The Great Pet Debate...part I

The cats have outgrown their usefulness, according to my husband. When have they ever been “useful”, I ask? Indoor cats stopped being useful when dirt floors were replaced with linoleum. And we don’t have a mouse problem. Although, it’s unlikely they would know what to do if they saw a mouse anyway.

My husband hasn’t always hated the cats. The cats were here first and he had a healthy affection for them when we started our life together. His distain for them started when he took over the task of cleaning their “bathroom” four years ago when I was pregnant. It remains one of his few household duties to this day, much to his dismay.

We debate about which is the better pet – the dog or the cats. My argument is based on which pet is more destructive to the house and the dog wins! His claws scratch the wood floors when he spastically runs from window to window trying to catch a squirrel he spied in the front yard. The window ledges are shredded from him clawing at the bunny hiding in the Hostas outside. The glass is permanently stained with “greasy dog nose”. And the newly refinished steps have deep gouges from his need to race us up the stairs. The cats have scratched a few pieces of furniture and occasionally take out their frustration over being locked up in a room by leaving a steaming pile of defecation in the middle of the floor (we no longer lock them up). It’s a lot cheaper to replace a couch than repair the wood floors and windows.

My husband’s argument is based on personality of the pet. And while I agree the dog has more personality, he is more annoying than the cats. He barks – a lot. But not because he’s protective, he barks from excitement and the simple act of my husband walking into a room is cause for celebration in the dog’s world. The cats could care less if we are around, much less make much noise. One of the cats whines because he’s eternally hungry; the other cat bullies him away from the food dish. I throw a few cat treats on the floor and push him outside and I don’t see him for hours.

If it were up to my husband, the cats would have met their maker by now. I say that if we get rid of the cats, the dog goes too. The discussion is dropped. At least until the next time we discover some of their destruction or have to clean up after them.

A few things I've learned...

Elmo’s love of goldfish isn’t the goldfish snack crackers that lives on the grocer’s shelf. His goldfish lives in a bowl and has a name – Dorothy.

I do have tolerance and patience.

The full feeling of love.

How much more you can love your child each day.

All kids love sweets – even if its apples and pears.

She’s not the dog.

You do have change the diaper – even if it’s in the bathroom of an airplane.

Santa is scary.

Sleeping is learned.

Naps equals happiness.

“Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing.” -- Phylliss Diller

Sleep...

I finally got that last RSVP from my daughter's BFF. The party was a smashing hit - everyone had fun and we, the parents, weren't too exhausted.

Now onto sleep. As you can see by the name of my blog, I love sleep. To me, sleep is almost as important and food and water. Especially for babies. But, try telling that to my 3 month old. Today, he took only three 30-minute naps. All day. Makes me mental. My daughter was the same way - a difficult sleeper in those early months. The difference is she didn't care if she slept or not; she was content and peaceful. But we paid for her no-sleep day at night - she was impossible to get to sleep. We spent many hours rocking her and walking the floor trying to get her to settle down. My son, however. wants to sleep, needs to sleep and gets fussy if he doesn't, yet can manage only 30 minute naps and is ready to go back to sleep an hour later. He is however, much easier to get to sleep at night and practically sleeps through the night already.

My daughter still isn't the greatest sleeper. It takes her almost two hours to fall asleep at night these days. Her brain doesn't seem to shut off. She talks, sings, and acts our scenes with friends who aren't in the room. Sometimes she wakes up in the middle of the night and does the same thing. I hear "you're so silly Cecilia" and giggles and princess-themed songs at 4am! I'm awake anyway, nursing my son.

I don't understand why sleep is so hard for my kids. My husband and I are champion sleepers! Eventhough I'm a light sleeper, I enjoy my sleep and get plenty of it. Even with a baby. My husband can sleep through a train wreck. Before kids, it was not unusual for us to sleep till 11am on the weekends! Oh, I miss those days.

Once my son is sleeping at night, he sleeps until 8 or 9 the next morning with only two wake ups. My daughter's usual wake-up time is around the same time, so like thier parents, they are not early risers.

I realize my son's sleeping patterns will change, as I learned with my daughter. But it's hard to see that far away right now, especially when I spent so much of my day trying to get my son back to sleep.

Ah, wonderful sleep.