Rest in Peace, Sweet Kitty

Christmas 1998

We had to say goodbye to our kitty today. Her breathing the last day and a half seemed a little labored, so Tom took her to the vet today. They did an x-ray and saw lots of fluid. They took that out, but said that there were no signs of infection or anything else they could treat. Just an old heart. Tom stayed with her (I was at home with the kids), which is just as good, because I would have had a hard time being there. Even Tom shed some tears in her last moments. She was a cat who only got better with age. Seventeen and a half years isn't too bad for a cat. I'm sure she's meowing up a storm in kitty heaven. We'll miss you, Iniki!

Aa-choo

Charlotte and I had a girls morning running errands today. As we were browsing through a new store, a gentleman near us sneezed a few times. Charlotte looked up at me and said "He has the bless-you's!"

(Almost) Famous

Charlotte's made the big time! A few weeks ago, the district photographer came to her Parent-Toddler class, and this week she and a few of her friends are in the district newsletter. They're starting to really push building a new Early Childhood Center. I think she makes a great advertisement!

Here is the link to the full newsletter in case you're interested.

Look What We Discovered at Swimming Today

Wow was this a thrill. Discovering that they can fit inside a locker at the Y. Endless fun. If only we hadn't had to leave to go home for naptime!

Charlotte and Cold Weather

Charlotte: "I ready for winter!"

Charlotte: "I toot"

Mama: "You had a toot?"

Charlotte: "No!! I SO TOOT"

(translation - I so cute!)

Mama: "Yes, you are babe!"

Boo to You from St Lou!

Due to Nicholas having a fever and being diagnosed with influenza yesterday (as well as a probable secondary infection) we had to forgo the trick-or-treating this year so as not to spread the flu throughout our neighborhood . I thought this would be a huge problem (especially because Nicholas was feeling basically 100% tonight since he's been on medication), but it turned out to be such a fun night...we didn't even miss it! I snagged this picture in between trick-or-treaters. Charlotte wore Nicholas' lion costume from when he was 2, and Nicholas wore his monkey from last year. It is the last picture of that big pumpkin. Sometime during the night it disappeared!

One source of entertainment? Well there was a big game on! USC played Oregon, a big intrafamily rivalry. Sadly for us, USC was beaten handily by Oregon (the alma mater of two of my brothers).

Nicholas tried to help out. Having ditched the monkey coat (it's a little toasty), he practiced his kickoffs:

What form!

Charlotte cheered him on

Charlotte also got hot, ditched the costume and started her own game of jumping off the family room steps. She loves counting to three and then jumping. She holds up one finger for all three numbers as she counts.

She got more and more brave at the door as we passed out candy. Nicholas watched from the family room window as the kids came up the front walk. He wanted to know what every costume was. I couldn't even tell what some of them were! I fear the boy costumes of the future.

In the end, there was enough candy for all our visitors, with more than enough left over for our family.

Happy Halloween to all!

It Smells Like Autumn!

I cut out a recipe from the Magic House newsletter for pumpkin pie play clay awhile ago. We had the day off from school today, so we decided to make it. It required 1/4 c (yes, that's CUP) of pumpkin pie spice per batch, and I always make double. But who has that much pumpkin pie spice at one time?? I had almost 1/4 c, so I just used that and threw in some extra cinnamon and miscellaneous other sweet spices. It was potent! I'm thinking that might have been a misprint. Regardless, it smelled great and was a fun activity for Charlotte.

Meanwhile Nicholas took a page from Charlotte's playbook and did "stickers". The joy of free labels. One batch of labels was from M.A.D.D. That was quite a conversation explaining that one! My job as parent is only going to get tougher as his reading improves. Bumper stickers are not my friend!