Fukui, who peed in the sink and on the floor and didn’t like to groom himself but was a very sweet and stubborn boy, passed away today suddenly. Hubby and I are in a state of WTF. We took him to the vet to be groomed, which requires sedation, and the vet called to say Fu was wheezing and had fluid in his lungs - which made no sense to me. I was sitting next to him last night and heard nothing. I also said goodbye to him this morning before I left work, and he was watching the bird feeder, plotting his breakfast. He was fine. I didn’t hear anything.

The vet called to say he was taking video to send to Hubby to show him the breathing, and Fu went into cardiac arrest and died. We have no idea why, or what happened. The vet suspects he had a heart defect that we didn’t know about. I feel crushing guilt that he died alone and scared.

It won’t be the same tonight, sitting on the sofa, without Fu and his giant meat paws and his twitchy dreams where he runs in his sleep. I’m going to miss his crazy self. And I don’t relish telling the boys, either. 

I ordered snow boots for Freebird and Baba last week, because we’re going skiing in March and we’ll probably have another snow storm before then. When did boots get so easy to put on kids’ feet?! These are awesome!

Anyway, Baba wasn’t too sure how much he liked wearing them because he’d never worn shoes that restricted his ankles, but when I told him they were for stomping in the snow, he started to get the hang of it. Freebird opened the box and was SO excited. I told him they were a present so he could have fun in the snow.

Good thing we have a snowstorm coming this weekend. Fun for everyone!

The best part was Hubby calling me on my cell so the boys could tell me how much they loved their boots. They went and stomped around on the patio in the 2” of snow, having a very good time.

Yay!

I’ve been trying to spend time with Freebird on his own, apart from Baba, because while Baba is a loud and charismatic dude, Freebird is a little more quiet and very much like me - happy to be in his own head. But I don’t want him to get lost in the weekend chaos, so I’m planning things for just him and me. Since the planetarium is closed (Dang it) this weekend we’re going to a concert.

Freebird loves music and loves musical instruments. So we’re going to see Miguel Zenon & Esta Plena at Montclair State on Saturday. He’ll probably be the youngest person there, but I bet he loves it. I’m very excited and hope he likes the music - though with saxophones and drums, he’ll probably be very happy.

What’s funny is that last night I told him about it, and he said, “Like when there was banjos and a bass and the woman played guitar and it was red on the bottom?”

That was last summer. LAST SUMMER, IN AUGUST, and he remembers the color of the guitar? Whoa. Makes me feel better about having bought these tickets. He’ll remember the drummer’s haircolor for years.

I’ve been up since 3:30 this morning. Something is up with Baba’s mouth - either a canker sore or a molar coming in - and he was up and miserable, and so were we. I’m so tired I can’t keep my head up.

Where’s the caffeine?

I am so ready for teens who sleep all the time.

Meanwhile, Baba woke up Freebird, who got up and colored in his room. Amazing.

Conversation from last night via Hubby:

“What did you do at school today, Freebird?”
“Mysterious things.”

0_o

Last night I had the opportunity to pick up Freebird early and wanted to take him to dinner, just him and me, then go back for Baba O’Riley. Baba has been cutting molars and has been very clingy, and I felt like Freebird hadn’t been receiving as much attention. So I figured, dinner with just mommy would be fun for both of us.

And of course I get to the school, and I’m putting his coat on when the phone rings - and it’s the school. Calling to tell me that Baba is running a temp and I need to take him home, too. DANG IT.

So we all went to dinner, which was chaotic, but I did get to have the following conversation:

Me: “I saw your friend C. give you a hug and call you his buddy. Is he your buddy?”
Freebird: “Yeah.”
Me: “What about T? Is he your buddy.”
Freebird: “No, he’s more a man of action.”

0_o?!

On a recent trip to AC Moore for cake baking supplies (see the cake?) I bought Freebird a beginning reader based on Toy Story. It was a level 2 book but he can read it without difficulty. So I looked at the level 3 books when I went back - and OH MY GOD. They had one about Balto, and I thought, ok. Dog sleds! Iditarod! Snow! Alaska! So I pick up the book and I page through it.

I SHIT YOU NOT: three pages describing children dying of diptheria. Sweet holy crap. For an age range of K-3. Are you kidding me?! How in the world am I going to explain that, let alone the concept that “diptheria” is a good word to know at that age.

Maybe there’s a beginning reader about antidisestablishmentarianism. 

Freebird: “I GOT MAD SKILLZ.”

Hubby, even when his rip roaring mad at Freebird: *CRACKS UP IMMEDIATELY.*

Let mad skillz be your guide to humor and getting out of trouble!