Indy (aka KiKi)

This is Ryan, my oldest back in 2002 with our dog and Indy is on the back of the couch.



My name on this blog has been Indy but my real name is not Indy. It is my cat's formal name. We now call her KiKi. She is about 13 years old and we've had her since we were first married. We lived on-campus because my job at Lake Erie College required that I live in the residence halls. My lucky husband!!! So, we had Indy at LEC and she was our first baby.

My husband brought her home from work. Someone at his law firm had kittens that needed a home. She was so sweet and little. We named her Indy because she was a wild cat, jumping from high places in our apartment and running all over the place like Indiana Jones. Our dear friend (that also unintentionally named this blog) named her Indy. We loved the name.

In the middle of the night when I would get up with each baby, Indy would keep me company. She would purr so loud when I was feeding the baby that I thought she might wake them up. She loved the smell of babies and would always come running to any of our crying children. She never had any of her own babies but she mothered mine.

When I got back from Vegas in April, I was shocked to see how skinny my thin cat had grown. Each week, she has gotten thinner and weaker. And last week, she spent the week in the animal hospital. Everything has been tried short of a neurologist. So a decision must be made.



I have laid down beside her to say goodbye many times this week. She doesn't act like my KiKi anymore. So, it doesn't feel the same. I just keep hoping to hear her purr and make her know how special she was and is to me. My first pet. My first baby. Bye Bye, Sweet Indy, KiKi.

Changes

My kids are already on summer break. Shocking, I know. It is too early for Ohio. Chances are the weather will be freezing cold next week. Just in time for the city pool to open. But we are optimists here. Pool passes are purchased and I bought sunscreen. We are ready for summer.

My kids are running around outside with a little neighbor boy and a friend from school. It is the perfect ending to the school year. They are eating Popsicles, shooting hoops and playing hide and seek. Elle is asleep and I actually cleaned the house for an hour or so.

It is a strange day to be a mom. You say goodbye to the teachers that you really don't know. They have cared so much for your children. You say goodbye to bus drivers and janitors. You bring in a token of thanks for all that they do. But, how do you say thank you for what they have done? You really can't. They care for your children as their own. And somehow when they say goodbye today, my sad little "thank you" wasn't adequate but it will have to do.

The bus brakes squeak as the buses whiz by our house. Bus drivers are eager to start their summer break. And so are the children. Another year is done. Where did it go? Some days are sooooo long but the years seem to pass so quickly.

We stopped by to see Ryan's first grade teacher today. She grabbed Elle's toes and said "How many years until we will see you here?" It hit me like a ton of bricks. I often want to rush to the next stage because I am so tired and drained. But, I know that I will cherish these school age years. I know I will miss this time of screaming children, Popsicles on the back deck and play dates. Another summer break has started. Ready or not.

Sucker

This is your warning. If you are a parent of a small child in preschool or a primary school, start practicing the word "No." You may soon be asked by your teacher if you'd like the classroom hermit crabs, hamster or fish. "No."

You could say you already have your hands fun, someone is allergic, your husband will kill you, your kids already have ten pets, you are moving, your cat will eat them or that you had the pet as a child and you are still recovering.

I did not say no. I thought they would be fun and a great learning experience. I am the only one learning. It has been four years since my oldest was in Pre-K. We still have the hermit crabs. All three of them (Bought an extra one the first weekend because I thought one was dying. He was only moulting). The ones that I thought would die by August. They are in my hallway upstairs. Why the hallway? Because they hit the glass with their shells at night (nocturnal!!!) and my kids complain about it and wake me up to tell me. So, I moved them in the hall. They were in my closet for awhile and that seemed dumber than the hall.

I also have a frog that we raised as a tadpole. STILL ALIVE! How is that even possible? More on this another day.

So the moral of this story is to not expect silly little animals to die. They won't. And your kids will move on and you will be left taking care of these pets. It will cost you money and you will hope (and dread) their death.

Sorry Miss C. from Pioneer. You'll have to find someone that doesn't read this blog to adopt "Sammy and Timmy" from your Pre-K class. Parents, you have been warned. Just say "No"!

Not a Fan of Skinnygirl

I am addicted to bad TV. I know it is awful but I just love it. I never met a Housewife show that I didn't love. Well, maybe Jersey.

I have heard Bethenny Frankel's Skinnygirl Margaritas for a couple of years. We had some friends over months ago and someone brought me one as a gift. I am always in search of a drink that doesn't have a lot of calories but still tastes good. I cracked open the Skinnygirl on Friday and gave it a try. And....not so good. I was really disappointed. It doesn't taste like a margarita and it isn't good. Sorry Bethenny.

Bethenny was on Watch What Happens Live (LOVE THIS SHOW) last Thursday and they brought up the sale of SkinnyGirl. Guess how much she is being paid for it by Beam Global? 110 million! That is the rumor.

I should march right into my kitchen and create a scrumptious drink. If Bethenny was offered $110 mill for a nasty drink in a cute bottle, can you imagine how much I could get for the Twinsburg Tankini, The Cleveland Cutie or the Ohio Hottie? I am on it.