Introducing Foofie, Fluffy, Hildy . . . er Cookie!

We have a new family member! About three weeks ago we took the plunge and finally got Audrey the kitten she has been begging for. It was a belated 7th birthday gift. Belated because summer was so crazy and then we decided to dig big holes in our front yard and basement. There was no need to add a kitten to that chaos.

This tiny little tuxedo kitten was Audrey's first pick at the Humane Society. I was nervous because she apparently had been sick and in a foster home and she seemed waaaaay too mellow and borderline lethargic at the shelter. I was trying to coax Audrey to go for one of the more active tiger kitties. But this was Audrey's pick. I needed to stay out of it. We had to wait a day to pick her up since she had not yet been spayed.

Boy, was my first impression completely off base. This cat is NUTS! She's playful, skittish, friendly, adventurous and all kitten-ey wrapped into one little fur ball.

We're still getting to know one another and the girls are learning how to handle her. Her initial name was Hildy . . . but I think Audrey was simply feeling the pressure and picked the first name that popped into her head (which also happens to be the name of the last cat we had). That lasted for a short while before the girls were calling her everything under the sun. Curt and Vivian still call her just "kitty."

Vivian: "Mommy, there's the kitty." (Even when the cat is sitting right next me. Viv loves to announce the cat's whereabouts.)

We held a naming session one afternoon and landed on the name "Cookie." I was going for "Oreo" but Audrey didn't like it. Cookie it is!

Now if kitty/Cookie would just stop sleeping on Curt's face, we'll all be much happier.

Talking too much

I'm not sure why this spoke to me this morning, but it did.

she has her phone, too

Vivian drew a picture of the two of us during pre-school yesterday. The picture includes a caption.

I guess she knows how much I love my Crackberry.

Takin' care of business

Curt and I hosted the Kiss Me Kate video party last night at our house. We were blessed with beautiful weather so it was easy to have an outdoor large screen viewing on our garage door. Isn't that what all video parties should be like?

In any case, it was fun reliving (some of) the show and see some folks I don't get the chance to see on a regular basis.

The kids were great and there were no major incidents to report. We left them alone for huge chunks of time so it's always a gamble. Yeah, I found pieces of "Candyland" scattered all over the living room and some juice was spilled on the floor in front of the couch but if that's all that happened, then I'm well-pleased.

The party ended around 11:30 and then Curt and I got into clean-up mode. We usually do just enough not to embarrass ourselves within the neighborhood and then finish the rest the next day. We got all of the foodstuffs into the kitchen when it occurred to me that I should probably check on my girls . . . things were too quiet. The last I knew, they were going to watch Pink Panther on the living room TV.

I walk into the living room to find Audrey snuggled up in the blanket sound asleep on the couch. Awesome. One down. "Maybe Vivian put herself to bed?" I thought. That would be absolutely perfect! I walk upstairs. Not in Audrey's room. Not in her bed. Not in our room. It's too quiet. Where is she??

I turn and look into the bathroom. There she is, on the floor in front of her training potty. She quickly looks up and says, "I"m just cleaning this, Mommy." She has a bottle of Windex and a towel. She's spraying the carpet with Windex. I quickly deduce that Vivian didn't quite make it to the potty. Her skirt and underwear are located on the floor about a foot away. And instead of the spray carpet cleaner, Vivian grabbed the Windex.

Oh. my. Gawd.

She is sooooo cute!

Oh, Say Can You See

yourself singing at the Palace? That's what this website says and that's exactly what Curt did yesterday.


He participated in a singing competition/audition (not exactly sure which and neither are they) to get a chance to sing the National Anthem at a Pistons game. We think. Again, we're not really sure what the prize is. I'm guessing the Pistons don't know either.


So, he had his eighty second shot -- two actually. He wasn't happy with his first round since they made him wait for an hour or so in a stuffy room, but of course his crappy singing is better than most because he made it to Round 2. (He can out-sing anyone even on his worst day) Round 2 took place on the Palace floor itself.


Another 80 seconds and he nails it this time. Whoo hoo!! I'm getting text updates on my Blackberry. So . . . now what??


Oh crap. Go home. We'll call you. In FOUR WEEKS!


But he had a great time and would do it again in a heartbeat.


Meanwhile (and with a less-than-subtle segue), Audrey has been listening to my Brandi Carlisle CD in my car ad nauseum. We went to Frankenmuth yesterday and I heard it many times on the way there and back.


She has never tried singing any of the songs herself, but after Daddy came home from his Pistons audition (and after bath time) somehow the sparks flew and she gave it a go. I fired up the words and guitar tabs on my laptop and here's what happened: