Otter and Lion, getting grown up

It has been a busy few years since I lasted blogged here. The kids are 6 and 8 now, we live in our very own house (though it's mostly the bank's), the kids gathered up more diagnoses (gut and development/brain-related) than I care to count, I've gotten tenure, G is (temporarily?) unemployed, our amazing friend J is living with us, and we've we accumulated four cats. Somehow we have settled in an entirely different life from the one I envisioned for myself.

Yes, planned for: G, kids, house, teaching, library visits, Tivo, cats, iced tea.
No, unexpected surprises: IEPs, multiple meds for each kid, four pediatric therapy appointments every week (should be six) plus specialist visits, utterly cluttered house, hurricane-decimated willow in the yard, very little cooking, lots of administrative work, two great online support groups for parents of kids with special needs, one incredible friend/babysitter/nanny/live-in roommate, meat meals again to accommodate the kids' allergies, bright green kitchen, coral laundry room, intense teal back porch, me becoming a fairly fluent multi-tasker.