Chalkboards Disney Villians.

The girls play was fabulous yesterday.   The Littles loved it.  Jia said it was too short.   It was clear all three of them loved it.  They all said they learned a lot.  Lili is really looking forward to working on the Wizard of Oz.

Still no Eugene.

Crazy days.  Skulking around in the dark each night in the weirdest neighborhood ever.  They are all in bed by 10.  Don't really get home until 6-7.  Very few kids.  Lush lawns in a drought and manicured rock gardens all over the place.  Ton's of fences.  Eerily quiet at all times of the day.  Oddest of all is the lack of movement, no kids, dogs, cats or even birds. Oh, and it's never really dark there are so many street lights.

Only two sightings of Eugene on the first night.  Nothing since.  I got a trap out there last night.  Didn't catch anybody. 

I'm exhausted and super tired of this game.  Sick of the neighborhood.  The big girls have really stepped up in helping.  Fei and I tried sleeping in the van out there but we came home at one in the morning.  She couldn't sleep, she was up with the flashlight and skulking around outside.

Wondering if he'd come to the motorhome, that he always gets into if the door is open here.  No flat spots there otherwise it would be under real consideration.

Now, I've been fairly tolerant of the groomers but she lost my support a couple nights ago, they weren't sure they could check the trap because they like to go away on the weekends.  Arg.  Well....so do we!!!  But we can't leave.  I need to be available should there be a lead.  This has certainly opened the door to talks here at our house about taking responsibility and character.  Something one of our kids really struggles with.

Laying low at home today.  Hoping to get some more flyers out this afternoon and then will resume our super weird walks after dark in the land of pod people.  I'm sure they're all actually very nice people, we just would all rather be home in our noisy busy neighborhood that stays awake a whole lot later.

The Groomer Lost Eugene.

Eric dropped Eugene with a groomer today and was told come back in half an hour. He went back and was told that Eugene had bolted when a door was open. 

Eric spent a couple hours searching with Luk and Jia in the car watching movies.  Then I took over searching and brought flyers with me. 

It was smoking hot and I was wearing flimsy flip flops.  The bottom of my feet are stinging and feel burnt.  I feel crispy all over.

The groomers are taking it seriously and searching and talking to neighbors and putting up flyers around the neighborhood.   I posted to Ladysmith's pet alert on Facebook.   The lady who runs that came to search and the owner of Rascals came too.  Penny and Hanna went for a search this evening too.

I finally gave up and figured there was no way he was moving in the heat.  After reading all about how to find missing house cats, we've learned very little except that he's terrified and hiding and mire likely to move around after dark. 

Eric and the big girls just left with Isabel (Eugene's best friend).  Fingers crossed that they find him at dusk/dark.

I hate this.  Trying hard to keep the rage at bay.  It won't help.  Plus the groomer and his wife seem super nice.  Eugene isn't full of survival skills.  He can't/won't even kill a worm.   Everyone pray he sits somewhere close to kids and does his siamese yowl.

On a more pleasant note,  I had to miss my appointment with a lady from Cowichan Cat Rescue for our home visit/inspection.   Eric met her here and they did a tour with him and discussed the plan for the ferral litter of kittens coming to our place next week.  We have been approved to be kitten foster parents.  Lili and Fei are pretty excited.  This will be mostly their thing. 

Surgery Consult

Luk doesn't need surgery!   Yay.  The surgeon pushed into Luk's abdomen and aggressively popped his testicles out into his scrotum and showed them to us.  Apparently they are small and light.  Once they grow they will drop.  He was however interested in figuring out more about his anus.  Finally.  He is ordering a barium enema so we can see what he has inside.  He has muscle in his sphincter but it doesn't retract.  Which is a little better than we thought. Also sending us to a urologist.  Yay.  Over all it was productive to go.  Luk as usual was an amazing patient.  Jia on the other hand, started talking the minute the Dr. came in and did not stop for one second.  Sigh.  I had to put my hand over her mouth a few times.  Oh this girl of ours! 

I wasn't totally thrilled being a passenger in the Lincoln Navigator today.  The car is lovely and comfortable but the roads are all soooo narrow in Victoria.  It was good to get home.

The new vehicle.

We bought a 2007 Lincoln Navigator today.  It took all day.  We're finally home.  In time to put Luk to bed.

Lili and Fei started their very first summer day camp.  They're doing theater camp, Disney's Villians.  Fei gets to be Jafar!  Love him.  Lili is Queen Grimhilde, the evil stepmother from Snow White.  None of us ever knew her name.  Hanna is Mother Gothel from Tangled.  Can't wait for the play on Saturday.

Eric and I had the Littles with us at the bank, the car lot, getting insurance and at Costco.  Jia was not helpful.  Sigh.  She doesn't whine or complain and she isn't trying to run off but she talks non stop and asks millions of questions and hangs on me.  She is happy,  enthousiastic, a little rude and totally exhausting.  I think every single day we look at our littles and say 'thank goodness they're so cute'. 

We just made it in time to pick up Lili and Fei.

We all went for a drive in the new car and came home to pick up the trailer for a test tow.  It was all good.  The car was wonderful with the tow.  It's extremely comfortable.   It's going to take forever to learn all the buttons and features.  There is a dvd player!  We've been without one since the Durango died.  We put a movie in and there was sudden silence from the Littles.  Eric and I looked at each other,  grinned and held hands.  It was good, very very good. 

Don't they look evil? 

Luk was ok today.

He's had Eric and I hovering over him today.   I was pushing drinks all day just in case. 

Asia and Emily did great on the sleep over.  Next we're going to try Jia staying with Emily.  They're so sweet together.

Eric found another Navigator today.  In better condition.  Negotiated price today. Hoping to buy it tomorrow.   Waiting to confirm the tow numbers first.  Not sure Eric will sleep much tonight.  I haven't seen it yet. 

Canoe trip

Can't sleep.  7 kids here, feeling panicked about Luk.  Have to keep checking him and then the other four.  I've resisted checking on James and Lili.  Lili has reached the point that when I stand over her when she's sleeping to check on her (gaze upon her beauty) she says it's creepy. 

Anyways....

The canoe trip pics.  Just took them from Eric's phone.

We had a great day.  The trip across was really quick.  We had our beach mostly to ourselves.  The lake is murky.  Ew.  Refreshing though.  James said it was his first time swimming in fresh water.  Sure wish it could have been clear for him. 

James goes home tomorrow.   The Littles are already upset that he has to go. 

I think we're planning to stay home and enjoy the pool while keeping Luk even more cool and extra hydrated.

Crazy that we could fit 7 people!

With room to spare.