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Cat and kid update!
First, Ana and Evangeline are almost done with their extra math books. Just a few more pages and we'll be on the next book! (And they're making a nice start on their summer work as well. "I don't want to do a summer workbook and stuff!" "I don't want you falling behind. Suck it up." Surprisingly, they did suck it up. Go them!)
Secondly, they're freaking adorable. They don't like my saying it, but they really *are*. Ana, in response to my commenting that I would snuggle her more if she'd LET me, has started coming up to me, rubbing her head on my arm, and meowing. Evangeline has always done that, but that's because she's... okay, I don't know why she does that. We spent this first day of vacation lounging around, interspersed with periods of playing everybody's favorite game, "Jump on Connie". (Jump, jump, we like to jump. We like to jump on top of Connie. Stop. You must not jump on Connie.)
The warm weather has been bringing the siren call of "I'm thirsty, Connie". I don't get it. We have a zillion cups in this house, and yet, I can only ever find bowls. Maybe the nieces hide the cups, they certainly *prefer* lapping out of bowls like cats and have been known to do that even when all the cups are a. found and b. clean and c. filled with cold water.
They did about as well in school as we expected. Evangeline's spelling has actually deteriorated since the beginning of the year, as I can see in all the work she's bringing home. She's definitely switching letters around in words. I think it's getting worse simply because they're doing more writing. What the heck does one do to fix that? And Ana got dinged for not doing enough writing, period... but we really expected that.
And that wraps up school! And the nieces. They're adorable, but so far this summer they've made a concerted effort to play as far away from my watchful eye as possible. Very independent. Self-sufficient, too. A few days ago I had them fetch and carry for me in the supermarket while I mostly stayed in produce, and they even went to the front to get price checks. Every once in a while they do something embarrassing in their pursuit of justice or ice cream (like complaining politely but firmly to a store clerk that if they do not currently SELL ice cream cones it's lying to have a sign up saying they DO sell them) and I wonder why we taught them to look after themselves. But it's a good thing. I think.
As for the cats, the mama cat is finally getting over all the little behavioral issues she came to us with. She's no longer biting at the drop of a hat (never enough to break the skin or even hurt, but it was still frustrating), she's gotten positively friendly with us at times, she acts now like she likes our company and considers us more than just providers as food. Even better, she sometimes plays! This is the world's most dedicated mouser, but it wasn't until a few months ago that I ever saw her act in a playful manner, pouncing on toys or the like. And all this in a household where, to be honest, the person who most loves cats simply didn't like her very much, and the next two on the list are young children (with all the problems that implies). It just goes to show, a calm and friendly manner works wonders on "problem" animals. (There are no problem pets, only problem owners.)
Had to start letting the remaining two kittens outside because the boycat is an actual ninja on the subject. Keeping him in was proving to be somewhere between impossible and difficult, and so I gave up. I'm not happy about it, but he is, and I can now walk in my door without being tackled. Or if I am, at least the tacklers understand phrases like "GET OFF! NOW!" and they can't usually jump on my head. This has had two results, the first being that whenever people on the block see me with Callie they're very surprised, probably because she's already created a reputation for being shy (and there just aren't that many calicos around). The second is that we're now in flea-fest 2012. I let their medication lapse. I'm ordering new tomorrow (and yes, I'm just medicating the problem away. If they're going to go outside that's the simplest option, and every time you do something like give Callie a bath she walks around reproachfully for fully 48 hours before she forgives. She's probably going to get a bath anyway, it's pretty bad already.) I forget - is Advantage better than Frontline, or the other way around? Or is there a third option that's more effective?
Secondly, they're freaking adorable. They don't like my saying it, but they really *are*. Ana, in response to my commenting that I would snuggle her more if she'd LET me, has started coming up to me, rubbing her head on my arm, and meowing. Evangeline has always done that, but that's because she's... okay, I don't know why she does that. We spent this first day of vacation lounging around, interspersed with periods of playing everybody's favorite game, "Jump on Connie". (Jump, jump, we like to jump. We like to jump on top of Connie. Stop. You must not jump on Connie.)
The warm weather has been bringing the siren call of "I'm thirsty, Connie". I don't get it. We have a zillion cups in this house, and yet, I can only ever find bowls. Maybe the nieces hide the cups, they certainly *prefer* lapping out of bowls like cats and have been known to do that even when all the cups are a. found and b. clean and c. filled with cold water.
They did about as well in school as we expected. Evangeline's spelling has actually deteriorated since the beginning of the year, as I can see in all the work she's bringing home. She's definitely switching letters around in words. I think it's getting worse simply because they're doing more writing. What the heck does one do to fix that? And Ana got dinged for not doing enough writing, period... but we really expected that.
And that wraps up school! And the nieces. They're adorable, but so far this summer they've made a concerted effort to play as far away from my watchful eye as possible. Very independent. Self-sufficient, too. A few days ago I had them fetch and carry for me in the supermarket while I mostly stayed in produce, and they even went to the front to get price checks. Every once in a while they do something embarrassing in their pursuit of justice or ice cream (like complaining politely but firmly to a store clerk that if they do not currently SELL ice cream cones it's lying to have a sign up saying they DO sell them) and I wonder why we taught them to look after themselves. But it's a good thing. I think.
As for the cats, the mama cat is finally getting over all the little behavioral issues she came to us with. She's no longer biting at the drop of a hat (never enough to break the skin or even hurt, but it was still frustrating), she's gotten positively friendly with us at times, she acts now like she likes our company and considers us more than just providers as food. Even better, she sometimes plays! This is the world's most dedicated mouser, but it wasn't until a few months ago that I ever saw her act in a playful manner, pouncing on toys or the like. And all this in a household where, to be honest, the person who most loves cats simply didn't like her very much, and the next two on the list are young children (with all the problems that implies). It just goes to show, a calm and friendly manner works wonders on "problem" animals. (There are no problem pets, only problem owners.)
Had to start letting the remaining two kittens outside because the boycat is an actual ninja on the subject. Keeping him in was proving to be somewhere between impossible and difficult, and so I gave up. I'm not happy about it, but he is, and I can now walk in my door without being tackled. Or if I am, at least the tacklers understand phrases like "GET OFF! NOW!" and they can't usually jump on my head. This has had two results, the first being that whenever people on the block see me with Callie they're very surprised, probably because she's already created a reputation for being shy (and there just aren't that many calicos around). The second is that we're now in flea-fest 2012. I let their medication lapse. I'm ordering new tomorrow (and yes, I'm just medicating the problem away. If they're going to go outside that's the simplest option, and every time you do something like give Callie a bath she walks around reproachfully for fully 48 hours before she forgives. She's probably going to get a bath anyway, it's pretty bad already.) I forget - is Advantage better than Frontline, or the other way around? Or is there a third option that's more effective?
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For us, it's a supplement.