Merry Christmas!

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger."  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!" Luke 2:11-14

I absolutely love Christmas! Here are some of my favorites from Christmas 2010:

Our first Christmas tree! However, it didn't stay like this for long....

Sending and sharing some love ♥ 

Baking for my first Cookie Swap - Six dozen Jam Kolache Cookies, a Polish tradition!

Steven singing in his school's Christmas play 

(the kid in the center holding the fruitcake) 

A little Unrelated-to-Christmas Cubing - Liberty Science 2010 Competition  

     Shipping boxes become a Kitten Adventure! 

 Gingerbread fun! 

 And of course, 

 the reason our Christmas Tree is nearly bare. 

Merry Christmas, Everyone!! 

Slooooowing Down

Life seems to be moving at such a fast pace. Autumn is my favorite season, and I always hate the day that I realize the leaves are gone... Winter is coming. Sometimes it is good to take a moment and slow life down.

My Mondays are usually the biggest victim of Zoomatitis, so this past Monday, I decided not to do my usual RUSH through every bit of housework. Instead, I woke up, and I decided to work at a slow pace. To just get done whatever I was able to complete. To my surprise, I actually finished my usual Monday work-load, and I had time to do some baking. 

Unfortunately, baking lead to the smoke detectors going off.... which lead to this... 

Oh well. 

Anyway, I challenge you to take a day, and slow things down. Who knows, you may end up with an enraged cat hiding under your dishwasher. 

Emergency Visits

There is always that one child that ends up getting hurt.... a lot. And although James and I have not ventured into the world of raising kids, we have already had our first emergency visit to the doctor's office... Well ok, it was a visit to the vet.

Now this story would be whole lot more exciting if I had all of the details to the little guy's adventures, but I do not soooo..... [insert crazy story involving Crusoe tightrope walking, fighting off land sharks, and sky-diving through our living room here].

I'm sure it all went down just like that, and when I found him lying on floor Friday morning curled up in a ball, I wondered why he did not greet me with his usual purrs and kisses. I soon discovered, as I fed Oliver, that Crusoe injured his back left paw and was now limping around the apartment. Sadness and anxiety ensued.

James and I took him to the vet later that day, but they were unable to determine if his injury was the result of rough play with Oliver (involving an infected bite wound) or the above mentioned daredevil-ish escapades. They gave him a pain reliever and told us to call them in the morning.

So this morning we had hoped to see our kitten feeling better (this would have been emotionally and financially better). However, his limp was getting worse, and so we ventured back to the doctor's office to get his little paw x-rayed. The result of the x-ray was the discovery of a small fracture in Crusoe's growth plate.

Which resulted in this... 

The poor guy now hobbles around the house. It is simply adorable, funny, and a little sad. However, I'm sure in a few weeks, he will be back to his old antics.

An Afternoon CatNap

A New Addition

Yesterday, James and I took a stroll to our local animal shelter to adopt a new kitten. It was an easy decision to choose which lovable little guy would be joining out home - a playful and a bit spazzy 12 week old brown striped tiger.

The decision to expand our little family came from our current kitten, Oliver. About a week ago, James and I suddenly woke at 1:00am to the strange sound of our crying kitty. Carefully, we tip-toed out of our bedroom, scared of what we might discover. However, we did not find a cat pinned under a piece of furniture like I originally thought. Instead, we discovered our little boy meowing at his favorite tiger toy. The decision was made. Oliver needed a playmate.

We brought the little guy home, and although he was a bit scared, he seemed to quickly out grow the bathroom we were storing him in. Jumping, rolling, clawing, and pouncing his way about the room. 

Anxiously, Oliver sat by the door awaiting to meet his new brother. We opened the door, and the boys were about to meet....

A few sniffs, some meows, lots of purrs, and Crusoe became the brother Oliver always wanted. 

Yes, this is how it all played out.... in my mind. 

In reality, there were a few meows, some growls, and lots of hissing. However, with some time the boys started playing together. They are still trying to establish their dominance, but things are much better then they were yesterday. We are currently keeping them separated and monitoring their playtime. We hope that in a few weeks, Oliver will no longer need to snuggle with a toy, but will now how a new brother to cuddle at bedtime.