I’m having a crappy period of time on the internet. So here’s what’s propping up my good humor:

Now off to listen to calm radio. And picture beautiful babbling streams of valium. 

Usually the evening routine means that I make dinner for the boys, then make their lunches for the next day while they eat. Yesterday something different happened and I was so happy.

I’m making an effort not to turn on the kitchen TV while they’re eating, and last night Freebird asked me to read “Cat Heaven” to him and Max while they ate. So I stopped making lunches and read to them. Then they asked for another, and another, and by the time Hubby got home, I’d read both their PJ library books, plus “Cat Heaven.” It was an amazing moment. They were quiet and attentive and it was so cool. I don’t think they really hold attention together like that, but if that’s something they’re growing into, I’m all for it. It was wonderful.

Then we colored tissue paper for me to make into Valentine’s gifts for all their school friends. Tonight, there will be a huge chocolate party for the boys.

Fukui, who peed in the sink and on the floor and didn’t like to groom himself but was a very sweet and stubborn boy, passed away today suddenly. Hubby and I are in a state of WTF. We took him to the vet to be groomed, which requires sedation, and the vet called to say Fu was wheezing and had fluid in his lungs - which made no sense to me. I was sitting next to him last night and heard nothing. I also said goodbye to him this morning before I left work, and he was watching the bird feeder, plotting his breakfast. He was fine. I didn’t hear anything.

The vet called to say he was taking video to send to Hubby to show him the breathing, and Fu went into cardiac arrest and died. We have no idea why, or what happened. The vet suspects he had a heart defect that we didn’t know about. I feel crushing guilt that he died alone and scared.

It won’t be the same tonight, sitting on the sofa, without Fu and his giant meat paws and his twitchy dreams where he runs in his sleep. I’m going to miss his crazy self. And I don’t relish telling the boys, either. 

I ordered snow boots for Freebird and Baba last week, because we’re going skiing in March and we’ll probably have another snow storm before then. When did boots get so easy to put on kids’ feet?! These are awesome!

Anyway, Baba wasn’t too sure how much he liked wearing them because he’d never worn shoes that restricted his ankles, but when I told him they were for stomping in the snow, he started to get the hang of it. Freebird opened the box and was SO excited. I told him they were a present so he could have fun in the snow.

Good thing we have a snowstorm coming this weekend. Fun for everyone!

The best part was Hubby calling me on my cell so the boys could tell me how much they loved their boots. They went and stomped around on the patio in the 2” of snow, having a very good time.

Yay!

I’ve been trying to spend time with Freebird on his own, apart from Baba, because while Baba is a loud and charismatic dude, Freebird is a little more quiet and very much like me - happy to be in his own head. But I don’t want him to get lost in the weekend chaos, so I’m planning things for just him and me. Since the planetarium is closed (Dang it) this weekend we’re going to a concert.

Freebird loves music and loves musical instruments. So we’re going to see Miguel Zenon & Esta Plena at Montclair State on Saturday. He’ll probably be the youngest person there, but I bet he loves it. I’m very excited and hope he likes the music - though with saxophones and drums, he’ll probably be very happy.

What’s funny is that last night I told him about it, and he said, “Like when there was banjos and a bass and the woman played guitar and it was red on the bottom?”

That was last summer. LAST SUMMER, IN AUGUST, and he remembers the color of the guitar? Whoa. Makes me feel better about having bought these tickets. He’ll remember the drummer’s haircolor for years.