Moving with Cats/Kids

Before I say this, understand that I am just as partial to my fur babies as I am to my daughter, though I do love Nibs just a tiny bit more than the others. (What mom doesn't have a favorite, though, right?) We're getting ready to relocate again because the lease on the townhouse we rented when we moved here is up July 31st. Yay!

 But I can't say I'm excited. This means boxing up the house, yes, but that doesn't bother me at all. What really bothers me is moving the cats. My cats don't ride in cars. They go to the vet once a year and that is never more than a few minute ride from our house. I don't regularly take them out for drives - why would I?

The trip here was approximately four and a half hours, including stops. The boys ride incredibly well - they were crated together, so they slept most of the ride and only meowed when we left them in the car - running, windows cracked of course! - so we could run in for a potty break. But hte three girls. Oh my!

First, there's Isis. She hates everybody. I call her the bedroom cat because she has confined herself to one bedroom and does not venture out unless it's in the hallway to get some love or let one of us know that her bowl needs to be refilled. She loves Nibs, lets her roll on her and love on her for as long as the baby is interested, but she just doesn't get along with the other cats. It makes me sad because she is one of the original two. She yowled the ENTIRE ride. There was no consoling her, even though she was in the backseat right next to Nibs carseat and I could hear Nibs cooing to her as they rode along.

 Then there's Sinnamon, who is a Siamese mix that we rescued from a feral cat population back home. She's a beautiful cat, but not particularly people oriented. Sometimes, she'll let me play with her. More often then not she's happy to just find herself a warm, sunny spot and only talk to us when she needs some food. She rarely lets anyone besides me pet her. The entire trip, she tried to pace in her carrier - but because it wasn't big enough for her to do that, she would up throwing it all over the floorboard of the front seat. She yowled off and on the whole ride, and she's a very vocal little girl!

 And last, there's my baby, Pandora. She is terrified of the car ever since we got her fixed. She pees. I know it's the car because none of my cats pee outside the littler box unless something bad happens. One time, Pandora got cornered by one of the boys, right after they first came to live with us and they had escaped their room while we were at work, and she peed them too, all behind my washer. But I understand, she's scared, she pees. It happens. I also had to keep my hand in her carrier the whole time so that she would lay down and stop crying. It made me sad. My poor babies.

 So, that's why I'm hoping the place down the street is within our price range when I call tomorrow. I would love to be able to just pack them up and walk them to our new house!

Jessi

Kroger deli fried chicken

Ordinarily, Nibs and I eat a pretty healthy diet chock full of fruits and veggies with the I occasional meat and whole grains thrown in.  However, I was secretly excited to splurge on some fried chicken! I knew it wouldn't be quite what my grandma made when I was a kid, but it seemed like an ok idea for a lazy evening.

I was disappointed when I arrived at Kroger and there was only one 8 piece to choose from.  It really didn't look that appetizing and I was worried that I was making a bad choice.  I bought it anyway, nd I wasn't disappointed!

I paired our chicken with Annie's organic Mac and cheese and fresh carrots and broccoli sautéed in a little olive oil, to make me feel better about my choice.  We also ate leftover homemade biscuits from breakfast, because what's chicken without biscuits?  Initially, Nibs was hesitant, as she'd never ha a chicken leg before.  I had to show her how to hold it to eat it, but she caught on very quickly!  She cleaned her plate, which is very impressive for a two year old who often refuses everything except her veggies.

I was pleased that my chicken breast was still tender and juicy and not dried out the way that white meat chicken can sometimes be.  But most of all, I was impressed with the seasoning on the skin!  I have tried other grocery store fried chicken in the past and it was always bland and flavorless and dripping with oil.  However, the Kroger chicken was flavorful and OT at all greasy, even though it had to sit for about half an hour while I cooked the rest of our meal.

My only complaint was that it could hav been crispy, but I be that would have been solved with fresh chicken.

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(I received free product from BzzAgents in exchange for providing my honest feedback on this product.  All thoughts that proceed are my own!)

Dance, baby, dance!

Today we took Nibbs to an outdoor concert, her first!  Now, we sing in the car, and I sing to her a lot, plus we boogie to kids tunes during showers and playtime, but this was her first experience with live music.  It was just a local band on the courthouse lawn of her daddy's hometown, but she loved it.  Watching my beautiful baby spin and laugh and throw her arms around was a magical experience.  She fell, but got right back up and kept on dancing - bows that for a life lesson from a two year old?

It lifted this Momma's spirits to see such joy, that's for sure. I hope I can keep her childhood that joyful and carefree!

Best wishes,
Jessi

Introductions

Welcome to my blog!

I am a stay at home mom to a 2 year old, better known as Nibbler, and five fur babies.  I am also a full time graduate student, majoring in creative writing and focusing on the short story.  I hope to share my parenting journey and everything I love with you! 

Best wishes,

Jessi