"Mommy lets us do this"

Killer day for Team Lovebo

This is what you missed from Wednesday, April 9, 2014:

7am: Bryn wakes up with the flu

3:30pm: Bryn takes Haylie to vet to be euthanized, tells the boys that Haylie is sick, is going to the doctor, will not be coming home, she will be staying at the doctor, tells the boys to say bye-bye to Haylie.

5:30pm: Jeff brings kitty corpse to basement so that Milo (other cat) can sniff around the body and begin to grieve (upon recommendation of vet); boys play in backyard, Jeff makes dinner, Bryn digs a hole in backyard to bury Haylie.

7pm While Jeff is burying Haylie and Bryn is cleaning up from an epic spaghetti disaster in the dining room, Theo pushes Beckett into the train table, causing a split chin. Jeff (the parent in charge of blood-related child catastrophes) assesses situation, determines that he needs stitches. Bryn tells boys that Beckett has a boo-boo, needs to go to the doctor. THANKFULLY the boys do NOT make parallel to Haylie 3.5 hours earlier. NO ONE asks whether Beckett will be staying at the doctor. Bryn takes Beckett to the pediatric ER at Community General, where Toy Story plays on a giant TV in the waiting room, and there is an aquarium, and Cars playing in the exam room. Beck gets some nice purple glue on his chin and an orange popsicle, back home by 10:00pm, in bed by 10:30.

Dead Cat Walking

We had an appointment this morning to euthanize Haylie but I had a last-minute epiphany last night that we should try using a baking sheet as a litter box to see if she would be able to handle that. Her arthritis is so bad that she has a hard time getting into regular litter boxes. I suspect it will not help, but I figured it was worth a try. Also: now when you come to our house and taste something a little "offbeat" in the roasted carrots, you'll know what it is!

She has lost an alarming amount of weight in the last three to four months, and her arthritis is limiting her ability to move around. It looks painful much of the time. She also hasn't used the litter box much in the last six months, which has created a pee swamp in our basement. When we called to cancel the appointment today the vet suggested putting her on steroids, but we don't think that's a good permanent solution. I am thinking that if this last-ditch effort with the low-edged litter box doesn't work, we'll make an appointment for later this week to put her down. It's been a long, wonderful road, Haylie. We will miss you.

Cupcakes and cuddles

After the Museum of Play last Tuesday we went to a fundraiser for Hiscock Legal Aid, where Mama works, at a cupcake shop in Syracuse. Beckett enjoyed his cupcake but Theo had a tummyache so he saved his for the next day.

Waking up and cuddling with Daddy.

Trip to Museum of Play

It's a trek to get there, but it sure is fun once we're there. We went last Thursday and finally made it to the far back of the museum where the Berenstain Bears room is. Theo went immediately for the books and sat quietly reading Berenstain Bears books until I convinced him to explore the room a little bit.

Grocery shopping at the very realistic Wegmans.

Driving the car in the Sesame Street exhibit. Theo is working the radio to talk to dispatch.

Beckett is getting good retail experience at Farmer Ben's Fruit Stand at the Berenstain Bears exhibit.

Florida Vacation Part V: Out and About

At the Lazy Flamingo. This year we didn't get a picture with the manager in his flamingo hat.

For St Patrick's Day we went to Sundial Resort to see Danny Morgan, a local somewhat-famous singer, but he was off that night. We had some drinks and listened to the band. The boys experienced their first Shirley Temples, which they did not like but kept drinking. The adults tasted them as we were leaving and thought they tasted like dishwater.

Dancing with Grandma Joanie.

Theo enjoying a book on the couch. Theo's revelation of the vacation was that if he didn't wear a diaper during his nap, he could touch his penis (not allowed during reading time with Grandpa Stu, or any other adult reader). A couple times as he was getting into bed he would say, "I can touch my penis now?" 

At Timbers Grill.

Running around in the grass behind the house. This was one of the rare clothed periods.

Fun times in the bathtub with Grandma Joanie.

Every morning the boys ran into Grandma Joanie and Grandpa Stu's bed to read for about an hour before breakfast. 

Thursday night after Daddy and Grandma Joanie left, Grandpa Stu and I took the boys to Doc Ford's for a great meal (and a long wait) and then some fro-yo at the Zebra. The boys were so hungry they gobbled up the celery and carrot sticks before dinner came, then decimated the rice and beans and fish.

Florida Vacation Part IV: Beach

One of two crab legs we found on the beach with Grandpa Stu.

A starfish Beckett found.