Now that the possible pregnancy scare is over, my husband and I went looking for a kitten. We'd been planning on getting a cat since before the wedding, but we weren't planning on getting one for some time. But I was bored, and needed something to take care of. I think he realized this, so we went looking for kittens. Rescue kittens. We found one in a shelter. They told us he was feral, and he was certainly afraid of us. At least at first. But I worked with him, played with him, lured him out of his hiding places, and now he;s happily sitting in my lap, playing with my necklace. He loves to be petted, and comes to me when I sit down. he also jumps up on the bed with my husband and I when we're trying to sleep, and begs for attention and cuddles.
 
In general, I've been pretty happy. We went to the zoo yesterday, the first time I've been to a zoo since I was in a stroller, and it was amazing. I had a great time. Plus, I got to cuddle with my husband and watch tv for a while, which hasn't happened much because he's been working. And then I got to cook, which I love, and the recipe turned out much better than I expected. It was perfect.
 
Yesterday will probably be one of my favorite days ever for a long time.
 
I didn't get any work done, but that's okay. I was able to get stuff done today after church. Which is when things went a little...downward.
 
I decided to try and do the dishes, which I've been trying to keep up with. I'd managed to load and start the dishwasher before bed last night, so I needed to empty it again this morning. Since no one else does it regularly. So I went to empty it, and had a stack of pans that had to go in the appropriate cabinet. Which happens to be near the floor in a corner.
 
I couldn't open the cabinet. There were three cases of water, three boxes of soda, a box of kitchen stuff that belongs to my husband and I, and an empty - empty! - cat water dish in the way. I was able to get into that cabinet while cooking last night. But now, there was a bunch of stuff in the way. I had to move and rearrange everything. Including an empty box that was garbage, but had been just left in the middle of the floor.
 
At that point, I was starting to get really annoyed.
 
I've been trying to keep up on a bunch of the chores. I'm the only one doing them regularly. Yet, I still can't act as if I'm in charge of this house. I'm being responsible and keeping it clean, everyone else does things like leave four - FOUR - empty soda cans on a surface I just cleaned, and I can't make them stop because, as much as my husband tells me it's our house, it's not.
 
Well, he keeps saying it's my house.
 
Fine. It's supposed to be my house? I'm taking my house. As of today, I'm waging a female, HSP version of war to take control of this house. I'm sick of it. It's cluttered, it never stays clean, and that's making over-stimulation so much easier.
 
I'm not going to be mean, or overt or anything. I have to be smart about this. I have to be subtle. Because I'm still dealing with human beings who live here. I have to carefully do things that put me back in charge, and in a way that keeps them from resisting. Preferably, a way that keeps them from even realizing what's going on.
 
I'm not sure how I'm going to do that, but this is my house. Or, rather, will be.