My day with our children...

Four-legged. Four-legged children, darlings, I have no biological clock and am not into the idea of producing another GKG or Didge. That title is in reference to our animals.

Didge woke me up at eight this morning having a dream about something that must have involved swimming, so I decided to get up and have coffee. I've just spent my Sunday morning doing housework, perusing digital cameras, looking for GIMP tutorials, planning my week and Didge's party this Saturday, and catching up on laundry. Basic, but comforting. I've just finished lunch, topped off with chocolate cake, and am going to make up for said cake with a nice round of cardio - which my iPod is charging up for. That really doesn't sound like a lot for four hours, does it?

I was puzzled by that as well. But coffee means I have to take care of Totsi the Dog, and the cats, Foster and Foot Foot. Totsi's dishes are in the kitchen, on the floor, and Foster's dining area is on top of the refrigerator. Foot Foot's dishes are, for safety purposes, upstairs. Totsi has to be let out into the back yard for her morning constitutional, and Foster has come to expect her own treat when Totsi comes in looking for her traditional morning went-potty reward. By this point, Foot Foot will be on the balcony, *staring*, because her dish is not full. She never gives me time to make it up that way - usually, in the middle of me taking care of the other two, she begins to stalk Foster. This sends Totsi into patrol mode, the cats usually wind up in a stare-down that sometimes escalates into a fight. It takes a good half hour, at least, to get everyone settled back down.

Once they've all eaten, they have naps. I use their down time to work on whatever it is I'm needing to work on.

Lunch. Chaos. Foster will appear from wherever and pull what Didge calls "The Vulture" on top of the refrigerator. Foot Foot will begin circling - she goes around, and around, and around the living room, hiding under things, stalking Foster, with Totsi eventually catch on and going back into patrol mode. However, as morning naps have a particularly revivifying effect, things tend to go into very high speed. There's usually a lot of dashing, with several runs up and down the stairs by Foot Foot who finally returns to the balcony to *stare*. Once she's had her lunch, Foster will hop into the papasan - she will begin to *stare* back up to Foot Foot. Totsi will station herself between them both, *staring* back and forth, and making Foster very nervous. Foster will scratch hell out of what makes her nervous, so I have to stay on top of this. This level of attention brings Foot Foot back downstairs out of jealousy, and she stalks a little more. Finally, all three settle down to afternoon naps. Post-lunchtime peace takes about an hour to establish.

Dinner. Don't get me started. Unless Didge puts Foster in a room and shuts the door, I have to be armed with a water bottle to cook. Foot Foot remains hidden until she hears Foster come back out. Totsi stays right with me, until going to her dish to eat along with Didge and me. Didge brings Foster out, and both cats begin to compete for who will get in his lap. Totsi must make sure nothing bad happens, so she goes into patrol mode again. And finally?

Bedtime! All three turn in for the night. And by then, I am too tired to enjoy the peace and quiet.

So you tell me - are animals children, or not?