"She Didn't Even MEOW!"

Every day is pretty much the same, where the cats are concerned: The kids like the cats.  The cats spend all day playing Hide and Sleep.  In the evenings, I give them "I'm sorry the kids kept finding you" treats and keep them out of my bedroom so they don't attack me in their sleep for ruining their happy life with Aaron with two kids and a dog.  I don't really think they will, but there was this one time that Aaron put masking tape on the cat's paws because they messed up the rental carpet and the cat peed on my chair and ruined a rather nice feather throw pillow my mom had gotten from TJ Maxx.  That cat knew Aaron did it, but she took her revenge on my favorite chair.  That was how she trained me to sleep behind a closed door.

The cats love me.  They jump on my lap, sit by my shoulders when I'm reading, move the iPad out of the way with their heads so we can have "us" time.  That's also a revenge-taking move - I share a bed with Aaron, wake up to the dog's paws and head nudging my belly, and spend the day peeling children off of me while I try to remember to vacuum, so once I have a moment in my favorite chair, the cats are all about crawling all over me.

That's part of the reason I assert my authority by promising one of the cats for nap or bed time.  If Sebastian stays quiet for FOUR minutes, I'll bring Piano into his room to cuddle.  They sleep by him in the middle of the night, so they ought to adjust to him during the day.  Of course, I understand if they don't do that yet.

Sebastian yelled out in triumph from the kitchen today.  Did he find juice from yesterday?  Successfully open a Kraft Single without tearing it?  Rebuild a broken Lego tower?  I would know soon enough, when he ran in the living room to high-five me multiple times.

Much to my surprise, he walked slowly into the living room, "Mom!  Look what I can do!"

His face was surprised as he carried the cat in front of him, her body stretched and her hind legs slightly brushing the floor.  One hand was under her leg, around her torso, but the other was around her neck.  Forte was not struggling, but was also very much not amused.

"Look Mom!  I picked up the cat!  And she didn't even MEOW!  She LIKES me!"

Or she just CAN'T meow because you're holding her windpipe.  I plastered a smile on my face and resolved to keep calm.  "YEAH she does!  Wow Sebastian, I'm SO PROUD of you!"

He stopped and bent to let the cat down.  Forte froze for a moment, took a few slow steps, then darted over to the hidden end table before he could catch her again.  Sebastian wiped his hands and I told him that now that he's Big and Strong, we can practice holding the cats.  We moved onto something else.

A little while later, I was making lunch and noticed Forte, staring at me from across the room.  She hoped I hadn't forgotten, because she sure hadn't...

I'm going to have to deadbolt my bedroom door tonight.