GOOD mornings! Or better mornings, at least.

I am so proud of myself. I've been waking up around 5:35 and getting out of bed by 6 most mornings lately. This is a big deal for me.

Could it be I am actually reprogramming my body ... or brain? Or whatever it is that has caused me to dread getting out of bed every morning for 35 years?

I don't know. I do know I have not been able to stop the morning bickering between the two kids, but I don't feel my blood boiling every time they start up. I know I at least have a handle on what is available for breakfast - if I haven't already made something - by the time they get out of bed and ask me. I know I have surprised myself by emptying the dishwasher or throwing in a load of laundry while the house is still quiet ... and that's new, too. Everything seems to run a little smoother when I have a minute to take a breath before the day really begins.

It sounds like I'm growing up, doesn't it?

Oh, it would be a stretch to say I am becoming a morning person. I wouldn't go quite that far yet. I love my sleep. It still pisses me off when Patch the Kitty decides he needs (NEEDS!!) to go outside or is hungry (HUNGRY, MAMA!!!) at 4 a.m. He's a persistent little sucker. The bane of my existence, that one. But I will admit there are times he pushes his forehead into my shoulder, purring loudly, and I decide I might as well just get up. It might be earlier than I had planned, but I'm rarely sorry.

From 6 to 7 it's a whirlwind hour, then the kids are gone to school and all is quiet again. I look forward to summer when we can ditch the whirlwind hour ... but it will be interesting to see how my mornings change otherwise. I don't see myself getting up at 5:30 during summer vacation. But then again, since the kids will be here all day it might be the only time I get to myself. Stay tuned.

Road trip!

If I let my children live through the evening ... *ahem* ... we will be leaving before the crack of dawn to drive to Pennsylvania for a long weekend with Steve.

I can't wait to see him!!

The key is making it through the next few hours when Sam and Rachel are excited, bouncing off the walls - and each other - and I am thinking about how I'm going to get everything packed, get some sleep, not leave the house in a shambles, and make it through a 12-ish-hour drive tomorrow without my two offspring driving me crazy.

And now, I will let Ladybug and Patch the Kitty demonstrate what I hope to be doing tomorrow night at about 8 o'clock:

Dontchya just wanna' rub Patch's belly?

Have a great weekend, folks. See you next week!

In my next life I want to be a cat.

Oooh, so comfy.

A little to the left, mama. 

Could you scratch my ears?

Oh wait.

Nevermind. I got it.

Now if you would just stop moving around ...

and get that camera out of my face.

I could go back to sleep.

I just wanna sleep. 

But no. You persist.

SRSLY?

Stop it or I will eat your camera.

 I'M NOT KIDDING!

Now leave me alone.

Feels like Saturday.

The kids are off school today and Rachel stayed the night at my parents' house last night. Sam and I slept in this morning (well, I did anyway). It was so nice to not have to wake up to the alarm clock and to have a quiet, leisurely morning.

It would have been nicer if my body wasn't programmed to wake up at 6 a.m., but I'm not complaining. On the way back from the bathroom I scooped up Patch the kitty and tried to convince him he wanted to snuggle with me in my nice, warm bed. He wasn't interested. He wanted to either eat my toes or gallop through the house chasing imaginary mice. He's becoming quite the cutie.

Eventually he wore himself out and curled up with Sam on the couch to watch some cartoons.

They look pretty comfy, eh?

We have a long weekend ahead. Today, whenever we get around to it, we have our usual Friday banking and errands, tomorrow Sam has confirmation class at church, and right after that we're heading out to spend the rest of the weekend with daddy (the kids are also off school on Monday). Steve is staying in a hotel with a pool and the kids are excited about that. He has Sunday off work so it will be nice to spend a full day just focused on the four of us. We'll probably do a little shopping, too, since Sam's birthday is right around the corner. I'm excited about having some family time, even if it's brief.

Enjoy your weekend.

A kitty update.

The new kitty Patch went to the vet this week.

Poor Patch. He has ear mites (BAD), fleas (eww), intestinal parasites (ick), a fever, a head cold, and a brewing eye infection.

No wonder he seemed so laid back. He felt like poop.

It hasn't stopped him from making himself at home, though.

 

Look at Ladybug. You know she's thinking don't eat the kitty, don't eat the kitty. Or maybe what have you stupid humans gone and done now?

Ya' know how I'm always talking about simplifying life? Yeah, well, nothing about bringing a stray kitten into your home is simple. For one thing, I detest fleas. And I'm not crazy about having to teach a kitty to use the litter box, to use scratching posts, and that he can't sleep on my face. But I'm sure it will all be worth it in a few months when Patch is curled in my lap purring contentedly.

I can't wait for the first time one of my future grandchildren brings a stray home to Sam or Rachel and asks if they can keep it. Heh.

The good news is Patch is perking up quite nicely after just a few doses of antibiotics. Tomorrow he gets the treatment that will take care of all the pesky freeloaders, inside and out.

See? He's already gettin' feisty. 

Just look at those eyes.

Lord help us.