Our Family Expanded

My blog was correct last time, but now we have two new cat friends.  A mother daughter duo.  Sophie is three and Charlotte is one.  They are both rescue kitties who needed a loving home.  I realize that we are crazy for taking on more pets but sometimes it's just so hard to say no.  On our latest visit to the pet store Saturday we saw that one of the other girls was still there.  Adoption fees have jumped in the past week but most of the cat spots were empty.  It breaks my heart to see cats that need a good home, somewhere safe, somewhere they can play, their forever home.

Bringing the new girls into the house has been interesting.  When they aren't hiding under the stairs they are under our bed.  Charlotte and Duncan (our german sheppard cross) do really well together.  When we arrived home Duncan shoved his head right into the crate to see what we had.  Then looked at us with a confused look.  Momma cat has been keeping her baby in line.  The new girls have been roaming around the house a bit more and we do get the odd hiss at the older cats but they seem to be adjusting well.  Sabrina (the original cat and pet) seemed excited that she has a bigger food dish - but she expects it full all the time.  Even with five cats this bowl only needs to be half full.  She expects it completely full at all times.

We only have two litter boxes in the house.  General guideline is to have one per cat plus one.  When I figure out where another one can go we will consider buying more.  However, 6 litter boxes around the house?  I don't have a overly large house and that would be one in half the rooms - if the cats can't walk more that 20 feet to do their business then we have a problem.  Right now there is one upstairs and one downstairs.  Both out of the way of people and easy enough access for our cat friends.  I have been looking at the self cleaning ones though - maybe i'll compare if it's cheaper to buy a self cleaning one of put the cats in care while away.  I don't want to have to make anyone clean litter after all these poopers.

My heart is in the right place but realistically more cats would be too much.  I just hate to see any cat without a home and stuck in the shelter cages/lockups.  It breaks my heart to see them there.  All my cats and the dog are rescue animals.

Pets

Nine pets in our home.  I was asked the other day what pets we had.  3 cats, 1 dog and 5 fish.  Sabrina, Jersey, Tux, Duncan, Sam, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  It did make planning care while we are gone a little more tricky.  I will need someone daily going to the house.  Duncan, our dog, will be at a kennel so he can have lots of run time and fun.  The cats would have been good someone coming every couple days to feed them and play abit - that is if they will come out because they won't be impressed we are gone.  The fish though need to be fed daily.  Easiest pet to take care of and great entertainment for the rest but want food every day.  Not much to do to get the pets ready for our departure, except for Duncan.  He has a visit to the vet on Friday.  Needle time for him.  He is getting an extra one because of being kenneled.  I know they will be safe while we are gone and any intruder in the house will be eaten by the cats - because my cats are badass.  In our news though there has been a virus that affects dogs going around, and that worries me some.  It worries me to leave him with other dogs, I don't know what they have.  I only know that all dogs in the kennel will have their vaccinations up to date.  That makes me happy.

Not only is the night before we go going to be a long one, but we won't have Duncan here to keep us company.  He is going on his trip a day early thanks to 5am (maybe earlier) airport drop off times.  Sad thing  is we can't pick him up until the day after we get home, again thanks to airport times but this time it's midnight.  He has a new little buddy who plays with him multiple times a week.  They will both miss that.   I'm so glad dogs adjust well.  

So the cats will have rule of the house without the worry of a dog.  Not like the dog bothers him, Duncan knows who's boss.  The fish will just swim in circles as they tend to do.  The tank has a full lid and they will be secure.  Mind you the cats have alot of planning time.

Quiche

This was on the menu last night and the kids were happy to hear they were having pie for supper.  The oldest was happy and very suspicious because he knew it wouldn't be that easy.  I have never made quiche before but took the plunge and did.  I made a broccoli and mushroom one.  To my benefit you couldn't taste the mushrooms - I have one sometimes two kids who hate them.  Got away with it though last night.  With the quiche I had tatertots, which weren't served until the quiche was gone.

My oldest didn't care for it but ate it with the knowledge he can't have tots without it.  The middle two kids devoured theirs and went back for more - lots more.  Then there was the munchkin.  Even tots took a long time to get him to eat it.  He didn't think trees in his supper was cool.  Eventually it was gone though and the tots hit his plate.  The adults all enjoyed it - even my dad who stopped by to drive the kids and had a piece.

The verdict from the munchkin was mommy please don't make that anymore.  My oldest who didn't like it but said it would be alright if I tried a breakfast one with ham in it instead of the veggies.  The other two kids can't wait to have it again.

I call this an almost full success.  New foods don't always go over well.  Usually when we serve up something new it's either loved or hated, I don't usually get this reaction.  I don't usually get the request but to alter it.  I was happy with the result.  I think even the munchkin would do better with a ham one (maybe with hidden mushrooms again).  Next time it's breakfast quiche.

Back Again

I have returned after going with out since late last Spring.  I didn't get to the library like I wanted to but life still went on.  I don't feel like much has changed over the past several months.  The big thing is my kids are excited about food again.  I made menus and they now look forward to different meals.  I find that we get stuck in the sandwiches for lunch all the time and that is a big part of rough mornings.  They don't want that but that's all I have around.  Well today was a sandwich day for school and guess what?  No fighting about having to bring it.  They looked at the menu and saw it was the only one of two sandwich day this week so they were fine with that.  They also have homemade lunchables, homemade pizza dippers, and hot lunch at school to finish off the week.  They like variety, as any adult does.  I'm really happy to see that.  I always know different things they can bring but if we don't mark down what's when then they get in that rut.  I did the same for breakfast so it's not all cold cereal or toast.  Suppers have always been a decent variety, unless we don't know what to cook, then pasta is a fallback.  I made full menus and they were kid approved, well  maybe not totally but heck Pea Soup is always a good meal after having ham.

Another thing I changed is now we have a bowl of fruit out.  I try to keep a variety in it and watch what the kids are really going through.  This way if they are hungry they know they can have a piece.  It's hard with snacks after school because usually within 90 minutes of a snack we are getting ready to eat dinner so it has time to sit and the kids can do something after dinner before bed.  Fruit works and if it curves their dinner appetite, well at least it was healthy.

The menu has also made the kids want to help more.  They were apprehensive sometimes to offer to help make meals because they didn't know what was coming.  Kids talk while they prepare food, sometimes alot.  I have to say there is more about some topics than I really wish to know or even care about but it makes them happy to tell me everything.  Conversation is a good thing, even when one sided.