Is There Room in My Heart

About 2 weeks ago just as I walked in the door, Husband was calling me and telling me to head over to the PetSmart and bring the check book.
About 2 years ago, we gave our cat to Michael's brother and his family because he was going a little nuts being alone all day. Now the family is pretty tired of him and their little girls basically just torture him, so when they asked when we wanted our cat back, I decided that since they took him off our hands with the agreement that if things didn't work out, we would take him back, we should do the gracious thing and take him back.
So while we are still waiting for the return of our old cat, Nemo, Husband decided that Nemo would need a friend for when we're at work. I was apprehensive. Honestly, I've enjoyed not having to shut doors and vacuum everyday, not to mention that I don't love shoveling animal crap. Husband showed me the little guy that had won his heart. I still didn't really want another animal. I was done after the second cat died. I didn't want to be a cat person again. I was done with animals, I'm not a clean freak, so it makes my house that much dirtier faster, plus there's all the people that are allergic. My dad, my sister in law, my friends. I didn't want to go back to being the house where people can't go or the stinky house because I know that I'm lazy, and lazy people shouldn't be in charge of the litter box.
This cat is nice, he's very lovey-dovey and he's not black! He's a brown and black tabby with a white throat and paws. He actually looked just like the cat on the adoption flyer they gave us. So about $300 later we are the proud owners of a new cat.
So I am mildly allergic, I can't remember the last time I sneezed so much. I didn't want to like him. But Hayley loves him with the fire of the sun and he's really good with her, doesn't scratch her when she sits on him and he hasn't been meowing in the middle of the night and scratching on our door. We've named him Link because he has lynx-like black tuffs on his ears and Well, the Legend of Zelda rocks!
Last night Link and I were watching TV because he's the lappingest lap cat ever and I realized that i was smiling, grinning from ear to ear because of the little purring machine on my lap.
So I guess there is room in my heart for one more cat.

19 Months, Hey!

You are now 19 months, but will all the attitude you’re throwing around you might as well be 19 years old. I can’t even count the times you yelled “No!” at me, sometimes when I want you to do something and sometimes for just being.
We have recently acquired a new cat and you are in love. You chase the cat around the house and when we can get you to sit for a minute he has been known to curl up on your lap while you hug the crap out of him. Of course he has also been someone to face your wrath as you shake things at him and yell “No!” Seems I am not the only person you must express your displeasure at.
Your eating is still touch and go, some days you will devour things I never thought you would and some days you live on air and sunshine. Although macaroni is usually in favor now as long as there is ample ketchup to go around. You are definitely related to your grandfather, he is also a lover of all things ketchup covered. I didn’t try to make you this way, it’s the way you were born.
For as much trouble as you have been lately, you’ve also been a ton of fun. There have been days where I completely lost track of time while we’re playing. There is nothing better then your little giggle when I’m teasing you. You are also fine playing by yourself. You love to take blankets and put your stuffed animals to sleep and tell them little stories and sing them little songs. You also love to “read” your books while sitting in your chair and carefully turning the pages. You are big enough to climb up onto the paino bench and open up the keys and play all by yourself. It’s neat to hear you experimenting with sounds and sneak hearing you sing your little songs. You don’t realize that I can hear you over the wall in the kitchen yet.
You’re getting used to the nursery at church. You love with the other kids, but you are so sure about me leaving you there, but I have to! I’m sure you get over your crying quickly as when I come to get you (almost 2 hours later!) they tell me how good you were.
You are definitely more independent everyday. You want to walk (or run!) whenever possible. You don’t want me to hold you or carry you. This can create a bit of a problem at stores or in crowds or restaurants. Luckily I haven’t lost you yet, but it’s only a matter of time. But when we look back at you getting lost, we’ll both know it was completely your fault.
We’ve started time outs and they do seem to work, although sometimes I don’t think you know what it’s really all about yet. Give it time little one and you’ll be screaming your way through time outs and saying how mean we are to you.
Your vocabulary is increasing by leaps and bounds. Now you can mimic a lot of words and will even say “please” when prompted. Mostly it’s still gibberish, but you also make meowing sounds if you’re trying to play with the cat. It’s adorable.
I can’t wait to see what this next month brings!

Love you,
Mama

Berlin, Baby

It was Friday night. I had just gotten home and dinner was in the oven. Then Erika calls and says Berlin is playing in Park City later that night and we should totally go. I agreed, mostly because I needed a night out, but I was stressed as I didn’t know how quickly I could finish dinner, get ready put the child to bed and go. I was also thinking that I would probably only know about 2 Berlin songs, but Erika and I would find a way to make it fun.
Getting ready for a concert takes time and effort, neither of which I had. I wanted to be a bit eighties so I threw on a bright red shirt and tried to be slimming by wearing black pants.
Erika and I headed up the canyon. It was a nice drive because it was so late in the evening. The doors didn’t open until 9 and when Erika had called, we found out that Berlin wouldn’t even be taking the stage until after eleven.
When we had almost gotten there I pulled out the newspaper with the ad in it to find the address. That’s when I saw this concert was for the Park City Prom Night. I’d heard just a little about that and thought it was awesome! I wanted to go and wear a bridesmaids dress or something super cool and 80’s. Doh! Hopefully next year! We went in and they were spinning 80’s tunes and there was a small dance floor! Erika and I got our picture taken and wanted it to be a true prom picture and I think it turned out that way.
Neither of us were prepared to be dancing our little butts off, but it was so fun! It was like going to the club on 80’s night and having no one else on the dance floor! Mostly it was me, Erika and some skanky lady grinding against her boy toy. But it was super fun! They played George Michael’s “Faith” and I totally shook my booty for it. There was an opening band. They mostly played 80’s covers, which was awesome, but they mixed in there own songs a little, which weren’t awesome. But if I had known there were really people like that, I would have had them play at my wedding! Of course then the colors would have had to be hot pink and turquoise to fit the theme, but fun!
During the opening band the “dance floor” got pretty packed but Erika and I ended up state right at the very front. Then Berlin. Terri Nunn came out in a cute coat and started the rocking with “Masquerade.” Everyone thinks of the song from Top Gun when they think of Berlin, but because I watch a lot of VH1, I knew that song was the reason that band broke up, because they hated playing it because really Berlin is a new wave punk band. But I didn’t know how hard they would rock! Terri was coming to the very front of the stage and the crowd went nuts, we could have reached out and touched her. She almost hit me with the microphone once. It was sweet. I didn’t recognize all the songs, but we also heard “No More Words”, “Sex (I’m a…)”, “Shiny”, “Hideaway” and during “The Metro” she sat on the speaker right in front of us and held Erika’s hand and Erika being totally flustered but her other hand on her knee! Mostly Erika was just trying to remember the words to the song, so we could look like real fans.
They played a cover of a Prince song, but I don’t like Prince, but I was excited for Erika, she does like Prince. I was excited to hear her play Depeche Mode's "Never Let me Down Again", she also played a very slow acoustic version of Duran Duran’s “Come Undone” which she said she added to the setlist after her mother passed away. IT was sweet but she was sitting in a chair, with her legs open. In a short skirt. You see where I’m going with this? Luckily she was wearing tights (which were grey and awesome), so basically it was just trying not to look at her crotch, since we were at that just right angle. But Terri looked amazing, absolutely gorgeous. She’s aged incredibly well and now me and Erika have girl crushes on her. I was very impressed with her energy. At one point she got on the shoulders of a security guard and went through the crowd a little. She was such a rock star! There was a little musical interlude. The keyboardist played a song while Terri had a costume change. She came back all gothed out! She was wearing a corset and these awesome high heeled boots with the toes and heels cut out! We were so close that not only could we see that she has a mole on the side of her stomach, we could have also touched it! Eww!
The very last song was “Take my Breath Away” and it was really lovely, but kind of out of place. But I was very impressed because Terri had been screaming and doing all the rock singing all night, but her voice on this song was soaring and flawless. For the encore Terri came out with a black feather boa and asked if we wanted to dance. Then she told the people up front to climb onto the stage and dance with her! I went totally retarded but I was all about that! The security guard reached down for my hand, but then I didn’t know how to pull myself up without using both hands, so the poor guy had to dang me onto the stage while I flopped like a fish. I have some nasty bruises on my thigh from it! But I got a bright pink boa and while the stage was pretty crowded, I was up on stage dancing with Terri Nunn while she performed! Unfortunately it was a cover of that Mason Song “Dope Show” and I didn’t have to listen, I just had to dance! It was super sweet. Unfortunately I was not a genius and left my camera at home. Erika was able to get one decent picture on her ancient cell phone camera, but it doesn’t do justice to just how close we were to her. If I had brought my camera, I’d have evidence of the mole!
It was such an incredible night, Erika and I left on a major high. Even getting pulled over and told that ‘stop signs look the same from the east coast to the west coast’ didn’t put a damper on our excitement!
Berlin, I’d definitely see you in concert again!

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