Toonces needs a new home

Well, this is a sad post. And sort of a desperate plea, too. We have to find a new home for our beloved cat, Toonces. Over the last year he has developed a period of time in the morning and evening when he gets really vocal. He meows loudly wanting attention and if we don't give it to him immediately, he wakes Ivar up. Every time.

We've been putting this fact off since the day Ivar was born, trying to quiet him every possible way, but at some point the baby's sleep has to take priority.

It's so sad for us. Toonces is a snugly cat, loves to be brushed, so affectionate, fantastic with Ivar, and 95% of the time quietly looks out the window. It's that other 5% of the time that just doesn't work with a baby.

If we had a house that had a room where he could be kept at night, allowing us all to sleep in peace, this would be no problem. And, if we didn't have Ivar it wouldn't be that big of a deal either. All he wants is some love and affection. But that is harder to give with a little baby crawling around.
People who know Toonces (and love cats) love him. He's a people cat, loves chasing little wax paper balls, and likes to eat... which means there is a lot of him to love!

Anyway, if you or anyone you know is looking for a declawed, fully immunized, free cat and would make for a good loving home for Toonces, let me know. I'd be so relieved to know where he is going. Otherwise, he has an appointment on Wednesday with the Humane Society where they'll evaluate if they can keep him until he finds a new family.

Can't tell you how heavy my heart is and how sad I am. It's a terrible feeling to have to give your own pet away.

the three of us

Our good friend Shannon came over one morning in July...it was one of those horribly hot days that was sticky, muggy and so hot we thought we lived in the Bayou. She had a photo shoot with us and I am so happy we captured these shots. These pictures are Ivar pre-teeth and now he looks so different!

I adore the shots of just Ivar, especially the one with his legs all the way to his toes. Got to document those sweet feet! Thanks Shannon for a super fun morning, and for the happiness I found in opening the envelope from you yesterday with these beautiful pictures inside.

baby doll ivar

Ivar and I went to a garage sale yesterday and we found this little doll for a buck. It actually startled me at first looking so much like a frozen, smaller version of my son.

a library favorite

Ivar and I try to walk up to the library each week and I have another favorite I'd like to pass along. This is a sweet book told by a little girl explaining Alzheimers disease with the simplicity of a kid. It's a sweet story, talking about what is different about her grandma and also what is still the same.There is no more cruel disease than Alzheimers. I remember when my grandpa harrington was losing his memory and how terrible the year was when he was aware that he was losing his memory. It was actually a relief once he lost enough of his remembrances so that he didn't realize he was forgetting so much. In that terrible year I remember sitting in his room with him and having him speak some really powerful words over me, telling me that God would surely use my gifts in mighty ways. He wasn't really a tender man, so this conversation was stunning and precious to me. But in the blink of an eye he looked right at me and started shouting, "call the sheriff!" He was very agitated and kept repeating that there was someone in his room who needed to leave. And just as present as he was moments earlier, he was just as impassioned that I was no longer welcome.

This book put a lump in my throat. If you know of someone (and sadly, I think we all do) who is dealing with the sorrow of Alzheimer's in their family, this might be a good book to pick up. I used to work on the Memory Loss floor at the nursing home and thought they should get a copy of this book for that floor so that parents might have some way to discuss with their kids how grandpa's body is still alive, but why the person inside who made that body "grandpa" seems to have gone missing.

You can purchase and see more of the story of Still My Grandma, here.

beautiful baby food

I remember seeing Jennifer Garner on The Martha Stewart Show. It was probably half a dozen years ago and she was very pregnant, as was everyone in the audience. The show was geared towards expecting mama’s and all that they should know before having that baby. Martha was interviewing Jennifer and asked if she planned on making her own baby food. “No,” she said sweetly “you know, I sort of think it would be one of those things that I’d try at first and then tucker out along the way.” Martha was aghast, “oh it’s so, so easy. You must make your own baby food!” Martha’s tone was a little much for me, but Jennifer just laughed back, “No. I feel no pressure. I figure if Gerber has been making it for this long, I’ll let my baby eat what they’re making.” Or something like that.

It is so weird how much I remember about that episode. Maybe because I never watched Martha all that often, but I think it had more to do with Jennifer’s likable honesty. She felt no pressure to pretend she was going to puree her own cooked squash. And not only was she this honest about her baby food plans, but she was basically making Martha look like an overbearing mother-in-law. (I can write that because I don’t have that mother-in-law!)

I swear to you, in that moment I made a mental note that I, too, would let Gerber do their pureeing for me. I would purchase those cute little jars and enjoy the fun readymade combinations like cherry-apple and blueberry banana. So this is how we started.

But then I got a voicemail from my friend Meta asking me if I had any tips on making baby food because she was “sure I was the type of mom who must have tried this before her.” And it dawned on me. I am totally the type to try making my own baby food. Not because of anything against gerber, not even really for the financial reasons. But because I might actually enjoy it. I like cooking and baking. I like creating. I’ve heard it involves lots of ice cube trays…why wouldn’t I give it a try?

And then Meta posted these pictures. Had I known rainbows of beautiful color would be involved I might have jumped on the wagon a bit sooner. I think I might have to go and make Martha Stewart proud…