Oh, hey, you can have your seat back.

Because your shoulder is a heck of a lot more comfortable than that old ratty chair, anyway.

Space Invader

"What's mine is mine and what's yours is mine."

 "Oh, I'm sorry.  Were you sitting here?"

"Oh.  Was that your water?  My bad.  Sorry again."  

Playground Bound

 Whee!  Look at me!

 This slide was built for two!

 Life is all about balance.  The earlier you refine those skills, the better.

 Happy to be at the top!

 If the size of a puppy's feet can tell you how big the dog will be full grown, what do these puppies say about Andrew?

Cheese, baby.  Can't live life without it!

What Did You Say?

Time again for some thoughts from the boys.  No introductions are needed, right?  You all know how this goes by now!

Last night, Greg was playing with Andrew, pretending to be someone else and asking Andrew questions.  Greg: "Andrew, what does your dad do for work?"
Andrew: "My dad works at a pirate plant."
----------------------------

Andrew: "Mom, you are a girl and dad is a boy?"
Me: "That's right."
Andrew: "Why?"
Me: "Because that's the way God made me."
Andrew: "Who is God, Uncle Rob?"
---------------------------

On the way home from Harbor House one day, Andrew asked if I had two thumbs.  I said yes and he, in his "why" obsession right now, asked why.  Jacob answered him for me: "Andrew, everybody has two thumbs."  Then Jake thought about it for a few minutes and added, "It would probably be very expensive, and pointless, but you could probably get extra thumbs if you wanted.  It would be an advantage in thumb wrestling matches."  Um...thanks, but I think I'll stick to a limit of two.
----------------------------

One day while I was changing my bed sheets, Andrew came into my bedroom.  "Are your sheets dirty?" he said.  "Yes," I replied.  The he said, "Well, who peed in them?"
----------------------------

Jacob bought a box of orange flavored Tic Tacs the other day.  He held the box in his hand, looked over the ingredients list and then proclaimed, "Artificial orange flavoring is usually pretty good.  I think I'll like these."  I guess all my preaching about natural ingredients hasn't quite sunk in yet!
----------------------------

One evening when the phone rang, I said, "I wonder who's calling us."  Andrew answered, "Probably your mother."
---------------------------

When we were  at the beach, Jacob and I went shopping one evening without Andrew. We decided to surprise Andrew with his own hermit crab.  We bought two cages and all the supplies.  When we returned with the crabs, Andrew was less than thrilled.  He was terrified of the crabs at first.  When Jake took Andrew's out to show him, Andrew screamed at Jacob, "Put that crab back in his garage!"
---------------------------

When I put the boys to bed at night, I always say, "Night, night.  Sleep tight.  Don't let the bed bugs bite."  Then I tickle them.  Any normal kid would just accept it as a goofy bed time poem and enjoy the tradition.  Not Jacob.  One night it sparked a long conversation about whether or not bed bugs were real.  Then when he finally accepted that bed bugs are indeed real, he made me reassure him repeatedly that we do not have bed bugs.  The next night, Jacob came into Andrew's room with me while I was putting him to bed.  As I got ready to say good night to Andrew, Jacob said, "There's really no point in saying that bed bug poem, because we don't have any bed bugs."  Uh....paranoid anyone?
--------------------------

Andrew has several words that he just can't get right.  Among them:
"Wipe" instead of white
"Oppelputh" instead of octopus
"Chimpmocks" instead of chipmunks
-------------------------

While we were driving one day, I noticed a black squirrel.  Since black squirrels are relatively uncommon around here, I pointed it out to the boys.  Jacob said, "Uh...I never saw a black squirrel.  Are you sure it wasn't a porcupine or a raccoon?"  Now if I don't know the difference between a porcupine, a raccoon and a squirrel by now, I'm really in trouble!
-----------------------

One day this summer, in the middle of that heat wave, as I put Andrew into the car, he said, "Whoa!  Who put the hot in here?"  Good question, Buddy!
-----------------------

And that, my friends, is all for now.  Have a great weekend!

Rainy Day Joys

The last 5 weeks have certainly been a period of adjustment for me.  The agency I work for is experiencing some growth and development, and since I have taken on a new position, I am personally experiencing some growing pains too.  It's been a great adventure so far, but as with any change, even positive ones, the process can be exhausting.  Luckily, I have a great supervisor who allowed me to take a personal day today to catch up on some much needed house keeping, errand running and most importantly, bonding.  I'm still getting used to working longer hours, and finding that balance between home and office responsibilities.  It'll come in due time.  

Originally, I planned to spend the first half of today fishing with Greg and Andrew, my brother-in-law, father-in-law and nieces at a local lake, but the weather had other plans.  We had some monumental thunderstorms this morning, and being much less dedicated fishermen than my hubby, Andrew and I opted to stay home instead of braving the elements.  We got a lot done this morning.  Andrew helped me gather all of Jake's supplies for school, so he is ready to go on Monday morning.  I also finished all the laundry, ironing and prep work for next week, aside from making lunches.  We have a birthday party, a visitation from Jake's dad and a Mary Kay party this weekend, so having today to knock out some of my cleaning and prep was super helpful.

After our housekeeping at home, Andrew and I drove to a local store to get Jacob a new gym uniform for school.  Then we hit up Barnes and Noble.  I got a new book - "Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children," which I am itching to start, and Andrew bought a new Cars toy.  We ran to the grocery store and stocked up on a few essential items, as well as ingredients for chocolate chip oatmeal cookies.  I even let Andrew drive one of the car carts that I typically avoid like the plague!  He was so good, he deserved a little excitement at Giant Eagle!  Then we headed home to start baking.  

Now, I have come a long way in the kitchen since my early adulthood.  I would even venture to say that I am a fairly decent cook at this point, but a baker, I am not.  It's not the recipes or the mixing, but rather the timing in the oven.  Aside from my kick ass banana bread (my mom's recipe) and a pretty good from-scratch berry pie, I simply can't bake.  Oh well.  That doesn't stop me!  As I tell the parents in our program, it's often not the final product that is important, but rather, the process that counts.  Andrew and I certainly had fun with the process of baking this morning.  Take a look:

 So excited to start those cookies!

 "Hey, somebody get me an egg!"

 Throw in a little brown sugar...

 "Mom, look!  A dome!" (Yes, that's what he was calling the brown sugar blob...pretty darn smart, if you ask me!  Love that vocab!)

 Unsweetened applesauce instead of nasty oils and fats!  We try to make even our desserts healthy around here!

 Mixing, mixing, mixing!

 Mixing requires some pretty intense concentration when you're three.

 We can't forget our favorite add-in, special dark chocolate chips!

 Better taste one or two of those chips, just to be sure they're OK before we put them in the cookies.

 In goes the chocolate!

 Ready to bake.

 Oh, and being the obsessive-compulsive cleaner and multi-tasker that I am, I took a moment to do some laundry while the cookies were baking.  Sammy offered his help.  Such a thoughtful kitty!

The finished product.  Yum!  

I'm not going to bother with the recipe, unless you all really want it.  The cookies were good, but not outstanding, in my opinion.  We had fun spending some time together and that's all that matters.  Now, I had originally intended to do some dusting and cleaning while Andrew napped, but I'm feeling a little tired myself.  You know what?  It's my day off.  I think that couch is looking pretty comfy about now!  Don't call me until after 2:30.  I'm taking a nap too! 

Allegheny Camping Reunion

"A part of you has grown in me, and so you see, it's you and me together forever. Never apart, maybe in distance, but never in heart." ~ Nicole Flick

Greg and I met three of my friends from Allegheny College and their spouses at a state park in Maryland for a camping excursion last weekend.  As always, it was an instant reunification and so much fun.  There's something to be said about your college friends.  You meet on such leveled ground - in a completely fresh situation, with a heart and mind open for adventure and learning, and you experience the most monumental years of personal growth together.  Despite time and distance, and changing life circumstances, the friendships we created in college are forever strong. There has never been an awkward moment in a reunion with my college friends, never that period of time needed to reconnect, because the connection is never lost.  We don't see each other nearly as much as we want to.  We don't talk on the phone with each other that much any more either.  We usually get only occasional email and text updates.  Life keeps us from the frequent contact that we all crave, but the time between gatherings is always instantly erased when we are together.  We are truly life-long friends.

As usual, our whole group wasn't able to come.  With jobs, families and "real" responsibilities now, it's all but impossible to find a time that is suitable for 8 adults and their families.  We make due with what we have.  We reminisce enough for all of us, and we send photos with love to those who can't make it.  I can't express how grateful I am to have this group of people in my life.  Ours is a group of true sincerity, integrity, fun, adventure, support and unconditional love.  I thank God for bringing them into my life, and I pray for continued prosperity for all of us each day. 

Now, enough of the sentimental hoopla.  Let's see some photos!

 Danielle and Amy

 The men judiciously took on the responsibility of determining whose Bocce ball was closest!

 Michelle and Pete

 Yes, we are an adventuresome crew!  Scrabble, anyone?

 Greg and Pete admire the fruit of their labor - the fire.

 Greg, Danielle and Pete

 Come hell or high water, Pete was NOT allowing the fire to die on his watch!

 Shucking corn!  We sure did eat like kings!

 It may have been a mini grill, but those were not mini burgers!

Molly and Michelle took to the task of roasting the hot dogs.

And that, my friends, is all! 

"Friends are like smakerals of fun. You can never have too many." 

-Pooh

Sorry

I started this blog shortly after Andrew was born.  I was staying home with him, alone with an infant and a 5 year old, and needed an outlet for my emotions.  I also wanted a way to keep family and friends updated on our lives, without the exhaustion of repeating stories over and over.  Thus, the blog was born.  Since then, it has been a great outlet for me in many ways.  I have always been better at expressing my emotions in written rather than verbal form.  I get too caught up in my feelings and lose clarity when I'm talking.  Writing has been my method of mental cleansing since I was very small, and this blog has in many ways taken the place of my childhood diary.  I vent a lot of things on here that are both private and raw.  I know that there are only a few people who actually read it, and those of you who do read it already know my personal history, the good the bad and the sometimes very ugly truth that is me.   You somehow manage to love me anyway, which is at times beyond my comprehension.

That said, I need to make an apology for my last entry, which I have deleted.  I expressed some frustrations with family, that in actuality were not entirely justified.  I wrote the blog without talking to Greg about the specifics of the evening, and I had a misrepresented perspective of the course of events.   I was simply venting, but I did not give consideration to anyone's feelings but my own, and that was very selfish of me.  Without rehashing details that really don't matter at this point, let me say this: I never question the fact that Greg's family loves us.  I never question their loyalty to the family, and I would never doubt their sincerity in wishing only the best for my children.

My frustrations that evening were misdirected.  Greg and I had polar opposite parenting judgements about how the evening should have been handled.  My input was complete ignored, but not by family.  I never realized that my emotions didn't go beyond Greg.  He made the decisions for them, despite my wishes.  I felt completely out of control over the events that were happening in my own home.  I felt unheard and disrespected.  In retrospect, those feelings were not directed at the family as a whole, but were rather a marital dispute which I allowed to fester and metastasize to infect people who did not deserve it.  Those feelings, however valid, do not justify my actions in posting an entry on the blog.

Venting on my blog is completely allowable.  I will write about my emotions, because that's what I do.  I can't promise that I won't repeat myself when it comes to emotional issues.  In fact, I can pretty much guarantee that I will repeat themes, because themes repeat in my mind.  This is my blog.  If you don't want to read about my grandmother, my weight, my worries about motherhood, or frustrations with life  in general, then don't.  It's a free world.  And if you don't agree with my thoughts, and can't express that disagreement in a respectful way (either by commenting online or in person), then please refrain from commenting.  I suppose those are natural unspoken rules among reasonable adults.  I broke the rules myself, and as a reasonable adult, I need to stand up, take responsibility for my actions, and apologize.

What I can promise is that what I write from now on out will not contain any negative thoughts about others unless it has been previously cleared with that person (or that person is dead, no longer in contact with me, or able to be completely disguised so that identification is not possible).  What I want to share is my prerogative, and what others want shared (or kept private) is their business.  I made a mistake.  I am sincerely sorry, and I will not do it again.  I can only hope that this apology will repair some of the damage.

August 13

Today is the anniversary of my maternal grandmother's death.

Yesterday, I spent some of the morning talking to a person about how limited our time is, how it is a simple fact of life that we will eventually lose our grandparents, parents, spouses, siblings, and friends.  Part of life is becoming comfortable enough with our own independence so that we are able to continue living without our loved ones.  I was talking specifically about my own kids and their bond with my parents, but it is obviously a theme that leaves no person untouched.  The bonds we build are priceless, but eventually, they all will be broken.

I suppose it's normal to have fluctuations in the in the intensity of our emotions regarding loss.  Our durability depends on the day, the circumstances, the amount of sleep we have had, and any number of other things.  Yesterday and today I have felt particularly frail.  Every year, I am aware of today's date, but some years it is simply a thought, a recognition, a moment of honorary silence.  Other years it is as if my heart has been freshly broken again, leaving a gaping, seeping wound in my chest.  Today, I feel very broken and sad.

Every year, I think about the weather on August 13, 1988.  I don't know why the weather is a consistently revisited memory, but it is.  Inevitably, I think about the weather the day of her funeral too.  It was a beautiful day, actually.  Bright blue sky, low humidity, sun shining.  I remember thinking about how inappropriate the weather was.  It felt like a betrayal that nature was not mourning her passing as I was.  Now I try to think that maybe God was celebrating her homecoming.  Or I think nothing at all, just that it was sunny and she was gone.  Nature doesn't think, doesn't care.  It simply is.

I think about other things too - the time of day, the clothes I was wearing, the fact that my mom made chicken and broccoli for dinner like it was just another night.  And really, it was just another night, because life must go on.  She had two kids who needed to eat, who needed to be bathed and put to bed on time, who needed to maintain the stability of normalcy, despite the very abnormal absence in our lives.  I think about that with even greater emotion now that I am a mother.  It makes me think about how I will deal with my own parents' deaths, how they will be presented to my children, how it felt from my mother's perspective.

And so it continues...despite the absence, one that will never be reclaimed, life goes on.  This morning, I got up, had my coffee and did my chores, just like any other day.  Tonight Greg is hosting a big "jam fest" where our friends, neighbors and relatives will all eat, drink, and rock-n-roll.  And tomorrow, we will get up, drink our coffee and carry on just as any other day.  But even amidst the mundane, the continuity of normalcy, the progression of life, my mind will wander every day, without fail, to that empty place in my heart, the spot reserved only for my Gram.  I will keep it open until the day I die.

Simple Joys Of Summer

What's summer with out miniature golf and ice cream?  Not much at all!  Well, around here, it's not ice cream that we crave, but instead The Meadows Original Frozen Custard, est 1950.  

There are several franchises of the Meadows now, but we live closest to the original site.  And we are sure to visit at least a few times each summer (and sometimes in the winter too). 

They also have miniature golf and batting cages.  Batting cages are a little too big for us yet, but the goofy golf is just our speed!

Jake getting some putting tips from the pro.  (Ha!  Golf is actually the one sport Greg doesn't really play!)

We carted along the neighbor boys, endearingly referred to as "the Weichel Boys," just for good measure.  I went to high school with their mom and they are great play mates for Jacob. 

Only Jacob would get a blue slushie at the Meadows...I swear that kid doesn't belong to me!

Someone should tell Andrew that driving under the influence of sugar is not recommended.

Brain freeze.  That's your punishment for not getting custard!  

Where's your favorite place to go for a summer treat?  We also love our local amusement parks, the pool,  some state parks and the playgrounds.  There's so much to do in 4 short months!  

Cat Napper

 I'm not sleepy.  What makes you think I'm sleepy? 

 Nope.  Not sleepy at all.  Just resting my eyes, that's all.

Well, that lego fire truck was just SO inviting.  Maybe just a little nap is in order. 

Show Your Love

I've been back to work for two weeks now.  It's been hectic, but this time of year is always hectic.  We are pressed for time, getting 462 kids registered before the start of class in September.  I mentioned in an earlier post that I will not have a caseload eventually, but for right now, I do.  Well, sort of.  We are in the process of hiring two new case managers.  In order to get the kids taken care of in time to start, I am completing all of the home visits for one of the classrooms.  The other two classrooms are split among the remaining case managers.  Honestly, I don't mind.  Even though working with people can have some frustrating moments, I still really enjoy working with our families.  If you're reading this blog, you probably already know me, and know how I like to socialize.  It's no wonder I enjoy working with people!  So, for the most part, it's been a pretty typical start-up.  Crazy and busy, but normal, if that makes sense!

Yesterday, however, I had a very sad home visit.  There were a number of things throughout the visit that tugged at my heart strings, but one in particular has been consistently on my mind since yesterday afternoon.  As part of the paperwork, we do a routine social and emotional questionnaire on the kids.  At the end of the packet, it asks, "What do you enjoy most about your child?"  I asked this mom that question, and she stared blankly at the TV for several minutes.  I don't like to interject suggestions for the families, because they truly should be in the family's own words, so I waited patiently.  Eventually, she said, "I really can't think of anything right now."  I think I was so shocked by the response that I just really didn't know what to say.  After 12 years in social services, it's pretty hard to shock me.  I've seen and heard a lot.  Normally I would probably have said something to elicit a response, but yesterday I didn't even try to help her.  I (think) I remained  sweet toned and kept a gentle expression.  I just nicely said, "OK.  If you think of something later, we can add it."  And we moved on to the rest of the paperwork.

Now, I understand that it's hard to answer those questionnaires when someone you don't know is sitting in your living room.  I give the families I work with a lot of credit for being so open and inviting with our staff, especially during the income verification visits and the initial home visits.  We come in, with no established rapport or relationship, and ask millions of invasive questions about the family's finances, emotional health, parenting skills, custody issues, etc.  How would I feel to have someone do these visits with me?  I keep this in mind constantly when I am interacting with parents, and when I am weighing their responses.  I know that many parents think of better answers when we leave.  Sometimes they even call to tell us!  I guess what I am saying is that I am not typically judgemental in regards to parent response on initial home visit paperwork, or any paperwork for that matter.  If anything, I'm probably a little too lenient in what I accept from people.

Sometimes parents come up with very specific answers, but often when I ask those questions, I'll get pretty generic responses.  They typically say things like, "He's really loving," or "He's smart and funny."  Sometimes parents respond with things they like to do with the child, "We like to go to the playground, or watch movies together, or fish."  Those are OK too, because they tell me that you enjoy spending time with your kids and that there is a bond in place.  I often get the same kinds of answers over and over.  I have never had someone tell me that they couldn't think of a single redeeming quality in their child.  Nothing.  I was dumbfounded.  I looked over at the little one, playing quietly with some toys with another child on the floor in front of us, and my heart literally broke to pieces right in her living room.

Now, I am by no means a perfect mother.  In fact, I am the first to admit to the deficits in my parenting.  I can be impatient, and have unrealistic expectations.  I yell too much.  I let them watch too much TV and eat too much junk food.  But even in the height of my frustrations with my children, when my patience has been completely exhausted, I could still tell you things that I love about my children.

For the parents I work with, life is complex.  I know, life is complex for all of us, but not like some of the families I come across.  Not all, but many of them are dealing with mental illnesses, drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, poverty, emotional and financial support issues.  They find ways of coping with these issues that do not coincide with my culture.  Indeed, poverty, by in large, is its own culture.  I try very hard to keep that understanding in the foreground of my mind at all times.  It's easy for me to say that they need to appreciate their kids more, when I am not dealing with a tenth of the stresses that they are facing.  Usually, they do appreciate their kids, but that love is manifested in a manner much different from mine.  Sometimes it is shown in a manner that isn't all that constructive, but the love is present nonetheless.  I think that people who do not work in this field sometimes don't see the love that is present in these communities.  Affluent, financially secure people tend to only see the dysfunction.  I try very hard not to fall into the category of judgemental, non-understanding, privileged people.  The truth is, I have never known what it is like to worry about finding a place to sleep, finding something to eat, having my utilities shut off, beating a drug addiction or finding my next fix, or avoiding a beating by my spouse.  Of all the struggles I have personally gone through, none of them compare to the obstacles some of our families face every single day.  I don't know how dealing with those monumental stresses would effect my relationship with my kids.  I can only imagine that it would not be for the better.

That said, I while I live in the same country as the family I visited yesterday, I certainly don't share their culture.  For me, my husband, my parents, and my children, every day life can be tiring, but we are very aware of our blessings.  I am a big advocate for gratitude, and working in social services is a great reminder to be grateful for what I have.  There are tools I can give the families I work with to help them find stability and gratitude in their lives, but ultimately, their happiness is in their own hands, just as my happiness is in mine.  I believe that I was meant to work in this field.  I believe that God brings us to the situations in our lives so that we can learn and grow as He wants us to.  Just as I give the families I work with the tools to help them succeed, God provides me with signs and tools I need to grow.  It is up to me to utilize them to my advantage.

I have been thinking a lot about that little one and that family as a whole.  I have also been thinking a lot about my own family.  For me, gratitude isn't just about the big things, but more importantly, it's about the little things.  It's about cherishing what others think of as mundane - meal time routines, snuggles on the couch watching cartoons, driving in the car and singing with the radio.  The same things that can be boring and even at times overwhelming are also the things that can bring us the greatest joy.  They are the things we miss when we are away, and the memories we look back on most.  Life is about celebrating the little things that make us unique and imparting that ability for thankfulness in our children, and loving our children so that they know they are loved no matter what.

When I picked Andrew up from Harbor House yesterday, I told him 10 things I love about him.  I thought I would share them with you, along with 10 things I love about Jacob.

Jacob, being my first born, gets first go!  So here they are in no particular order.

1.  I love his bright, sparkling, baby blue eyes.
2.  I love his unwavering self confidence and his constant self-proclamation of "expert of everything!"
3.  I love that he is a cautious child.  It's a mother's dream!
4.  I love that he is a scientist at heart, and that he loves to learn.
5.  I love the serious side of Jacob.  It cracks me up sometimes, like when he takes the time to identify the emergency exits in the movie theater, or tells me not to tell Andrew the bed bug poem, because we do not have a bed bug problem.
6.  I am amazed at his ability to memorize the names and characteristics of the 700 different Japanese creatures of Pokemon, Bakugan and Bey Blade.
7.  He loves my parents with a love much bigger than his 8 year old heart, and I love him for loving them.
8.  I love the joy I see in his eyes and hear in his voice when he is playing with our new kitten or my mom's dog, Barnacle.
9.  I love that he's a good student, smart and eager to learn, and well behaved in school.
10.  I love his enthusiasm for fishing.  It's an activity he does with us, and can do it for hours without tiring.
11.  I love that he is constantly inventing games or plans or strategies for something or other with his friends, like establishing his own bank, or clubs with membership cards.
12.  Although it is sometimes annoying, I can still see the humor in the fact that he sings his own theme music when he's playing.  Right now, it tends to be either Star Wars or Indiana Jones.

OK, I listed more than 10!  I could keep going, but I'll move on to Andrew now.

1.  I love Andrew's maniacal laugh, although sometimes I know that hearing it is an indication that he is doing something he shouldn't be!
2.  I love how he calls for me when he wakes up, "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! I waked up!"
3.  I love that he's a morning person.  He's always happy to see us, even when I have to wake him up from a sound sleep.  I don't know how he does it!
4.  I love how he laughs like it's the first time he has heard the bed bug poem, when I say it to him before he goes to sleep, even though I have said it every night for the last two years.
5.  I love his little, itty bitty, baby butt.
6.  I love when he mixes up his prepositions, like when he says, "I need a drink for water" or "I was waiting to you!"
7.  I love how he calls everyone and every animal "him," except for our kitten, which is male.  He calls the cat "her."
8.  I love when he climbs onto the couch with me, pulls his shirt up around his armpits and asks me to tickle his back, belly or legs.
9.  I love that he hasn't lost his baby exhibitionism yet.  He pees anywhere, like in the parking lot at Ritchey's Dairy or right out in our front yard.
10.  I love his constant determination to be a big kid.  "I am bigger now!"
11.  I love that he adores his big brother.
12.  I love that he loves music and can sing all kinds of songs from Bob Seger, to Kiss, to AC/DC to Johnny Cash.  Now that's a cool kid!

These are just a few of the things I enjoy about my kids.  I could keep going if I sat here longer, but I've been here long enough.  It's time to move away from the computer and spend some quality time with the two most important people in my life.   I hope you are doing the same, and holding on tightly to the ones you love!

Stop! Thief!

Every morning, Andrew comes down stairs, throws his blankie on the floor and eats his breakfast.  Today, Sammy decided to catch a few z's on Andrew's ultra soft snuggie. 

 Andrew wasn't too pleased with that idea.  So he quickly grabbed the blanket and threw it on to the table beside him.

 And poor Sammy was left with just a little scrap of a blanket....

...oh, and a sword, you know, in case this 7 week old kitten needed it for self defense. 

Our New Baby Boy

We are pround to announce the arrival of our new boy, Sam. He weighs somewhere around two pounds and definitely gets his hair from Greg's side of the family!

"Hey there, little fella.  You're new around here, aren't you?"

"Just try the bed!  You'll like it."

"Well, if he's not going to use that bed, then I am!"  (I'm not kidding here.  Andrew actually sat in it and tried to claim it for his own.)

I'm not so sure about these people.  They keep following me around and staring at me.

Finally, a good nap amidst the hard toys!

Sam's version of a house cat.

Quite regal, isn't he?  As Jacob said on the ride home with him last night, "This cat's going to have a good life."