The HA

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Meet the Hairy Asshole.

This is Finnegan. He is just over 7 months old. He is the new family pet.

I’ll backtrack a bit by telling you about the passing of Banditt (MY cat of 13 years in January). He was awesome. He attended college with me, moved something like seven times with me, and survived both kids. He was part Maine Coon. He followed me from room to room, loved to cuddle, was very vocal, was great with the kids, and even strummed like he was playing the guitar – again, awesome.

I miss him dearly.

Who has replaced him is a neurotic, energetic, kid chasing, counter jumping, apple cord chewing, hairy asshole.

He’s a purebred hairy asshole. I was very specific on wanting that breed again because Banditt was so awesome.  I also wanted orange, and a male. Luckily I only had to travel 1.5 hours to find him. He was one of a litter of eight who lost their mother at two weeks and were hand raised until I could bring him home, so I figured he’d be awesome.

He’s…. challenging. He will eat anything & everything he can get his paws on. I’m forever chasing him away from the kid’s food, or tossing him off counters.  He actually ate a 2 foot section of a fleece type rope toy. I rushed him to the vet; they tried to make him sick, that failed, so I was sent home to observe him for 3 days (time it should take to pass). One and a half months later, he puked up that toy, along with a hair tie, and a rubber band.

You see what I’m dealing with? I took a pic of the puked up toy to prove to the vet and T that I was NOT crazy that he indeed ate that much – but I’ll spare you.

So I’ve tried to come up with a dollar figure of what this cat has cost me to date. I’ve had him for four months. Cost of cat, food, litter, two vet visits, apple cords, = $1820!!!

So now about the good things about having HA; he does follow me from room to room, he’ll sleep with me at night, he gives plenty of kisses, and tries to get on my lap. He’s AMAZING with the kids. A carries him around by his neck, pulls his tail, and basically lays on him and he loves her. He will actually try and sneak in and sleep with the kids if we leave their doors open. I think that’s it. But our family wouldn’t be complete without a cat, and he IS still a kitten, so maybe his assholeness will wear off??

Maybe wishful thinking?!

 

(Oh yeah, and he's HUGE already)

I want to dance!

Well, kind of. I want to do something exciting and challenging and rewarding and enjoyable if I am to return to the workforce.  Don’t get me wrong – being a stay at home parent is all of those things, but if I have to be away from the kids I don’t want to hate what I’m doing. That is the challenge. Well, that and making enough to justify two in daycare if I go back sooner than later.

In my ideal world I would write. I’m just not sure what yet. Articles? Novels? I don’t know? I often daydream up novel ideas – but know I don’t have the time or motivation to really do anything in regards to that kind of commitment.

Committing to anything these days is difficult. I can’t even commit to the challenge of reading  52 books this year. I haven’t picked up my book in 59 days (thanks for the reminder Good Reads). I’m reading magazine after magazine because they are so easy to pick up and put down.

Currently on my side table are Chatelaine (old favorite), People (love the crossword &  keeps me up to date on all things I have no time for), Style at home (you know so I can dream of future decorating when the kids are done wrecking all the things), Vogue (September style bible – only issue I buy), and Real Simple (my new favorite magazine that I read word for word).

Of course being the insanely organized person I am I fold corners of things I want to remember in the future, then after I’ve read them all I rip out those pages, then I find the info online and add it to one of my Pinterest boards.

Ok, so being a stay at home parent has indeed fed the organizational monster inside me. This house is run like a business. I pride myself on being efficient and getting places on time with both kids in tow without forgetting something. Social events are planned in advance, outings with the kids are daily to wear them out, and I try to squeeze in time for myself after they go to bed. Hence, blogging at 11pm.

Do I hate that I don’t bring in an income other than selling things we no longer have use for? Yes. Do I miss adult conversation? Yes. Would I trade these moments with these kids to be sitting at a desk with no natural light – no.

So while returning to work is on the horizon (G goes to school in a year and A will need to go to preschool as she’ll be beyond lonely without him), I need to come up with a plan. I feel like it is kind of a mid life crisis. I don’t want to go back doing what I did for 8 years. I wasn’t enjoying it. But then again, how many people out there can really say they love what they do?

So I hope to be here more often, filling you with tidbits about the crisis, but also enjoying every moment I can with the kids before work and/or school take away from our time together.