Kitties!

The kittens - so far - are the best thing that's happened to our house in months. Our TV time has been cut to pretty much zero because the first thing Edie wants to do when she wakes up is play with the cats and she forgets to ask for TV in the evening (which we don't allow anyways) because she's so busy running laps around the house, dragging string behind her for the kitties to chase. The giggling is out of control.  She thinks everything they do is hilarious. And they ADORE her; following her from room to room and jumping up on her bed immediately upon being let out of their bathroom sleeping quarters in the morning.

Last night around 10:30pm, Edie woke up with her new signature whimper/cry/wail that almost always escalates into a frustrating scenario in which nothing I offer or do helps her go back to sleep. So last night I carried Mimi into the room with me when Edie's cries escalated. Edie immediately quieted and when I put Mimi in her lap, she gave her the sweetest hug and then laid back down to go to sleep. MAGIC CATS!  They are also the best toys we ever bought, awesome friends, and the surrogate little brother and sister she can boss, teach and protect. I think it's helped her to feel more in control - at least in this one part of her life - so for the last 4 days we are experiencing fewer power struggles than we've had in months.  I frequently hear her talking to them in the sweetest voice, like when Mort scratched her rug and Edie said, "No no no Mort, let me show you your scratching post - THAT's where you scratch." and then he actually followed her to the post AND followed her lead when she showed him how to scratch it. It's like they're all speaking the same kitten-toddler tongue.