The kids

I LOVE my pets but sometimes I wonder how people with actual kids do it.

This morning I was rushing around the house trying to get ready for work. I decided to put my basil plant outside to get some sunshine. I look down to find shoes and notice a big pile of cat vomit that the dog is trying hard to get into. I shoo the dog upstairs, clean up the vomit (trying not to vomit myself) and then put my shoes over the spot so the dog doesn't try to lick the cleaning product. I take my basil plant outside (at this point I'm in pajama bottoms and a work dress shirt). I finish getting dressed, go to kiss the dog goodbye and notice that he has vomit all over his snout. So gross. I clean that up. That's not exactly how I want to spend my morning.

But then there's the bedtime ritual. This is what happens every night.

We take the dog out. He comes in, bounds up the stairs and plays for about 20 minutes—while we're trying to go to sleep. If anyone gets up out of the bed to set an alarm, check the dryer, etc, he gets in the bed and is sometimes really difficult to get out of the bed. The lights go out and after another 20 minutes, just when we're dozing in the bed, Katie cat jumps up in the bed. She walks on my legs and then pokes at the hubby until he lets her under the blanket, then immediately leaves. This happens every night without fail. Last night Katie meowed for an hour after we turned the lights out. At some point each cat curls up on either side of my legs so I can't move without kicking someone.