All Not So Quiet on the Home Front...

This is going to be more of a jumble of stuff going on, because the chaos meter is unusually high around our house lately (um, yeah, some of that we created ourselves with the kitten,right?)

Kif and Gabrielle are working things through. We are starting to see Gabby return to more of her normal routines and we are starting to see Kif create some of his own. Last night he slept underneath Willow's crib (she has a trundle drawer underneath with blankets in it--perfect for a cat snuggle). Gabby tolerates Kif more--no more growling, although the occassional hiss still--however, Kif is holding his own--he arches his back (then backs off)and he even hissed at her last night. Oh, and Gabby and Kif have no problems trying to gobble up each other's FOOD(!) And tonight I will be cleaning out the litter boxes and hope to transition them to just one litter box...

Willow and Michael are enjoying the kitten. Willow especially sees a smaller creature that she can "control". We have to watch her with him because he is so small, but she is generally gentle with him (she just wants to play with him and hold him CONSTANTLY)

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Michael is in his last week of the Wizards & Warriors Camp. He has enjoyed it, however yesterday he did have several blow outs...he needs to learn to control his temper and deal with his frustrations (easier said than done!). It was a shame too, because the day before I had gotten glowing reviews from his counselors about him. Hopefully, he will make up for it on this last three days and leave on a good note so that when he comes back for after-school care he can start out fresh.

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Willow is in a growth spurt..not necessarily in the physical sense...more in the emotional/intellectual sense. This has its good and bad ramifications. The good definitely out weigh the bad, but...oh the bad!

She is much much more verbal, stringing thoughts together with sentenaces and phrases. She perceives situations more and understands more of the relationships of time and space. She pretends a lot with her baby dolls, often walks around with cellphones and keys, taking them "out" in their stroller, taking them for ice cream, to the daycare provider (me), changing their diapers and putting them down for naps. Her facial expressions and attitudes are much more expressive...slyness/coyness being one of her favorites of late.

The list of Toddler Destruction is long but the most costly will be the Wii.

Things Willow did just last night:

--"Helped" with the cat litters by trying to scoop it up, thus making sure it was ALL over the bathroom floor

--After "reading" to her a general merchandise catalog (she brought it to me to read to her), she took the shoe rack picture seriously...and preceded to bring down ALL my shoes in my closet to our small shoe rack downstairs. She did this by wearing them, coming down the stairs on her butt (leading with her shoed feet) and putting them beside the rack.

--Picked up the kitty after many attempts by us to tell her NOT to. Kif was not amused.

--Played with Kif with a cat toy, gently at first, but after a while she was much more batting him with it (that was stopped)

--Dipped her feet in Kif's water bowl (as if she was in a pool)

--Repeatedly asked for butt medicine (Diaper Rash cream) even tho she has no rash

--Continued her nightly routine of pulling out book after book after book

--Ate five squares of cheese, one or two green beans, no spaghetti, and some kitten food