Real World Re-entry

Danny and I are moving again among the land of the living. Huzzah! Yesterday he went to school (without incident), and I re-engaged with such mommy luxuries as walking on the Silver Comet Trail and meeting friends for lunch, plus a trip to Target. Today being a rainy day, he and I ventured to Kangazoom (along with Zach and Olivia), again without incident. He was warned that if anything "accidental" happened, we would have go to home, but fortunately it went well. We're not 100% there, as some neighbors witnessed yesterday afternoon - unfortunately, #2 seems to be a lingering barrier for us. But hey, we're still less than a week in, so I remain sanguine about it.

I think what may relieve me the most is how comfortable Danny has gotten with it. He initiates the visits now, and knows the routine. Most of the time he still expects a jelly bean, but I'm increasingly getting away without such a reward. I think potty training still dominates my thoughts, whereas Danny pays attention to things like the raindrops. After all, using the potty is just another part of nature, isn't it?

This One's for Crystal

The Changing (Table) of the Guard

While the changing table/dresser hangs out in its temporary home in the hallway, before going to its final resting place in the basement, the cats have been getting in some great naps. Kinda weird to think that we're finished with it, so I'm happy to see that it's getting a reverent send-off.

Who Needs Six Flags?

We're back on the upswing around here, making this week one of those proverbial parenting roller coasters. Pretty sure I just mixed my metaphors there, but you get the point. It wasn't a flawless day, but much better. Perhaps most importantly, he's going to school tomorrow. Not sure which one of us needs the break more...actually, yes I am. But he'll have fun at school anyway.

Then Again, Maybe Not

Pretty lousy day on the potty training front. Doesn't make for an exciting post or anything, but I feel the need to shatter anyone's lingering illusions that all is rainbows and unicorns over here. We had a good run of three days, and then today hit. I woke up with this feeling of dread, too, so now of course I wonder if I didn't jinx it? The more rational explanation is that Danny is testing our resolve. He's really good at it, too. And despite how frustrated I have gotten today, I am determined that this time, there is no going back. Danny's new mantra is, "Maybe tomorrow." Indeed.

Paws to Reflect

It was exactly one year ago today that the walls came crumbling down, and felines finally entered the Tim Seymour home. As we mentioned at the time, the acquisition of Quincy and Duncan occurred around the occasion of Clare's fifth birthday. But in reality, those cats were something I had been clamoring for since we got married. Ah, the power of suggestion.

Duncan still remains wary of the kids and has not lived up to his namesake. He's very much my cat, and you know what? I deserve him! He curls up with me on the couch at night, nestles on my legs at bedtime, and seeks out my attentions whenever I am safely alone. I don't think Danny has once gotten his mitts on him, and I imagine this is an ongoing goal for Duncan.


We have reported a few times (and demonstrated in this mildly notorious video) that Quincy has been the perfect cat for small kids. Clare and Danny both light up when they see him, and he's kind/stupid/oblivious enough to let them get a handful of his fur multiple times a day. In fact, he just can't seem to resist lurking around the kids, especially when they have friends over. He is also very affectionate with me, particularly when I am trying to do computer work. He has the loudest purr I've ever heard from a cat, and is extremely chatty (my mom attributes this to some Siamese blood, and I suspect she's right). We're crazy about him.

I say "we," and I include Tim in this grouping. He won't admit it, of course, but he has also ceased his diatribes about the cats contributing nothing to his life - despite the fact that they now sleep at our feet. He lovingly speaks to and pets the cats whenever they're nearby. And witness the treats handout in the photo! This happens a lot, and he's much more generous with the treats than I am. As far as I am concerned, my husband-shaping work is finished.

Well, maybe I won't be that hasty...

Maybe the Pessimists Are On to Something

It's Sunday night. Danny is asleep. And I have only the smallest of piles of underwear awaiting laundry. It's been a shockingly successful weekend. We were prepared for the worst, in fact assumed it would be torture, and instead have extremely positive progress to report! Fear not, I am not going to give any graphic tallies. Suffice it to say that the successes vastly outnumbered the accidents. I can't help but wonder if it feels so sweet precisely because we expected the opposite?

We are not out of the woods yet, and I feel compelled to go ahead and spend tomorrow at home with Danny. It remains to be seen what I decide to do about school this week. The mere fact that I am considering sending him, however, is a testament to how differently the weekend went compared with our expectations.

In case you're wondering, the picture of Danny with the balloons is from the very first hour of PT. I opted to go with a celebratory atmosphere (a "potty party," if you will), and I have to say it won him over from an initially grouchy state of putting on underwear and no pants. The balloons have also proven to be a source of excellent entertainment in between the somewhat alarming number of TV shows we have permitted him to watch. Balloon tennis may be my new favorite game. Who needs a Wii?

And because my posts have been so Danny-centric of late, I wanted to post a picture of Clare from today. She was decked out for her classmate Caitlin's "Fancy Nancy" birthday party. She came up with the ensemble entirely on her own and was quite pleased with the results. We were happy that she had this soiree (that's how Fancy Nancy would refer to the event) to attend, because we've been such a preoccupied house. To her credit, she's been a very supportive big sister. But she's also five, so I think she's more than ready for Mom and Dad to divide their attentions more evenly again. That makes three of us.