Homemade dinners

So Mandy has been cooking more cat food for us. I like it better when she doesn’t put rice in our food. I think she has gotten the message, and she was telling Sam there will be no more rice, or maybe a different form of rice. That pleases me. However, both Peyton and I eat Mandy’s homemade food for us. Yesterday she cooked chicken, carrots, and rice for our dinner. It turned out pretty yummy even if it had rice in it.

I think there might be more company coming again. Mandy has been cleaning upstairs, and that is always a sure sign of company. I wonder who it will be now.

This afternoon, Mandy was working on her computer project, when she growled and set the computer down. She came and found me and lured me out of hiding with a toy. We played for a long time, both of us burning off the stress of this crazy computer project she is working on. I have no idea what she is doing, but it requires her phone and the computer. I hope she is almost done. Life is much more fun with Mandy is not preoccupied on the phone; however sanity play breaks are always super fun! And Mandy always takes time to play with us, and thanks us for the breaks when we interrupt her. Today, Peyton even came out and got in on the tail end of my playtime. It was relaxing! Mandy is enjoying this project, but I like it better when she focuses on us more--even if it means interrupted naps.

Well, I think I need to catch my breath after running around and enjoy a cool drink of water. I imagine Mandy will take a dip in the big tub before long. She has been waiting for Sam to come home before indulging in the big tub. It’s nice to play outside in the evening, but it sure has meant late dinners this week. All well.
Elway

Rainy Phenomenon

Our weather has been less than predictable lately, with afternoon and evening storms blowing in and out of town. Yesterday, it rained in the morning, and then again in the afternoon and then again in the evening. However, between rain storms, it was beautiful outside. In fact, it is the strange phenomenon of the afternoon storm that I want to tell you about. Mandy was working on her computer on this crazy project she has been working on for weeks now, and I was napping in front of the fireplace when the rain started pounded on the skylight. It was loud and woke me up, but it only briefly sounded like it might explode into the house.

I looked at the front door, just as the sun came peeping through the clouds. The bright light created a beautiful rainbow all over the front entryway. I turned around to see if the sun was reflecting off the big tub, when I noticed it was still raining out back! Raindrops were still dancing all over the surface of our patio! So, while the sun was shining through the windows of the front door, it was pouring out back! What a strange phenomenon!

Well it is crunchie time, and I cannot let Mandy forget.
Peyton

Late Night Storm

Last night, after Mandy and Sam crawled in bed and Mandy went to sleep, a nasty storm rolled through. Sam was still awake, so he checked the TV to follow the storm. There was loud thunder and lots of lightening. It was so loud that all the noise woke Mandy up. She wandered around the bedroom and picked me up. I snuggled into her because I hate such nasty storms. She set me on the bed between Sam’s legs and I stayed safe and warm during the storm. I was glad when it passed, but I stayed on the bed for a long time snuggling Sam. He is always so nice to move his legs so we are comfortable. Elway laughed at me, but I am always thankful when Mandy is here during bad storms because she makes me feel safe.

Yesterday evening, Mandy went outside and we were able to play in the twilight. She pulled weeds and cleaned up the patio. I helped her by talking to her and together we enjoyed the nice evening. The sky was a beautiful orange while we worked and it was just a very pleasant time.

Today Mandy says she could use my help to clean house and play round some more. Red Lightening Bug has been given new batteries, and so we are able to play with him, even during the day now! I often ask Mandy to play with Red and she will wake him up for me. It has been fun to enjoy our friend! He is so bright!
Peyton

No Help Wanted

Last night after dinner, Mandy and Sam started tearing apart the kitchen. They were cleaning everything—they do this every so often, so it is not a strange behavior. I went into the kitchen to help Mandy, because I always help her, but Sam shooed me away. I left, but thought I’d try another route into the kitchen. I slithered in undetected by Sam and quickly went to Mandy. She let me help for a while, until I started to go behind the fridge. (Sam had pulled the fridge out and cleaned underneath it.) Then Mandy picked me up and snuggled me. She said I was a huge help, but that I couldn’t go behind the fridge because the floor was wet. How strange! She set me down and continued working. I figured I could help dry the floor so I tried one more time to get behind the fridge. Then Mandy picked me up and carried me out of the kitchen. She kissed me on the head, and said that I could not go behind the fridge and set me down far away from the kitchen! What?! Mandy always needs my help. This was strange behavior!

This morning Mandy has been finishing up in the kitchen while Sam has been working outside. Peyton has been watching Sam. He is using some tool to cut down the tall grass around the big tub. Mandy is in the kitchen, but I have stayed far away from her. She obviously doesn’t want my help. She has tried to coax me out of bed, but I refuse. She didn’t want my help last night, so today she doesn’t get any help.

Well, it’s raining outside so I can’t imagine Sam will work much longer. But I doubt the much desired dip in the big tub is in their future since it is raining. Mandy did say she was going to make us more food today! She said she bought us turkey this time! I can’t wait to try it!
Elway

Sam's Sleep Schedule

I do not believe Sam has been sleeping well lately. He wakes up early and slips out of bed, careful not to wake Mandy and then goes outside and works. He does not normally do this. He generally stays in bed until he has to dress for work. This morning he went out back to sweep, and we were not invited. It was very strange indeed. Elway and I have tried to help Sam sleep later by playing in the middle of the night. Last night we were so rambunctious that Mandy actually climbed out of bed to break us up. However, even our middle of the night fights do not allow Sam to sleep later.

Today it is very still in our house. The house is clean for the weekend. I love when the house is clean. Mandy has the music playing, and I am enjoying the soothing sounds of the violin. What a relaxing afternoon!
Peyton

Godzilla Kitty Strikes!

Life has absolutely been turned upside down. My favorite hiding place has been blocked, and I have no place that feels safe. Mandy has been helping me to find a safe place, and it has helped to clam me down. She has showed me many places I can hide, and I have picked my favorite. For now.

Yesterday I needed that hiding place. There were so many strangers in my house I lost count! And they all climbed up the stairs and down the stairs, over and over again. They made loud noises and banged on walls. They even used tools that sounded like they were trying to tear down the house. It was terrifying! It was so scary that Sam was home, presumably to protect Mandy since he knew Peyton and I would hide. Anyway, our house started heating up and my hiding spot really heated up.
Mandy was very cautious about the heat though, and she continually brought me water to drink. When I didn’t drink what she thought was enough, she’d put water on my nose. She did the same for Peyton too. One time when she checked on me, she said I was way too hot. So she came back a few minutes later with an ice pack! I snuggled up to the ice pack and used it as a pillow or slept on top of it. It helped to cool off my hiding spot! I felt so much better. Mandy says I am spoiled, but I know I am loved. Sam said it was his idea, and not to give all the credit to Mandy.

Last night, when our house was finally free of all of the strangers we came out to eat dinner and had a huge treat. Mandy had made us dinner! It didn’t come out of a can; she said she made it just for us! Peyton and I were a little skeptical at first, but that dinner was delicious! We cleaned our plate, and I even licked up the floor! We enjoyed the same special treat for breakfast, and we cleaned our plate better than normal. What a yummy treat!

This morning, I was sitting in my kitchen window, when I noticed that all of the trinkets Mandy keeps in the hall were out of their spot. So I decided to look at everything. Unfortunately I was more like Godzilla trampling a city. In a doomsday disaster, I knocked over Big Ben and it broke in half. Mandy came in and told me I’d turned into Godzilla. I felt awful! I was so remiss that she scratched my head, and told me not to worry about it. I did make sure I stayed clear of everything else, and was thankful when Mandy put everything away. Now the trinket cupboard is sparkling clean.

Well, Peyton and I have slept all afternoon, because Mandy did too. So now it is time to play.
Elway

Glorious Thursday

Today has been especially nice as far as Thursdays are concerned. Mandy has been working on her computer off and on all day typing things, so I am thankful for a quick minute to snatch the computer away and tell you we had a wonderful day.

Mandy cleaned house, went to the store and bought me treats, and then we all napped this afternoon. Mandy has been napping with us in the afternoon a great deal lately, but it is nice to have her still because then we are able to sleep in one location for a longer period of time.

When Mandy went to the store today, she left the music on for me. Today I enjoyed the sounds of a beautiful opera. It was all in a strange language, so I did not understand the words, but the music was meaningful and emotional. I enjoyed every minute of it.

Just a little while ago, Mandy joined me on the floor and scratched my chin. She said only kings and princes received such majestic treatment, and I purred loudly to acknowledge my royalty.

The big tub guys came back today. They normally only come once a week and they were already here this week. Mandy was sleeping on the couch when they showed up, so I woke her up to tell her people were in our backyard. She said I was a very brave guard cat and thanked me for waking her. Believe me, she is not an easy one to wake. She went outside to talk to the men. They put something strange in the water that made it blue. However, it did not stay blue for long and now our big tub is clearing up and I hope it looks beautiful! Mandy was unable to swim this morning, even though we begged her too. She said that it is better not to swim when there is thunder. She is right, but we were looking forward to our outside play time with Mandy. Maybe tomorrow we will be able to play again!

Well, Sam might be home soon. Mandy put dinner on to cook a little while ago and it is starting to smell good, so I hope Sam does not take long to come home. I am ravenous!
Peyton

Saddest Story

Elway is in morning, so I am here to report the saddest of news. Ever since we were kittens we have slept inside the box springs of Sam and Mandy’s bed. But Sunday night, Sam tore the bed apart and put down wood. Then he put the box springs on top of the wood and totally blocked all the entrances to our sanctuary. We can no longer sleep in the box springs. Sam says it is for our safety, but Elway is crushed. Mandy says they had to block it, in case I had another seizure. She wants to make sure I am not inside the bed. However, Elway is completely devastated. He napped every afternoon in the bed, and it was his safe spot when we had company. Mandy could not pull him out of the box springs they way she can pull me out. He is much more limber than I am, and can jump way up high and balance on who-knows-what just out of Mandy’s reach.

Out of protest, Elway crawled in the box springs before Sam could put it on the wood. Elway figured if he could stay in the box springs out of protest that maybe they would not be able to put the box springs back. But Mandy called him, and he went running. He must have forgotten he was protesting. Sam snatched up the box springs, and now it is closed forever.

Yesterday, Elway tried buttering up to Mandy to convince her to open the bed back up. He has refused to sleep with Mandy and Sam and has opted to sleep on the floor in protest. Last night Mandy brought it a cat bed for him, but he wouldn’t sleep in the bed. Mandy is distressed by Elway’s protest, but she is relentless in this decision, and I do not believe anything will change her mind.

Elway is unable to hold a grudge for long and he has been on bug patrol. He found a big bug and would not allow it entry into our home. Sam was pleased with Elway’s discovery and praised him for his determination and attentiveness to protecting our home. I figured if Elway was going to gain so much praise for such a small feat, I could top his discovery. When Mandy was in the big tub yesterday, I found a large lizard crawling on our screen. I cried and chased the lizard as high up the screen as I could possibly chase him. Mandy said my discovery of the lizard was courageous. The lizard might have been as big as my tail, and he was rather intimidating. It did take a valiant cat to keep that lizard out of our area.

After I chased the lizard off, I helped Mandy fold laundry. I jumped on the stack of clean clothes, and dug through to make sure it was safe for her to fold. Then I held the shirts while she folded them. She said I was a huge help. As she pulled each article of clothing from the pile, I attacked it to make sure it was safe and then helped hold it while she folded it. It was hard work, and Elway took over when Mandy folded the second load.

This morning, Elway found Sam’s Birthday balloon. I was hoping we would never have another balloon in the house, but apparently they give Mandy and Sam great pleasure. This balloon is tied to a chair in the kitchen, but when Elway gets on the table, the balloon moves, and chases Elway away. It is rather humorous to watch. I have been watching the balloon. It appears to leave me alone, as long as I do not cross into its territory.

I am hoping Mandy will jump in the big tub this morning. She opened the window for us yesterday, and it was lovely. Hopefully she will do that again today.

Oh, and before I go, Mandy says today is a special day. Bomom and Bonedad have been married for 60 years. She says that is an extraordinary thing, and so I thought I should say Happy Anniversary!
Peyton

Relaxing Weekend

Yesterday was relaxing, and helped to cement the fact that all our company has gone home. Mandy and Sam slept really late and then had a relaxing morning before Sam started pushing the grass eater around. Mandy talked to Mom-With-Cool-Toys and Shrimp Dad on the computer. I could see them, and Peyton stared at the computer for a long time wondering what on earth was going on. When Sam came in from pushing the grass eater, Mandy grabbed Peyton and me and put us outside. Then she jumped in the big tub and waited for Sam. They splashed around in the big tub for a while, but Peyton and I cried and cried, begging to be let in the house. Eventually, Mandy climbed out of the big tub and let us in the house. Then she jumped back in the big tub and those crazy kids splashed around some more.

Yesterday afternoon, Mandy and Sam snuggled up on the couch and Mandy went to sleep. She was snuggled up next to Sam and he was nice enough not to move so he wouldn’t wake Mandy up. He finally went to sleep too. Poor guy must have sat there for an hour, and I don’t think he was extremely comfortable. But Mandy woke up and moved so Sam could find a more comfy position. He’s so nice to her. I would have wiggled free and left.

Today Mandy and Sam woke up early and ate breakfast. I think it is because they slept so much yesterday. But honestly I prefer when they wake up early because I like to eat breakfast early. Hopefully today is as calm and relaxing as yesterday.
Elway

Luggage, Company and Birthday!

You would not believe the week we’ve had! I told you last time that Bomom and Bonedad have a way of stealing Mandy, and they didn’t fail this time either. They stole Mandy and Sam away for several days! It was so lonely without them. However, Clara came to take care of us, and she feeds us lots of extra crunchies! She is very nice to us, and spent lots of time with us!

Finally, Mandy and Sam came home with the smelliest luggage they’ve had in a long time. In fact, everyone came here! Bomom, Bonedad, Ann and their two friends -- Peggy and Doc and they all had smelly luggage. I don’t know where they went, but it sure smelled funny. I was never more happy to see clothes from a suit case go into the washing machine! We let Mandy and Sam know how much we missed them though. I slept on the bed all night with Mandy snuggled up close to her.

It does appear as though everyone has left. They all trickled out and different times and I haven’t seen anyone in over 24 hours, so I am fairly confident they have all gone home.

Yesterday when Mandy came home, she cleaned up the kitchen and TV rooms quickly and then started working on dinner. She said it was a special dinner because Sam was turning 30! Happy Birthday Sam! When Sam came home from work, they put on their pajamas and the sun was still up! They lounged around the house like lazy bums. After a while, Mandy light a candle and sang to Sam! They ate a fancy dessert and then Sam opened his cards and present! Afterwards, Sam plugged in this cool frame with pictures of me in! I watched as the pictures changed and there were lots of pictures of Mandy and Sam. Then there were pictures of Peyton and I as kittens and all of the fun times we’ve had together as a family. Sam watched the frame change pictures for a long time, and then Mandy and Sam went to bed. Happy Birthday Sam! It didn’t appear to be very exciting, but I hope you had a wonderful day anyway.

Mandy said today was suppose to be Sam’s special day, but I think something came up because when Mandy came home she smelled like work. So, I think she must have been at work with Sam and not out celebrating. I will have to make sure I make an extra effort to play with Sam tonight since he had to work!

Well, the house is slowly being put back together. Vacuum came out tonight, and I stayed in the kitchen the whole time he was out because Mandy said as soon as Vacuum went away we could have dinner. I didn’t let that evil villain bully me away from my dinner plate! I had to make sure Mandy didn’t forget to feed me! She didn’t, she feed us our dinner and it was delicious!

Well, this has been an exceedingly long post, but I had a lot to catch up on. If I think of more, I will fill you in later.
Elway

Morning with Mandy

Peyton was sorely mistaken--our company has not left. And yesterday they stole Mandy for the whole day. She had a deceptively lazy morning only to rush out the door. She was gone all day and only returned to feed us a late dinner but then she rushed out again and didn’t return home until bed time! This morning Mandy is taking it slow again, but as we found out yesterday, that may be deceptive.

When Mandy returned to feed us dinner she brought Bomom and Ann with her. I was thrilled to see them because Peyton left most of the dinner for me. Ann has been wonderful to have around. She is very stealth-like and she slips me food under the table. No one even notices, and I am able to try whatever Ann is eating.

This morning we are enjoying taking lots of time to snuggle Mandy. When she pulled out her workout mat I sat next to her and tried to stretch with her. It was hard work, and when we finished, Mandy snuggled me and scratched me behind the ears. She said I did a great job!

Well, Peyton and I have been playing this morning, and I think I see the opportunity for a sneak attack.
Elway