JUNE 2011 – Maggie joins the family
After returning from Europe we decided to add a new addition to the family. We searched and searched for a kitty and found that most shelters would not allow us to adopt with small children, and they also wanted a small fortune (for a stray who would be euthanized if not adopted). It was really an eye-opening experience. It’s quite depressing going to the pound and seeing how many people give up their pets. The majority of cats in the shelter were more than 9 years old. That’s just not something I could do! Z’s lucky it was not up to me or we would have ended up with a bunch of strays! I really wanted a black kitty and Z wanted a grey or orange one. We ended up falling in love with a Siamese mixed kitty who was super cuddly, very timid, and didn’t freak out when Gabe and Zara started screaming. Turns out she was just fixed the day before. Little Maggie was less than 2 lbs and was pretty scared when she first arrived home. After discovering Maggie’s foster parent’s notes in our adoption packet, we learned that Maggie startled at loud noises, followed you around like a shadow, and loves to sit on your lap. We also learned that Siamese cats can be quite vocal. Gabe and Zara were a little rough at first but they think Maggie is great. Maggie is awesome with the kids, often just rolling over to let them touch her.
MONTH 13
We had quite a busy month and it started out pretty bad! A terrible virus knocked us out for a few weeks. First Willow got sick, then Zara, then Gabe, and finally I got it. Z was the lone hold-out and was lucky not to get it.
My friend Duggan from childhood came to check out Seattle with the hopes of finding a job and moving here. We’ve been friends since pre-school and it was great to catch up with him. Hopefully he’ll find a job in Seattle and we’ll see more of him!
On top of trying to get over the flu and trying to pack for Europe, the kiddos started walking (just in time for our flight to Europe!) and Willow, our wonderful Nanny left us to stay at home. I’m so thankful that Willow was with us when I returned back to work after maternity leave. She really made the transition so much easier for me! Our new nanny Ciara started just before we left for vacation. Ciara had previously nannied for a family with twins who we met in childbirth class so it worked out great. She’s a bundle of energy and the kids took to her immediately! Again, we feel at ease knowing the kids are with someone who takes good care of them.
Rita had planned to come to SF to visit her daughter Jeanne and her family and we thought it was a great excuse for a road trip! We love going to SF and were very excited to see Rita, Jeanne and family and our friends Chuck, Jessica, and Malina.
Our trip started off a bit rocky when we learned that our flight was a few hours behind schedule. This was a quick weekend getaway so we weren’t happy to have our time in SF cut short. While we waited to board the plane, we sat in the airport and watched the flights arriving. Gabe licked the entire window clean (yuck!) and both he and Zara were in great moods. Hopefully we are raising kids who like to travel!
Things started looking up when we got upgraded to first class! We even had an extra seat so Gabe took full advantage of the legroom.
We had a really fun visit with Chuck and Jessica. It was so fun to see Malina at 2 and imagine how hectic life will be when Gabe & Zara are walking and talking and have opinions! Gabe and Zara played in the sand on the beach for the first time. Gabe ate 3 handfuls of sand and would have gone for more if we had stayed longer.
We also met up with my former roommate’s brother and sister in law, who happens to live in the same neighborhood as Chuck and Jessica. It was nice to finally meet someone I had heard about for years!
We had a great visit to the Academy of Science. Gabe and Zara love birds so the Amazon exhibit was really great for them. There were butterflies and birds everywhere. The kids were so sleepy but had so much to keep them busy! They also got a kick out of the penguins exhibit.
We finished off our weekend by spending the day at Jeanne and Spencer’s house visiting with their children and Rita. We had an amazing day and a quick but yummy meal on the grill before heading off to the airport.
Seattle has been quite rainy this year so it was quite nice to be outside in some beautiful weather and it’s always nice to be in SF visiting friends!
