for London to get a new space and enjoy it for a long time and then have to return it in May. Plus, I just can’t think of any appealing way to have all of Riley’s nineteen-year-old stuff in a room for nine-year-old London.
Really – feel free to share your thoughts.
I think this concludes my scattered here and there thoughts this morning.
I think I’ll leave you guys where I started.
With cute.
14 Comments
Alicia
Is there any possibility of an outdoor space? A little pallet clubhouse or tree house or even branch tepee? Maybe adding a little desk area to a different room? Ethan, obviously, has his own room, while three girls share a room the same size, but Anna had a little desk in a corner of his room for a while. Maybe that would make Riley's room a private spot for London without actually taking over the room, and with the understanding that it will either be totally off limits when she's home or at least have modified access. I try to create nice spaces, but it's hard in a little house. We put a bed tent on the top bunk for Bella recently.
kimmie
your post reminds me of one summer Sunday morning 17 years ago when my "baby" was 4. Pastor asked for joys and concerns from the congregation. My son stood up on the pew seat and announced "we have 14 new baby kittens" – pastor asked "is that a joy or a concern?"
Allie P
The kittens are cute, but we are anti-cat, as much as we like kittens, they all turn into cats eventually. =(
But the space problem, it's something we talk about too. The older girls and Jadon share a room right now, since little Riley is still at the age of odd sleeping times and waking up randomly at night. But it's coming…the desire for the kids to have their own space. Right now, we allow them to each have 1 drawer. Lexie's is in the bottom of her dresser, and Jadon and Kate share a 2 drawer little bin that's in their closet. The rule is that the drawer is for JUST their stuff, no one can go into another person's drawer no matter what. They keep their collectables and treasures in their drawers and about every other month I make them go through and decide what they are going to keep and what they will throw away.
Perhaps giving her space like that may help for the things she loves? A shadowbox or two or three above her bed…or a shelf by her bed or something.
I remember how frustrated I was as a growing kid to collect stuff and not have space for it, it got even worse as a college kid, because I had to cram all of my things into one room, while mom and dad had an entire house! It never seemed fair. If we are in this house as our children grow older, we plan to move the master bedroom downstairs, giving the three girls our room & bathroom, and Jadon his own room. We'll see how it all plays out.
lacey35
Why DO kittens have to become cats? It's a real shame.
We worked around in the room today actually and came up with an option sort of like your suggestion. Each girl has an area now that is hers to store her toys/stuffed animals/dolls as she would please. We did put a little shadowbox up for each girl by their bed too.
I imagine it will always be a work in progress.
It's good to be reminded that lots of families have these same concerns.
@witheagerhands
i understand the room issue. MG would love her own room — not happening. she and Ella share one side, Henry and Adaleide, the other — not even a door (it's an attic that was turned into two room as there were at one time 10 people in this house!!) I'm all ears to ideas….
Sarah Wickstrum
For London's space, you could create some sort of partition and section of her part of the room. Maybe a curtain rod with a fabric of her choosing. Or designate half of Riley's room with the same curtain idea.
Marion
Those kittens sure are cute, but it seems as if I have suddenly acquired two of my own. Two of the creatures I have birthed have begun to crawl around meowing and giving "kittie lovin's" (in other words, licking).
lacey35
Are they insisting you feed them from bowls on the floor?
My kids preferred being dogs for some reason.
And – it's true – I have on occasion – humored them and given them food in a bowl on the floor.
I like to think I was being Coolest Mom but I was probably being Do Anything So They Will Play Quietly For Another Hour Mom.
Which is also cool.
Marion
TRUE. And while I don't necessarily appreciate being licked, I do appreciate a few minutes of quiet. They have not requested bowls on the floor, but I have found they do it on their own.
Katie
If y'all are keeping the little gray calico one I am pretty sure I might be able to get it. Do you know how many girls and boys you have? And they are ready at eight weeks!
lacey35
Ah – thank you Katie – O Wise One of Kitten Knowledge.
Are you kidding? Your parents would let you get another kitten??
lacey35
Oh – and – uh – I am not very good at – uh – discerning the gender of kittens. So, you know, next time you're over …..
Chelsea
I've been a bit jealous of your kitten situation. I wondered which cat they belonged to, but that is an interesting circumstance. Sullivan saw this post as I was reading it, so I wouldn't be surprised if she is scheming a way to join your family. Girls AND kittens, well, add a rainbow and flowers and you've got this girl's heaven. (Maybe also a unicorn.)
lacey35
A unicorn – if only we could fulfill Piper's dream there! 🙂
We'll take Sullivan happily – she's awfully cute and wonderfully sweet. But you know – you could just solve the problem by taking a kitten and naming it Unicorn.
Please tell Sullivan my brilliant idea.