Easter

We had a very nice Easter weekend, participating in the community park egg hunt that Saturday and spending all of Sunday at Mary Ann and John's. A fun, relaxing weekend.

Marshall with Poppy John and Grammy Mary Ann

Hunting for bugs and butterflies with his Easter gift net
Marshall (in gray) at the park egg hunt

Finding fun treats from the Easter Bunny

Ciao, Amica

We said goodbye to our cat, Amica, over the weekend. She was almost 16, suffering a rapid decline from kidney disease, and had stopped eating. We are very sad that she is gone but we do have some very fond memories.


In the summer of 1995, I was home from college and feeling a little lonely. I told my mom I wanted a kitten. She responded, practically, "who will take care of the cat when you leave to study abroad in the fall?" Hmmm. Good point. I dropped the subject of getting a kitten but then, imagine the timing, my mom ended up rescuing a little 3 month old cat from a co-worker later that summer.


Having studying Italian that summer, in preparation for going to Rome, I decided to name the kitten Amica, which means "friend." I had hoped to take her to Santa Clara with me when I returned from Italy but it wasn't to be. Allergic roommates and no-pet apartments kept Amica living with my mom until Chris and I bought our house in early 2002.


Amica was always a very interesting cat. She had a unique look, being part Siamese (beautiful blue eyes and coloring), part Himalayan (long hair), and part Manx (no tail). Not the stereotypical aloof cat, she was incredibly social, loving all people (especially those allergic to cats). She was quite the talker, always meowing at us. She loved to play in dripping water and we turned the shower on for her almost every day. Out of town guests were always a little taken aback by finding a cat in their shower, meowing and tapping the faucet with her paw.


Amica loved to hide in things: boxes, suitcases, whatever. She liked sitting on paper and we'd joke that she read with her behind. She was always very "helpful" at Christmas time, jumping all over/under the wrapping paper. On time, Amica jumped on top of my mom's hot tub, thinking the cover was closed. Unfortunately for her, it was open and she went for an unexpected swim. I have never seen a cat look so indignant. Chris remembers meeting Amica for the first time when he came to meet my family in the spring of 1998. He immediately liked the little cat who followed him everywhere (including the bathroom), talking to him the entire time. He says she made him feel very welcome.

Amica had a few different monikers over the years. After jumping head first into a tall box and getting stuck, we called her Cat Butt. During some rather portly years, she was referred to as Piglet or Piggy. Marshall always referred to her as Kitty. Here are some parting shots:

Not sure why the sink was appealing!

Amica and Riley always got along well
We called this pose "the dead cootie"

"Evil Emperor Kitty" (Star Wars reference)

Surprise, surprise, cat in a box

Amica and the boys

Final pic of Kitty from earlier this month

Spring!

The latter part of March and the first part April have been good! Knock on wood, we are all in good health. After what seemed like never-ending rain, we have been enjoying SUPER weather. Sunny, temps in the high 70's. Marshall and I have been spending most of our time outdoors. We've also had some fun weekend activities recently.

Weekend before last, Marshall had a sleepover at his Grammy Mary Ann and Poppy John's on Saturday night and Chris and I went to dinner and a movie. A very nice date night. On Sunday, we drove up to the St. Helena/Calisotga area to meet friends for wine tasting. Such a fun day. The weekend even ended on a good note, having dinner with Mary Ann and John on Sunday when we picked Marshall up. Chris and I are still telling everyone that was one of the best weekends we've had in a long time!

This past weekend, Chris went to to Idaho with a couple friends for a ski trip. They had good snow and a fun time. Marshall and I were lucky enough to have the help and company of my mom over the weekend. She came to visit one last time before her annual 6 month stint at their cabin.

My sister has been fostering a puppy and trying to find him a home. We've been over to see him a couple of times. A sweet little guy. I wish we were in a position to take him (and his siblings) but hopefully a good home will come his way shortly. Here are some photos from our visits to Steph's:

Marshall Turns 4

At Grammy Mary Ann's office

Yay, Thomas!
Wild hair, new dino suspenders from grandparents, and new globe from Aunt Patty

Haley & Britt bringing cake to the b-day boys

Marshall's cake

Things are still a tad dreary on our end. The rain seems never ending, I am on my THIRD round of antibiotics for the month-long sinus infection, and now Marshall has conjunctivitis in both eyes. Yuck. Thankfully, we got drops from the doc right away and he's getting better quickly.

We did have a lot of recent birthday fun though! On Marshall's actual b-day, we rode BART (a big hit with the little boy) to SF to have lunch with his Grammy Mary Ann. She threw a little party at her office with cake and presents too. It was a really fun outing. That night, we had dinner with the Browns, to celebrate both Marshall and Tom's b-day. To top off a great day, Chris passed a big test for work.

As in past years, the weather was less than ideal for Marshall's party over the weekend. This year, it was not only chilly but poured rain. We were all a little squished in the house but everyone seemed to have a nice time, especially the b-day boy. He loved having his friends over to play and eat cake. Weeks ago, he had requested the following on his cake: sprinkles, licorice, gummy bears, and marshmallows. He helped me make the cake and frost it but then while he napped, I added the other fun items to surprise him. His response, "WOW, this is the best cake ever." I think I have the best 4 year old ever!

When it Rains, it Pours

I must have exceeded my fun quotient in February because March has been dismal thus far. Our cat, Amica, was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. She'll hardly eat and is becoming very wobbly. She is almost 16, so health issues are hardly surprising but it is very sad to see her in decline. The vet says she has anywhere from 6 months to a couple years of decent quality of life left. Hopefully she'll continue to eat and we can keep her comfortable.

I spent the first weekend of the month recovering from gall bladder surgery. I'm not sure if I am just a big wimp or my expectations were off, but the recovery was much longer/difficult than I'd anticipated. It didn't help that my month-long cold turned into a sinus infection right after surgery. Blowing the nose and coughing with tummy incisions was less than comfortable. The second weekend in March brought us Marshall's first ever bout of the stomach flu. Poor little guy was sobbing, "I don't like throwing up." Who does, really? Marshall was terribly pathetic for a few days.

On the plus side of things, my mom came up to stay for a week after my surgery, which was super. She did EVERYTHING for us...cooking, cleaning, laundry, taking care of Marshall. It was so great to have her company and help. This week is off to an encouraging start, despite the poor weather. Marshall is healthy and I am feeling close to human again. Being able to move around, drive, and get out and about is nice. Tomorrow is Marshall's b-day so we're all looking forward to that!

Marshall wearing Chris' coat & making a funny face in the actual pouring rain

Birthday

I celebrated my birthday last weekend. Having it fall on President's Weekend was nice, since Chris had Monday off we could all have an extra day together. On Saturday, we had an enjoyable breakfast out with our neighbors, I got a much needed hair cut, and Mike and Heather hosted a Los Panchos take-out party at their house. A fun day overall. Now we're gearing up for the little boy's 4th b-day next month. He has declared that he wants every dessert imaginable (surprise, surprise).

Marshall and the birthday girl

Snow on Mt. Diablo

Good Times

At the moment, things are a little grim around here. We all have colds. A very grumpy household. Cold, stormy weather doesn't help. However, there has been some fun lately. Valentine's Day had highs and lows. I had planned a nice dinner at home for the three of us but Marshall boycott his nap, lost his marbles, and went to bed very early. Chris and I then had a romantic dinner by default. I might break my arm patting myself on the back, but my steak, risotto and asparagus turned out really well. I spent last weekend in Monterey with my friend Darcy. It was very relaxing, nice to catch up, and have a break from our normal routines.

Marshall and Ainsley making cupcakes

Me and Darcy at the beach in Carmel
Valentine's feast