The cat and the kid

Ella loves Kennith’s new “lion cut.”

One reason why Kennith doesn’t like Ella, and here’s another …

She makes him play hide and seek.

Now she’s getting it right.

Adults only night a good idea

Saturday night we went out for my BIL’s birthday to one of our favorite restaurants – Cork and Cleaver. Just the adults. Unfortunately my sister in Fishers couldn’t come but the other siblings, partners and parents went – all eight of us.

I think it may have been the first time I had a babysitter outside of my daygirl and my mom. We actually had my sister’s sitter watch her kids and Ella. This sitter works full-time for a daycare/preschool so I felt really good about her ability and wasn’t worried a bit. And Ella seemed really comfortable with the sitter. She walked right up to her and said “My mom is leaving!”

Anyway, it was really fun. We kinda reminisced a lot. Of course there were the old stories about me losing my coat in Ireland in the winter (12 years ago, people!) and Nate and I getting his truck stuck in the snow and me thinking I could dig it out with a broom. My dad also had some stories about the guys who used to help out on the farm. He was just cracking up. He had some real interesting people work for him back then.

My BIL opened his cards (there were some good ones) and gifts. Mostly we all got him gift cards for Dick’s sport goods to get a weight bench. He’s even been asking about when our next waterpark trip is so he can show off his “hot body.”

The food was delicious too. The salad bar at Cork N Cleaver is awesome. Any salad bar that has so many things on it makes me happy, because who wants to get out 20 ingredients at home to throw together a salad?

Afterward, we went to the Guesthouse for a drink. (I was a driver). There was a live band there and it was packed, although we may have been the youngest ones there by 30 years. And still I thought the music was too loud. I hate when you can barely hear people talk at bars.

So it was a great night and we did a lot of laughing. Ella was still up having fun when we picked her up. But we collapsed together and slept until 9 a.m. the next day. Good night! We’ll have to do that again …

Ripped off

Do you ever feel like prices are going up so high so fast? And places are ripping you off left and right? Here’s how my day is going so far …

Exhibit A: I joked that I never get my cat’s hair cut because it’s twice as expensive as mine. (Side note: My cat is a large, long hair cat who looks like Bob Marly if I don’t have him shaved a few times a year) Now I’m wishing it had only been that much. Today’s bill for his haircut: $87. Granted that’s with anesthesia also, but still. How long do you think it takes to shave a cat on anesthesia? 15 minutes? Oy. Then I added a bag of his specialty prescription food that he’s had to eat his WHOLE life, and that price has gone up too. $31 for a 10 lb bag. Wow.

Exhibit B: Today my husband and I ate at Penn Station. He got there before me so we paid separately. If you don’t know what Penn Station is, it’s a glorified sub shop with homemade fries and lemonade. Steve’s tab: $15. Mine: $11. Excuse me, do we live in New York? $15 for a sub, fries and lemonade? Last I checked it cost about $4 for 10 lbs of potatoes and $4 for a bag of lemons. Let’s get realistic, Penn Station.

And this is just today. Don’t even get me started on getting our cars fixed.