Author: eaumaison (Page 32 of 210)

Jack’s third grade class has been studying native Americans for their last social studies unit. So today we went to Tocabe to try some authentic fry bread and wojapi sauce. Delicious!

The end of the school year means lots of projects being shared and brought home, and lots of events to attend. Thursday was a triple whammy (plus piano lesson!). I went to the community fair and the student-led conferences.

Bounce houses at the fair:

The kids loved showing off their work to me.

They boys earn many points during the year for good behavior and are trying to spend them all. Jack’s favorite prize is to have lunch with the teacher. Sam always chooses to bring a stuffy to school for the day. I didn’t even know there were other choices until I saw this poster in his classroom:

I think these choices are hilarious! A pen for a day – wow!

That same day we went to the scouts year end picnic, where Jack officially advanced to Webelos. They had a hot dog dinner, then skits and s’mores.

Ben is out of town. I arranged for dinner and a movie at home. Freddy is desperate to eat pizza.

I forced the boys to join me in my annual Mother’s Day photos. Not bad!

We actually have a rich and varied life aside from our cats 😉

Tonight was Jack’s spring recital.  He was very nervous and unhappy with his performance.  But I think he did great!  It’s so difficult to perform in front of people.  I’m proud of him for playing tonight.

We celebrated by going to Dairy Queen with his friend Dylan, who had a sister playing tonight too.

Freddy wants to be friends SO BADLY.

They are both doing pretty good. Freddy is cautious and submissive. Nimbus is hissy and wary but not outright attacking.

Yesterday I propped the doors open with these old door hooks that we got when Sam was a baby. There was much cat-posturing between the gap, but Nimbus eventually ate her dinner, knowing Freddy was watching nearby.

This morning, around 5 AM, Nimbus stood at the gap, hissing and growling up a storm – true to her name. I think she was trying to make clear her social dominance. At 5 AM. For twenty minutes. Sigh.

This evening we gave Nimbus her wet food dinner in our room, where Freddy has been staying. With her locked away, Freddy got to explore the main floor. He was visibly shocked when we brought him down, that there was more house to explore! We kept a close eye on him while we had dinner. So far he’s been a perfect litter box user, but I’m still nervous to let him roam the house unsupervised.

After an hour or so I checked on Nimbus and was pleased to see she ate all her dinner while in enemy territory. She even calmed down enough to do some grooming and faux-napping at my feet.

Tomorrow we might try having them downstairs together. For a limited time.

The cats are still living in separate quarters.  Believe me, I’d LOVE to open the doors and be done with it.  Freddy had me up all night, either playing loudly, or attacking my feet, or trying to sleep on my neck.

There’s been a lot of this – cuddling with one cat, then letting the other one smell it.

Freddy got to spend almost an hour exploring the boys’ room with the door shut.  I turned around to bring Nimbus up to inspect his space, but she was already there!  Certainly curious.

Yesterday Nimbus was finally ok with eating outside the door from Freddy.  She still hisses at him if he comes right up to the door while she is out there.  But at least she’s eating near him now.  I read that that’s a positive step forward.  We’ll do some more space swapping and then maybe in a few days I can let them co-exist.

The boys made a space ship for the cats to share.  They used it separately.  Maybe someday they’ll share it 🙂

When I was a kid I thought it would be so cool to have my letter published in a magazine.

Here’s Ben, living the dream: