Full House

So yesterday at this time I had one 11-year-old girl under my roof: tonight I have the same, plus a 3-and-a-half-year-old girl, and THREE KITTENS! I am not making this up. I'll give you a brief version as befits the mother of all these people who must get a decent night's sleep in order to take care of them all at 7 a.m. tomorrow...

Avery and meandered over to Middlebury (well, it shouldn't have been a meander, but a dead straight shot, only I am rubbish at directions as anyone will tell you) to visit a tack shop and buy a helmet for her, and as we approached the shop, we passed a sign that said, "Tag Sale: Free Kittens." Well, it was but the work of a moment to stop by on our way back out of Middlebury, and to explain in all sincerity that we couldn't really adopt the kittens, as we live in London, but... they and their five siblings had been found in a storm drain and abandoned by their mother and... I felt the people who rescued them had done all anyone could expect anyone to do, and now there they were, living in a house whose landlord had forbidden cats.

So Avery tried to play the voice of reason, but it was no use; we took the kittens and are now faced with finding homes for them, but how hard can it be? They are completely DARLING. Avery has named them Captain James Hastings, Amanda, and Lucy Elizabeth. For short, Hastings, Mandy and Lizzie. They are cozily ensconced in my laundry room, just on the night of Jane's sleepover adventure.

And there you have it: How To Complicate Your Life in Two Easy Steps: borrow your perfect niece, and acquire three new animals... all in one afternoon. Try it: anyone can do it!