I should post.

Haven't really been inspired to write since BatCat died, but I figure that I'd better get back to it or I'll drop off again like I did with the last blog.  Stubby has been let back into the house.  1st Floor only.  Not full time, yet, as he'd have none of that since he now likes the out of doors.  I had given away all indoor-cat-related things when both cats were relegated to the outdoors, so the day after we lost BatCat, I headed over to Tractor Supply and got a new litter box, a great supply of litter, a scoop, a couple cat toys, Nature's Miracle (which, thankfully, we've yet to use), and Feline Pet Ease (the equivalent of a natural Xanax for cats).

At first Stubby was scared to even come in at all.  Then when he realized that this would be where his meals were, he started arriving at the door at the appointed times.  It has been easier to get him to stay inside at night as Mozart goes to bed about the time he gets fed, so the environment is much calmer.  He has stayed inside a handful of day, but even when he does, it seems like he needs his fix of the outdoors for a little bit in the evenings.  Mozart doesn't help.  In fact, I'm not so sure it's the outdoors so much as the need-to-get-away-from-that-insane-moving-beast-of-a-toddler that has him wanting to go out in the evenings.

He has been a bit of a love though.  We are doing our best to love him up as much as possible.  For the day or so after we found BatCat, he seemed out of sorts - maybe it was just us, but it did seem that he missed her in a way.  I just want him to be happy.  And not leave pee-puddles to attend to.

And then there was one.

There's no way to soften the blow.  TW came home from work on her lunch break and found BatCat. Dead.  She called me at work but I was busy.  She called back twice more within minutes and so I excused myself and got the news.

I am heartbroken, but I cannot imagine what TW is going through.  She got BatCat before she met me and when she was having a very hard time.  She has often referred to how much support she got from her.  And that they are kindred spirit or a kind of soul mates.  And after finding her she couldn't even grieve properly as she had to go back to work.

In tears, I got off work an hour early, dropped Mozart off at Mme. Child's, stopped at the store and got several bags of ice, then went home to ensure BatCat's stability until we can decide what to do (burial or cremation) and where it will happen.  I got flowers, wine and ice cream for TW, and then picked up the boy.

I explained to him that Mommy is sad and so she might be crying a little bit tonight.  He wanted to know where her boo-boo is and I told him it is in her heart.  He offered to "give her hug and I fix it."  He is a wonderful child.  Since we got home he has been checking in with her and giving hugs.

TW and I haven't had a chance to talk yet, so Mozart doesn't know the reason that Mommy has a boo-boo on her heart.  I'm thinking of telling him that BatCat had to move to a happy cat place, and we are sad because we didn't know she had to move away until she was gone.  Or, because we have already referred to people who have died as living in our hearts, that she lives in our hearts now.  And if he asks why Mommy's heart has a boo-boo, then we'll say that it sometimes hurts little when people (or cats) move from living with us to living in our hearts.

Well.  I'll keep thinking on this.  If you have an ideas for telling him or dealing with the loss of a pet, by all means, let me know.

Success!

I'm running this morning, but I just have to announce: BOTH CATS ARE USING THE HOUSE!!!

I seem to go in spurts with my posts, and while I have lots that I've thought about posting - so, so need to show off the Halloween costume that I did for Mozart, for instance - the last week has been a flurry of activity and it seems that it will continue for a day or so more.  So wait with anticipation for that Halloween post, but not with bated breath please, as I don't want to be responsible for anyone passing out.

Another small fan.

About a week ago, I noticed that the bedtime routine between Mommy and Mozart had lengthened.  I found myself wondering if she started reading Harry Potter to him. I had no real reason to suspect this, aside from her unwavering love for all things Harry Potter.  I mean, I knew it would happen sometime, but I thought it would be when he was closer to seven.  I listened to snippets of story telling from in the room, but nothing seemed to suggest anything out of the norm.

My suspicions have been confirmed over the last week, however, when Mozart began wanting to "fly 'round the house."  When he, out of the blue, yells, "Gryffindor!" at the top of his lungs and when the following conversation occurs:


Mozart: I just wanna play magic. I need a magic wand.
Mommy: You have to be 11 to have a magic wand.
Mozart: I am 11.
Mommy: Not yet. You need to turn 3, and then 4, and then 5, and then 6, and then 7, and then, well all the way up to 11.
Mozart: No. I wanna play magic. Turn me into 11.
Mommy (attempting with all her might to lock the window): Oh, Farqwod.
Mozarti: Oh, God.
Both moms laugh hysterically for several minutes.
Mozart: You did it Mommy? You gonna turn my hat in a toad? 
And so it goes...

Sister Crime Boss Speaks Again.

As I was writing about the bat, I was reminded of how fascinated Sister Crime Boss was about the first incident.  Today, when I updated her that we are again awaiting the results of rabies testing, she said that she hopes it turns out ok.  I misunderstood and thought she meant that she hopes the bat is ok.  I reminded her that the bat has certainly met its demise due to the testing.

Her response?  "Oh, good."  And then to clarify, "I'm a lover of all creatures great and small, but it a bat came around, that's it."

As a reminder, she prefers freezing them to death rather than anything less pleasant.

Bats, Cats, and Gym Rats

The other night The Wife was making a horrible racket - I was more than a little put off by being woken, but snapped awake when she said, "Something is in the house!"

I jump out of bed in a daze and follow her.  She grabs a shoe. I think, that doesn't make sense, but ok, we don't have any baseball bats, so she could throw a shoe...  My heart was apoundin' as I trail her, armed with that shoe, from room to room and downstairs.  Finding nothing, we head back to bed.  Me somewhat perplexed and her saying, "I am not hallucinating!"

'Course, I did think she was hallucinating or at least that her imagination was a bit overactive.  I went back to sleep and thought not of the incident again.

Until the next night, when, shortly after I'd gotten to sleep, I am once again not-so-gently roused, and this time she was saying in a voice somewhere between a whisper and a scream, "I saw it, there is a bat, get up, GET UP, you have to get the BAT!"

I jump out of bed and follow her.  Again.  Now I recall the shoe from the night before and it suddenly makes more sense - not an intruder, but a much smaller thing.  I follow her, but this time I find myself in the lead.

I look in the bathroom.

Nothing.

I ruffle the curtains.

Nothing.

I go in the spare bedroom.

Ack!  There is a bat hanging out on the wall!  I shut myself in the room with the thing and instruct TW to go immediately and get a Tupperware.  She does, gives it to me, and leaves me alone with the little creature.

It is a stand-off.  I swear that thing was eyeing me.

Nonetheless, I gathered my courage (I may have shrieked once or twice before gathering it) and miraculously got the Tupperware over it.

We debated  just letting the thing go, but remembered the warnings from DPH before and kept the poor thing to turn over to animal control for rabies testing.   Hopefully the results will come back with less suspense than last time.  The animal control guy did say that there hasn't been a case of bat rabies in two years, so that is somewhat reassuring.  I will update on this if testing comes back positive, but otherwise just assume we are in the clear again.

On to other things.  Namely CATS.  So, if you've been reading past posts, you know that BatCat and Stubby have been expelled from the house and are now porch kitties.  I can't recall if I mentioned that I made them a cat house.  I am extremely proud of said cat house:

Do you see how I built it directly into the porch.  It was big enough for both cats and was fully insulated so that it would be a proper shelter come winter.

Well, turns out - and I guess I knew it all along - these two cats can barely tolerate each other.  And BatCat, formerly known as Bitchy Queen, will have none of this sharing business that was suggested by having only one house.  She would sit inside and should Stubby, also known as Scaredy Cat, get anywhere near the door, a yowling fest would occur.

So I had to remake the cat house.  I should have done it this way in the beginning - with two door.  Would have been so much better for the remake, but I just wanted them to be the warmest, and two cats huddled would be much warmer than one cat huddled.  So I got to work.  I had some leftover board from the first project, so all I had to do was get more trim and something for the cat doors (missing piece from the last one).  The boards weren't long enough for the whole facade, so I had to saw and refashion it to make it long enough and accommodate doors.  Then once the facade was done I had to redo the insulation on the inside so that instead of one long house, it was two smaller houses.  I'd planned on spending two or so hours on the project.  I spent 8.5 hours on it.

But Voila!


Not bad, if I do say so myself.  You can see that BatCat is turning up her nose at it, but by morning she had gotten her act together and had made herself at home in the right kitty condo.

I don't know where Stubby is keeping warm, but at least now I can be assured that he has a proper shelter should he choose to use it.

And on a final note: I am back at the gym. Hallelujah! It has been two full months now and I've gone every morning, M-F, and only missed one day from being sick.  Mozart is finally sleeping in the morning long enough that I can sneak out before he stirs and then I get back just about the time he wakes up.  This was foiled only once, and I packed him up in the stroller and walked to the gym where he stayed while I did my weights and then we walked back.  That, of course, won't happen in the snow, but that was an especially accomplished morning.  And the other gym rats thoroughly enjoyed him.  They now ask about him regularly.

And best of all.  I feel great!

Less than five minutes:

"I am a MONSTERRRRR! No! I am a Wise Old Owl. Costume not on - I gonna wear it."
Get's distracted.
"This is my mail truck." 
He emits an extremely loud squeal/scream/rawr. 
"That's a big sound. That was a big sound right there. It was. Mama, Mama, Mama! Carry my Cycle Mot - No!" 
He picks up his ride-on and puts it on the couch. 
"I am putting up on couch. There, put it up my couch. My motorcycle big. I better fix it. Get that. Get my tool thing."
He looks at me and touches the bottom of the computer.
"That's hot. I wanna watch Nana, Grandad 'puter. I better fix my motorcycle."
Moves toy work bench next to ride-on.
"There. See. It's next to motorcycle. I can fix with you. I fixing house. Make a mess. Santa Clause is watching me fix. I fix the door off. Whoaoa! I love fixing. There."
Takes out stacking block and starts putting them on work work bench.
"Now things go here, here, here, and here."
And it goes on...

Toddler News.

Mozart's new words today are: "Hedgehog" as in, "That hedgehog gonna be cute."  And Amazing, as in "Yook! That truck is AMAZING!"

His new idea for the day: "We gotta go home, make cookies.  They for Santa."

The thing that made him screech when I forgot what we agreed on: When ordering pizza (we were running late tonight), I dared to order delivery instead of pick-up, "So we can go to pizza house, get pizza, yeah!!"

The most frequent denial of late: "It not dark out right now."  

The cat that caught the canary.

That would be BatCat.  Camouflaged within the leaves that had blown onto our porch, was a bright yellow bird.  Feet up and long gone.  BatCat was looking at me, expecting praise, I imagine, as she gets when she brings a mouse.  I couldn't look at her.

Poor Tweetie.

Life with a two-year-old.

We started the day delayed and showed up at the the coffee house for breakfast with all of us starvin'.  We made our order and got a piece of sweet potato pie for immediate consumption.  Mozart wanted a brownie, but we'd tried to pick the most nutritious item in the case.  As it is given to us, he screeches, "NO! I want brownie!"  Mommy explains, "No brownies for breakfast.  You don't have to eat it, we will."  To which he screeches louder, "NOOO! My potato pie!"  He consumed the whole thing.

While breakfast was generally enjoyable, the lack of prompt food (and caffeine) generally put all of us in kind of a sour state.  We'd hoped to go to Mike's Maze, but between the non-listening skills and increased occurrence of the whine that happened during our morning errands, we opted to go home to nap instead.  On waking, we were all feeling much better and set out for the Pumpkin Fest.  Mozart got to ride a real school bus for the first time for the shuttle.  Both TW and I were amazed at how small the seats and aisles were, and were taken back to memories of childhood.  We had good times.  Mozart was recognized by more people than we were.  Popular kid.  We had pumpkin fries and pumpkin pizza.  We ran into Prancer, who we'd lost track of for a month or so.  It was good.  Then we caught the shuttle back.

Mozart, ever so excited to be getting on a bona fide school bus AGAIN, announces: "We are back!"
And then he put his hand directly on a young lady's breast and gave it a full groping.
I apologized profusely and whisked him along as fast as I could.

Now at the back of the bus, we were chatting with the folks in the next seat up.  Mozart took my finger and stuck it into his nose.  The lady I talking to guffaws, as I note that I've told him not to pick his nose, and then tell him that nobody should pick his nose, ever, unless in the bathroom.