Goodbye 2008

This is our final posting of the year. I've abandoned the boyz as I'm on my way to Graceland.



Merry Christmas



Happy Hanukkah



and Happy New Year everybody.

Fetch Obsessed

Theo has become pretty demanding in his expectation that fetch is a 24 hour game. No matter where I hide the crinkly balls that we play fetch with, he seems to be able to find one and when he does he cries at the top of his lungs that it takes two to play fetch. I'm usually more than happy to accommodate him except for when it's past midnight and I'm already in bed.

Rearrange

You move a little used cat tree from one room to another and Diego-san immediately claims it as his own. Go figure.

Couch Hogs

Hey guys... I really wanted to sit on the couch.

Walloped

It's never good when the local weather forecast includes the word "wallop." We got five inches of snow. The wind chill is supposed to hit 30 below tonight. It's just not very pleasant outside.

Even Diego-san couldn't believe his eyes and what was falling from the sky this morning.

Secret's Out

The boyz got their first hint that I'm not going to be around for Christmas or New Years. I hired a professional petsitter to come over and feed them and keep them company while I'm gone. She came over tonight to meet them and get all the instructions on the routine. Theo was his usual friendly self, happy to meet a new friend. Thompson surprised me by eventually coming out and greeting the sitter.

I think Diego-san figured out what all this might mean and he went sulking off to the kitchen.

Stretch

Thompson knows that as you get older it's even more important than ever to do some proper stretching before engaging in such an important activity like taking a nap.

The Boyz Christmas Gift

Diego-san and Theo gave me an early Christmas gift: an evening of peaceful co-existence. I don't expect it to last forever but it was nice for one night...

F%$^&* Weather

Sunday afternoon it was rainy and around 37 degrees here. This morning when I left for work my car thermometer read 11 below zero. It started snowing in the afternoon so not only were the roads snowy, but there was a layer of ice as well. It took me two and a half hours to slip and slide home. It usually takes me about an hour. I was able to listen to Kanye West's new CD three times.

I was never as glad to come home to see Theo expectant face.

New Treat

For the last week or so, when my alarm clock goes off in the morning Thompson takes this as the signal for the morning routine to shortly begin (I'm not sure he quite understands the loveliness of the snooze button). He is such a polite and well mannered boy that unlike Theo and Diego-san, he knows I don't like to be woken up before the alarm clock goes off.

Once that alarm goes off however he knows that I'm awake. He'll hop up into bed with me and do his best to get a face rubbing from me. This usually means he'll either lick my hands or my face in encouragement. It's kind of painful for me when Thompson stands on my chest since most of his weight is pressing down on his one front paw but still it's a nice way to be woken up in the morning...

King of the Hill

Ain't nowhere in the house Diego-san can't get to. And he is very good at letting Thompson and Theo, who both lack his leaping ability, know that.

Pacifiers

There are days life seems to be careening out of control and then I come home and see the boyz all calm, and comfortable. The guys are so good at helping me keep things in perspective.

Theo's Motto

"If you can't join 'em, lick 'em."

Shocking

With the cold arctic air, things are pretty dry around the house and static electricity is becoming an issue. Every time one of the boyz jumps up on me they get a shock. I think Theo is starting to take the shocks personally as he looks at me with his big eyes and wonders why I would do such a thing.

The Look

This is Diego-san's 'oh really, you have to go to work and earn money to feed me while I do some serious relaxin?' look.

Wordy Wednesday

Thompson is my talker. He loves to let all of us know whatever is on his mind through a variety of grunts, mews, and an admirable arsenal of sounds. I love his voice and I love that he speaks his mind. And the other boyz are catching on as Diego-san more frequently lets out his roar and Theo is squeaking much more often.

A Little Schtick in Memory of Pixie

Theo: "Diego-san, do we not have any bananas?"

Diego-san: "Nope."

Theo: "I'm not sure I understand."

Diego-san: "I'm sure you don't. And why are you asking? You don't even like bananas."

Theo: "I'm just checking. And I'm still unclear on the status of our banana supply. So let me get this straight. Do we have or do we not have any bananas today?"

Diego-san: "YES. We have no bananas. We have no bananas today!"

Playtime

I think I made Theo happy by playing with him (fetch, chase, rub the belly) for quite a while this morning. He returned the favor by taking a nap with me in the afternoon.

Our Lil Groomer

Thompson wins the award for the best groomer in the house. He not only keeps himself immaculately clean, but he likes to clean the other boyz as well. And after he's done grooming himself, I often will stick my hand in front of his face and he'll lick that clean as well.

Sleepy Saturday

Theo is trying his best to learn all of Diego-san's tricks- even the best way to take naps on a Saturday morning.

A Request: Turn the Blippin Heat Up

I know it's cold in the house when all three boyz come to bed early to try and claim a warm spot to sleep for the night. If I don't get in bed before this happens I end up spending the night trying to sleep in a contorted position.

6 by 6

Kellie the Orange Cat tagged the boyz with a meme. Here are the rules:

"Go to your picture folder on your computer, or...wherever you store your pictures.Go to the sixth folder and then pick the sixth picture. Post it on your Bloggy and tell the story that goes with the picture..."

So, following the instructions here is the picture that I found:

This picture is actually pretty timely. It was taken last January after a snowfall and Thompson seems to be mesmerized by the bright white that appeared overnight. Since we received our first lasting snow over the weekend- I feel like Thompson looks in the picture full of amazement and wonder- wondering where the warm weather went and marveling at how fast life is flying by...

Thanks for tagging us Kellie. That was the most fun meme we've been tagged with. And any of you who haven't been tagged yet? Consider yourself tagged.

Appreciating Sweetness

At meal times, Theo gets so happy that he'll begin purring away and rubbing up against my legs. He likes to try to wander between my knees so he can rub up against all sides. He also likes to try to rub up against Thompson and Diego-san all the while purring away. Thompson and Diego-san aren't too fond of this particular Theo behavior and it's kind of funny to see Thompson hop up on his back legs and do everything he can so Theo doesn't actually touch him.

OJ

I walked into the kitchen the other day only to find Diego-san staring intently at the orange juice container. I asked him what he was up to. Then I noticed he was just doing as instructed. The carton said, "concentrate" and that was what Diego-san was doing.

Denial

It snowed enough last night that I had to shovel today. I was hoping it would melt throughout the day but by late afternoon I realized it wasn't going to happen. I'm not ready for winter.