Miss Kitty

It's been 9 days since Miss Kitty has shown up and made herself at home.

We've kept an eye out for Lost Cat ads, but I'm pretty sure she is a stray.

She is putting on weight and filling out quite nicely, I'm happy to say.

 It feels like all she really wants is a place to call home, food in her belly, and a lap to sleep on.

She's not trying to take charge or fight with the other cats. There's been none of that, except for a few wary growls around the food bowls.

We still haven't decided if we're going to keep her, and we haven't given her a name, but we do call her Miss Kitty and she does seem to come when we call her that. She's a charmer, this one.

I like how she's on our laps and she weaves herself around my legs. I don't get that from the other cats, they're more Andrews' cats than mine-- probably because he's the one that feeds them.

Hm, time will tell if Miss Kitty ends up being a part of the family.

Got Milk?

 Does this qualify as kitten torture?

(I was nice, I let him have some!)



Out of the Bag!!

Anyone that knows me, knows how much I love cats. And how kittens are my kryptonite.

So when I saw an ad in the local paper for two (2!!) pure white kittens, free to a good home, I just couldn't resist!  Andrew and I have always talked about getting a white cat someday, but how often does one see two white kittens at the same time?!  Not too often in my experience. So we called and the lady said she found them and brought them home but already has too many cats of her own. They're now ours.

We told the kids they are an early Christmas gift to the family and boy, they are loved.

We've had them a little more than a week now, and they are just so cute!!

Any of you seen "Despicable Me"??  You know that scene where they are at the amusement park and he wins the unicorn for the little girl?  She squeezes it and squeals, "It's so fluffy!"  That's exactly how I feel about these kittens- they're so fluffy! squeeeee!!



Meet Bones and Walter, the newest additions to the Mountain Mama Zoo!

 

Tag! You're IT!

                                      


I caught a mouse and it was 'this' big!




Well it ain't behind here!




I got it! No, I got it! No, I got it! No, I got it!



Whoa! You can really jump!



Look, you stay there, I'll stay here, and we'll see who catches the mouse!



Safe!



Whaddaya mean my tail is showing?!




After a few days of growling and Percy giving a few sound smacks, they're all one happy family.  I've seen Percy giving the little ones a bath and he lets them sleep on top of him. Looks like the boys have a new papa!




Do you mind? These pipsqueaks kept me up all night last night, I need my sleep!

 They've been a wonderful addition to the family and a pretty good way to kick start the Holidays. 
Merry Christmas to you and yours! xoxo



Always Something To Do Around Here

The desk top computer has been giving us trouble lately. I'm no computer expert, but I know enough to get by. The router/DSL modem crapped out last month, so I got a new one. The problem with the new router though, was we had to turn off the security to get on the internet! That ain't right. No matter what I did, I couldn't get the security system to view the new router as a non-threatening program. Then the power went out once and we lost internet connection. I finally figured out it was the new router. After much fiddling around with it, I re-installed the program disc and it worked, but we still had to turn off security to use it. Yesterday, the power went off and once again, the router/DSL modem no longer worked. This time, however, I couldn't get it to work again. Time for a new router. And a new security system.

Amazing how a day without internet services can sort of put a damper on things. We aren't online all day, but there are quite a lot of things we do on the computer and not having internet service really stunts us. We're too far from anywhere with wi-fi access and more than 20 miles to the nearest Library, so packing up the laptop is not ideal for us. Making a trip into the big town was necessary.

The other day, the riding mower sputtered and back-fired, then shut off on Andrew just as he finished the majority of the mowing. Lucky for us, he knows enough about engines that he knew what it needed and a trip to the hardware store for parts should do the trick. The hardest part about that was finding a hardware store that carried what he needed! At one store, the filters were all bent. At another, nothing matched what he needed. Third time was the charm indeed when he found all he needed at store number three.

While at the hardware store, we picked up fencing. We're going to fence in the chickens! After much talk, we've decided it would be best to build a pen around the chickens. I love the idea of free-range chickens, but in the case of my chickens, that means free-ranging all over the back stoop! Nothing like stepping on cold, mushy chicken poop in bare feet! I used to be Miss Barefoot until the chickens came along, then I became best friends with my flip-flops.

We bought 150 feet worth of fencing, which I think will give the chickens plenty of room to roam. I'm still thinking on a way to make a gate without resorting to buying one. I have plenty of scrap wood, so I'm leaning to making a frame then stapling chicken wire to it and voila! a door. I get lots of ideas in my head, just a matter of translating to paper to actual materials.

The kids are pretty happy about fencing in the chickens. The big rooster chases them and I constantly have to provide distraction to the rooster so the kids can make their escape to the swing set. It's getting irritating. Warmer weather equals kids playing outside equals mama dropping everything and distracting the rooster 10-plus times a day.

Anyway, after we got home from the computer store and the hardware store, I tried to get the new router working. I had quite the time trying to get it all to obey me. I get frustrated to tears when it comes to the computer because visions of it freezing and floating bits of money flying out the window do not a pleasant picture make. After about 4 hours of installing, un-installing, deleting, more installing, updating, down-loading, re-starting and one final updating, the desk top works! It works, it works, it works! Happy dance!

I worked right through dinner and sweet Evelyn made dinner without any prompting. She came to me and asked me to check and see if the macaroni was tender. "Macaroni?" I asked.

"Yes. I'm making dinner because I can see you are too stressed out from the computer, so I wanted to help you." Evelyn replied.

Well, melt my heart! We ate a mighty fine dinner of macaroni and cheese last night, paired with a glass of juice. It makes me proud when one of the kids can step up to the plate and pitch in when Andrew and I are both busy doing something.

Andrew's friend is supposed to come over tomorrow and let Andrew use his brush hog. I'm so excited! All the weeds and brambles and small brush are slowly overtaking the yard and I cannot put up the new fencing for the chickens until we clear away the brush. Using the brush hog will make the job go so much faster and easier, then we can just maintain afterwards. Fingers crossed it all goes well!

Percy the cat is quite the TOM cat. He is getting rambunctious and jumps BC, the older cat, a lot. He's starting to pee on clothing or towels that get left on the floor and I try to keep after the kids to pick up their clothes, but I don't catch every one. We could smell pee somewhere and sniffed around for it, but couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from. Andrew says here, I say there. Finally I moved a bed over and there was a pair of pants, soaked with cat pee.

Peter let Charlie the cat in the house a couple days ago, and he made a beeline to the bowl of cat food on the floor. I let him chow down when this happens, then put him back outside when he's done. This time, however, I got distracted and forgot about Charlie being in the house. I got a quick reminder when Percy spotted Charlie and a swirling, angry, hissing and yowling ball of black rolled around the kitchen floor, tufts of black fur flying! I'm not stupid enough to stick my hand in there and separate them, but something needed to be done! It all happened so fast, I somehow got them apart, swatting at them with a towel or something, then just as I was about to pick up Charlie, Percy came charging again, and the crazy ball of two black cats fighting rolled into the sun room, leaving a trail of fur. Andrew came in and managed to pull Percy off Charlie, then Charlie hid under the table in the sun room. After I finally coaxed him out and let him back outdoors, we knew something had to be done about Percy.

No way are we letting him out, free to impregnate every fertile female cat within spitting distance. He has an appointment on Thursday to get neutered. After he comes back, if he continues to pee in the house, he'll go outside with the other cats. Hopefully he stops that, cause I really like having him in the house. All the other outdoor cats are there because they peed in the house at one time or another.

Andrew works from 1-9 today, so I'm hoping for an uneventful day. At this rate, I'll be happy to distract the rooster to let the kids outside than face another computer issue.

Blah, Blah, Blah

Non-stop go, go, go these days. Part of me enjoys the action, getting out of the house and doing something different; another part of me is ready for staying home and doing nothing-- well, as much nothing as 2, 4, 6 and 8-year olds will let me.

*

We had to head into Northern Virginia on Saturday for a family get together and it was nice. Always good to see family and it had been too long between visits, really. The kids got their grandma and granddaddy 'fix' and we're all caught up on family end-of-the-summer activities. We also stopped by to see friends for a quick little visit and wished we could have stayed longer, but we had another stop to make before going home. It was great seeing them, too! :o)

*

Our original plan was to stay overnight and then hit the Renaissance Festival the next day, but it turned out that Andrew had to work that day, so we nixed those plans. I'm a little disappointed we didn't go, but it runs all the way through to the end of October, so there's still another chance we can make it. I already made a costume for Peter to wear, and got the materials to make dresses for the girls, but have yet to sew them up. If we end up not going, they can use them for Halloween at least.

*

I have a birthday coming up, so I received some gift cards to Walmart. First thing I thought of was getting one of those Bissell green machines so I can finally clean the poor couch. We picked one up today and paid the difference. Since Peter poured the milk all over the couch, it's sort of been shoved aside, the cushions being used on the floor by the kids (milk was poured on the base of the couch, not the cushions). Then the dog vomited on it last night-- ew. Then today, apparently, there was poop on the couch which Peter then stepped in and smeared onto the couch and tracked little poopy footprints all over the living room floor before I caught a whiff of it and grabbed him so I could clean him up. Meanwhile, the girls are sprawled on the chairs seeing all this go down and not one thought to come and tell me about the poo or Peter tracking it everywhere.

So the Bissell came in handy tonight. I fired it up and cleaned the base of the couch, the arm rests and one of the cushions. Man, that water was dirty! It's still damp, so I'll have to wait until it dries to see how much better it looks, but I'm sure it's an improvement from what it was. I'll probably have to go over it a couple of times but it's a start, and I got the poo and vomit all cleaned up anyway.

*

My tomatoes are trickling down now. I haven't canned any in a week. Every time I go out there, there's hardly enough to fill a quart jar, even after a couple days of no picking. The potatoes seem to be doing alright. I can see a few exposed here and there and the tops are starting to wilt and wither. I'll wait a little longer before I dig a few up and see what I find.

*

The wild grapes have been picked and juiced. I got 2 quart jars full of juice that needs to be sweetened and thinned with water. Wild grapes are pretty sour, but that doesn't stop Peter from gobbling them up! Each of the girls tried them, made faces and spit them out, but Peter just eats one after the other, asking for more after he finishes the bunch I gave him. I had to play keep-away so he wouldn't eat up all the grapes! There aren't very many wild grapes this year, lack of rain, I suppose, so every bit I could find, I needed.

*

We are in drought conditions here, and there is a burn ban imposed on county residents. Many of the orchards here had to send away truckloads of apples and peaches to be juiced because they weren't good for much else. When there is no rain, the tree steals the sap from the fruits, so the fruits don't get any bigger and end up getting sunburned. Lots of fruits, but they aren't big and juicy as years with plentiful rain. I suspect the price of a bushel of apples will be much higher this year. Guess I should be happy I have plenty of applesauce left from last year and won't need to buy so many apples this year.

*

I have unhappy hens. They keep getting sexually assaulted by the 6 roosters every time they step out of the coop, so they have taken to staying in the coop. They are protesting their living and work conditions and have stopped laying eggs for me. 11 hens and if I'm lucky, I get 2 eggs, but usually just one per day. I had every intention of butchering a rooster last week, but then I chickened out and let him go. Lucky feller. I need to kick myself and get it over with. I'm alright with the butchering part, it's the taking of a life part that gets me. I fudged it the last time and the rooster suffered a little bit and I feel so bad for that. I need better killing tools so I don't make that same mistake.

*

I signed up for Elsie Marley's Kid Clothes Week. That's that little picture at the top in the right-hand corner. It's a fun little thing, commit to sewing at least an hour every day for a week to sew clothes for your kids. She did it last Spring and seeing some of the outfits people made for their kids was really inspiring. I decided to try and participate this year and make at least a dress for each of the girls, or maybe night gowns for their Christmas gifts. I have some nice corduroy that would make a cute jumper for one of the girls. When I made Peter's costume for the Renaissance Festival, I didn't use a pattern and I was pretty pleased with how well it came out, plus, it fits him nicely. Maybe a simple shirt for him, dresses for the girls and jammies for all of them. A bit ambitious, maybe, but no one said I had to stop at the end of the week!

*

Percy is looking so cute, all curled up into a ball, asleep by my feet. I think I'll follow his lead and curl up in my own bed. No more go, go, go for the week, but there's still things to do around here.

*

Maybe We Should Have Named Him Kryptonite

Stopping at a yard sale last Friday, the goodies were lined all the way down the driveway towards the back basement of the house. My mom got to the bottom before I did and when I passed her on the way down, she told me, "don't go back there." "Why not?" I asked. "Free kittens", she said. Uh-oh. My weakness. My kryptonite. I had to peek and see what they had.

-

A cute female calico and a black male sat in the cage. Ohhhhhhhhhhh, and I proceeded to melt on the spot. Then worse, the lady let me hold one. That's it, I was a goner. Who can resist fluffy little kittens that lick the tips of your fingers and purr in your ears. Not I. But I thought of all the times Andrew and I said no more cats or dogs until the current ones are gone and I knew I wouldn't be able to bring these kittens home with me. I told the lady I'd love to have one, but I need to talk with my husband first.

-

Off we went to other yard sales and I was forcing the image of the kittens into the mental trash bin. I told myself if I was still thinking about them by the time I got home, I'd bring it up, otherwise, no more kittens. I was doing pretty good at resisting the kitten charms and just about closed the lid on the mental trash bin, until we got home and the minute my mom saw Andrew, she opened her mouth and blurted, "free kittens!" I ended up telling Andrew about the kittens and mentioned there was a black kitten-- his kryptonite.

-

Well, to make a long story short, Andrew surprised me by letting me get a kitten. Here's the newest member of the family:

Percy

He is a most spoiled kitten, with the kids constantly fighting for their turn to hold Percy. He has made himself quite at home, already learning where to find his food and his litter; already figured out which kid to RUN from and which one will lovingly cradle him in her arms; already claiming a spot on our bed at night. He's a good kitty and has made friends with Maisie the dog and seems to know BC the cat is not quite ready to be best buds just yet.

Percy is meant to be my cat, and I'm happy to share him with the family.

Thanks, honey, for letting me get him. You're the best! xoxo

-

Same Old, Same Old

Nothing new to report around here. Keeping busy with kids, harvesting the tomatoes and green peppers from the garden, canning the tomatoes...

We went to the store on Sat in the big town and the grocery store had excellent-looking white corn on sale 4/$1 so I caved and bought another crate-- 48 ears. We ate some for dinner, made fresh corn fritters for another dinner and I need to can the rest today. On Sunday, the same grocery store had ads in the paper and the corn is now on sale for 6/$1!! agh! I just might get one more crate of corn...

We had Maisie the dog spayed last week. Poor girl. She gave me such a pitiful look with those brown eyes of hers when I picked her up from the vets in the evening. A couple of days easing into her favorite chair and taking it easy and now she's back to her old self again. We take her in tomorrow morning to remove the stitches and get a rabies shot for her.

The vet is nice; holistic and homeopathic. We found them online and they are not too far for us to drive, we have to leave an hour before the appointment to get there on time. A very hippie sort of house converted into a vet's office. My kind of place. When you go in, there's peace signs and pictures of animals on the walls; an old church pew painted sky blue; an owl puzzle glued together and hung on the wall. Probably not the most sterile of places, but it looks clean and the vet assistant was very nice and easy for me to lip-read and understand. We went through a spay/neuter organization that helps low-income people to get their pets fixed and they were on the list of participating vets. I think we will keep them as our permanent vet for our other animals, I felt very at ease there and so did Maisie.

We took her to another vet previously, and the entire time, Maisie growled. It got to the point that the vet felt the need to muzzle her. It was kind of funny to see her in a muzzle, her tongue working around the edges trying to figure out how to get it off, and at the same time, I was a little disturbed that she was so nervous being there and the vet and his assistant didn't seem to try and calm her or ease her fears. At the vets where she was spayed, she didn't growl once, and only barked when the cat sleeping on the fax machine moved and caught her attention. Big difference in behavior and I'm going to follow her cue and continue to take Maisie there.

We can learn a lot from animal behavior. I have had cats that didn't like a certain person, and I pooh-poohed it and later, I found that person to be not the kind of person I should be friends with. People that my cats adore have usually turned out to be great friends for me, including my husband. The first time I brought him home, I opened the door where my cats were and they ran out and Tiko immediately did the cat thing between Andrew's legs and purred loudly. Tiga held back a little bit, sizing Andrew up and sniffing his hands and legs before deciding he was OK. Tiko and Tiga were great big Tabby cats, my first on-my-own-away-from-home cats. I miss those big fellas! I'll always have a place in my heart for a Tabby cat.

The day is going fast, so I need to get going and do what needs to be done. See ya next Month! :o)

Having Fun At The Cats' Expense

This is what we do with our cats around here... dress them up and coo over them like babies.

As long as we aren't hurting the cat and he doesn't run away, we'll play this way with him.

He was starting to get irritated by now.. those ears don't look too happy. We teach the kids to pay attention to animal behavior, to pick up on how the cat feels and don't push it or they'll get bitten or scratched.

Oops, too late! He turned into ZOMBIE CAT!! "I'll get you while you sleep tonight! I'll nibble on your toes and walk on your heads! I'll sit on your chest with my butt in your face! I'll teach ya not to humiliate me and take pictures of me in my poor 'ol misery! Grrrr! Hisss hisss!"

-

Getting into the Spirit!

I started out writing a very different post because I was feeling really weirded out lately, but I don't want to make you guys all depressed so I won't be posting it. On the brighter side of things, I am feeling much better, I have a spring in my step again and I am so excited for Halloween, which is just around the corner!

The girls have finally decided on what they want to be for Halloween, so I am busy trying to gather materials to make their costumes. Oldest is going to be a vampire; Middle is intent on being SuperGirl, and that's a fairly easy costume to put together, so I am not complaining; Youngest will be a witch. Baby will be the french painter, and if the outfit is too big for him, then I'll whip up an easy mummy costume.

Hubby is going back and forth, unable to decide what he wants to be. First it was cyclops with a horn, then it's Uncle Fester, then it's two horns and an eye in the back of his head... he's worse than the kids!! :o)

I have an outfit that I can't wait to wear! I picked it up at a yard sale a couple years ago, and I'm so excited about it! We're going to my closest friends' house for Halloween and she is going to LAUGH when she sees it! (Can't wait to get your reaction, girl!)

Things are getting festive around here. The decorations went up last night and I picked up a few make-up things along with black nail polish and all the girls wanted their nails done. Then Hubby came home and he wanted his nails done in black, too, so I painted his. This morning, Oldest asked me in a quiet voice, "Why does Daddy have his nails painted, too?" hahaha!

I gotta go, gotta get those costumes made! Here's a pic I took of Charlie the cat:

Happy Halloween!!

Here We Go Again!

It's that time of year again, to stockpile wood for the coming winter months. It has gotten chilly here already. It seems like as soon as September got here-- poof! Chilly days and nights! We had cut down trees here and there, then cut the logs and left them to age until they were dry. We spent yesterday and today gathering, splitting and stacking them.

Cutting logs down to size.

A growing pile of split wood. This is only a small percentage of how much wood we will need for the winter. Last year we used approximately 8 stacks this size. We still have a long way to go before we have enough for this winter.

When the power company came through last year, to install a new power line to the property adjacent to us, they had to cut down trees on our side for the new line. We asked them to leave the cut trees and they did. We were over on the far edges of our land today, gathering the logs. There are a lot of trees cut there, and I hope that there will be enough for the season.

Archie the cat, lounging in the shade, keeping an eye on our noisy work with the chainsaw and log splitter.

Birdbrain

We have a daily visitor in the mornings. He isn't too bright. At least we don't think so.

*

Every morning, round about the same time, we have a male cardinal that comes to our bedroom window.

*

Same window. Same time.

BC the cat has since learned that there is glass separating him and the bird, so he no longer hunches down and does that butt wiggle that cats do when they're ready to pounce. Over and over he would lunge at the bird, only to bonk himself on the glass.

*

Finally, after one bonk on the head too many, he knew that the glass would never magically disappear or he would not pass through like a ghost.
*

So now he just passively sits there and watches the bird. Maybe dreaming of cardinal roasts and cardinal sandwiches and cardinal mousses...

The bird on the other hand... He still has not learned that there is glass there and it will never magically disappear or he will never morph into a ghost and pass through it.

*

So every day, the bird flies into window, sits on the sill and peers through. Maybe it sees its' own reflection and thinks there's another bird.

*

Maybe it sees the cat and knows it can't get him and he's tweeting "Na-na-na-nah-nah!"

*

Or maybe it's just scatterbrained.

Hey! Where'd the cat go?

Yoo-hoo!

You still there?

Hello?

Eek! A Mouse!

My husband is a sales rep for Bathfitters, and his post is located inside the mall. That means, when the mall had extended holiday shopping hours, Hubby and his co-workers also had extended work hours. That means he had to work at 6 am one morning. That means he had to get up at 4:30 so he could leave the house at 5 to get to work by 6. That means I have to get up early with the kids and let the dog out and feed the cats.

So, one of those early mornings when I was walking around like a zombie in the dark, BC the cat pounced into the kitchen with a mouse! Eeek! A mouse! He let the mouse go and proceeded to play cat-and-mouse with the poor little thing.

Now I know it's what cats do, they play with their victims until it's dead and then either leave it and walk away, or if they are hungry, eat it. But I don't want to see the poor mouse suffer.

With Maisie the puppy getting curious, BC grabbed the mouse and ran off into the other room. I followed to keep an eye on the whereabouts of the mouse, but BC didn't like the audience and took the mouse and went into the living room. I decided to give him his space and busy myself in the kitchen.

Well, about 5 minutes later, here comes BC looking all frustrated. He is looking around and sniffing under the fridge, then the oven, the cabinets and behind the trash can. Oh dear. He lost the mouse! Just then, the girls woke up and I had hoped the mouse business would have been over with before they got out of bed. Now I had to tell them a mouse was on the loose in the house and to keep an eye out for it.

The girls took it as a challenge and grabbed flashlights and went on a mouse hunt! They searched everywhere-- under the couch, under the TV stand, behind the furniture, under, over and every place in between. That mouse was seriously gone. ugh!

I spent the rest of the day with my eyes on the floor, constantly searching for a brown body, hoping that I'd be the one to find it and not the girls.

Maisie found it! I have no idea where she found it, but later in the afternoon, she was seen with a mouse in her mouth! I chased her down and disposed of the mouse. That's the end of that!

Or so I thought.

Yesterday, walking by the fridge, I smelled something that you don't ever want to smell in your home. It smelled pretty strong and I knew, just knew, something was dead around there. Hubby was at work last night, so I waited until morning. If what I'm smelling is indeed a dead body, it's not going anywhere.

Hubby smelled it and agreed, something died. we pulled out the fridge and other than lots of dust bunnies and few fridge magnets and some papers, nothing. He took off the back, nothing. It had to be under the fridge. We emptied the fridge and he tilted it, and sure enough, I peek under and see the dead body of a mouse. Talk about stinky! We disposed of the body, cleaned up under there, vacuumed the coils and washed the floor. All before breakfast!

Now that better be the end of that!

Karma

I now understand how my mother felt when I brought home a kitten I found and she had to tell me to "put it back where I found it". If I remember right, I did it not once, not twice, but at least 10 different times with 10 different kittens. Only one was a keeper.

I know it must have been hard for her to do, loving cats the way she does and having to tell a little girl with pleading eyes that we couldn't keep it.

A cute little stray showed up today. Must be between 8 and 10 weeks old. Such a cutie pie!

Wait! What am I saying? We can't have another cat! We already have 5!

How am I supposed to look in those big blue eyes and say, "No"? How am I supposed to ignore those big ears on that little kitten?

Ack! I'm being double-teamed! How do I say no to TWO pairs of pleading blue eyes?

The husband and I repeatedly tell the girls to "put that cat back where you found it!" and they repeatedly bring her back to the back door and play with her.

"Pl e-e-e-ease!!!" is the chorus I am getting from 3 little ones, that fight over who gets to hold it next.

The cat food container is looking decidedly lower than it was this morning and I find the girls have brought some food for the kitten to eat. Oh dear. Now kitten knows we have food to feed her.

We really can't have another cat! Plus, its a girl! If we don't get her spayed, she's gonna make more babies and we can't afford to get her spayed or support more kittens. The local shelter is already over-whelmed with cats and kittens.

Kitten is turning on the charm. She pounced on a leaf in that cute way kittens have and I swear I felt something inside me melt. Ack! Hubby! DO something!

Help! Kittens are my kryptonite and my powers are weakening!

It's all karma-- what I've done as a kid is coming back to haunt me with my own kids!

Life Goes On

I'm still here and the baby is still in the belly. -sigh- We had a false alarm Saturday night, when I had some contractions that were less than 5 minutes apart and I was feeling quite sure it was time to have the baby. I woke up my mom and told her we were heading to the hospital and she went to sleep in our bed, so the girls don't wake up and see an empty Mommy/Daddy bed. We got to the hospital at 2 in the morning and upon arriving, went to a little examination room to see how far along I was. I was so surprised when the nurse told me I was STILL at 3 cm. I started to efface a little, but I didn't dilate any more since Thursday. Dang it!

They wanted to keep me in for observation a little bit, to see if the contractions intensified and if I dilated any more, and after 45 minutes of being hooked up to the monitors, the contractions petered out and I decided that we might as well go back home. It was 4:15 by now and I hadn't had any sleep yet. They let us go with a list of when to come back if this or that happened.

We got home a little after 5 am. I've done lots of walking since and my Aunt and Uncle are here with us to watch the kids if we have to run to the hospital, but so far, everything is calm. Baby still moves around and I am flushing away part of the mucus plug every time I go to the bathroom, so I know it'll be soon. My mom can't wait around any longer, she has to go back to work, so Hubby took her back today. In the meantime, I still have Aunt and Uncle here, but I'm not doing any walking until he gets back. Life goes on.

Charlie the cat needs to give up his membership card to the meat-eaters club. I was peeling corn for dinner one night and this corn got attacked by Charlie who happily gnawed away on it!

Even picking it up didn't stop him and he just sat up and kept eating. We left the corn on the chair for him and by the time we came out after dinner to see, most of the kernels were all gone.
Silly cat!