Our Furry Family Members Part 2: Aslan

I had intended to post a blog about one of our cats every Thursday, however, with the holidays, I was busy.  So this brief entry is about the second cat we acquired, Aslan.

Soon after we had acquired "Paws",  my husband decided that he wanted a cat of his own.   So one Saturday afternoon, he checked the classifieds for a kitten.  He found one way out in the country about an hour drive from our house.  The lady who was giving him away had several other kittens and cats and her house smelled like it.  This particular kitten, Kevin chose and since he had been allowed to run around a lot outside, he was kind of wild.    So we brought home this wild kitten, and introduced him to Paws.  As to be expected, there was a lot of hissing between the two.  It lasted for about a week.  While this was going on, we tried to find a name for him.  The choices were narrowed down to "Aslan" and "Maverick".  Obviously, "Aslan" won.

To this day, he is still a "wildish" cat.  The only time he looks relaxed, is when he's asleep.    Every waking moment he has the wide eyed, wild expression.    As for being Kevin's cat, he actually likes and has bonded with Heather more (and Kevin has bonded with Heather's cat ).

This cat has several nicknames.  "Az", "Spaz", "Azzie Wazzie" (to name a few).  However the oddest name was given by our son.  He started calling the cat "Mr. Dodie".  On my mother's side of the family, "dodie" was something that you did in the bathroom.  It was what my Scottish grandmother (who didn't have an accent) called it because it's what her Scottish mother (who did have an accent) called it, and it's what we taught our kids to call it (it sounded less crude).   After awhile,  my son just started using the crude name and now calls this poor clean cat, "Mr. Poop".

A Different Walking Venue

Yesterday, I talked about getting back into the walking routine.  We walked outdoors (because my husband took the car to work yesterday), and I shared the hazard I had walking over a man-hole cover.

So, since I had the car today, I thought we'd go to our local shopping mall to walk.  It's open very early for walkers to get their exercise in a dry environment, window shop, and then stop for a coffee when they've finished.  

A better, less hazardous environment for the person trying to walk off their holiday pounds?  You'd think so.  However I discovered that there hazards of another kind that might slow a walker down....

The first thing I saw that made me want to stop was the coffee place.   I love the coffee here just as much as I love Starbucks!  However, I did not stop for a vanilla latte.....with 2% milk.....I was very good!  I kept walking.

Then, a few yards into one wing of the mall, puts us in the food court.  Not too bad altogether because the restaurants haven't opened yet.   However, there is movement and food preparation in one of them, and it smelled very good......

Oh Yes!  The sweet smells of Cinnabon!  They weren't open yet, only making the rolls for the breakfast crowd.   Mmmmmm.....

The kids had their "hazards" to slow them down as well. 

The first one was....

 

The Sweet Factory........also closed, but plenty candy within view!

Then toward the end of our walk, we came to the hazard that stopped them in their tracks...........

Build-A-Bear!

As we walked out of the mall, one last delicious smell (of something fried) met us at the door, and this was where it was coming from.....

Need I say more?

 I was good.  I behaved and I didn't stop at any drive-thru establishments serving food on our way home. 

Lp

Back to the Daily Routine

Today was the day!  The day that we start using the alarm again on a daily basis.  Kevin went back to work after a week-long vacation.  The kids and I started school again.  I can't say that anyone was enthusiastic about the return to routine, but, it is what it is.  We can't sit or lay on the couch forever, watching our favorite shows or spending every available minute on Facebook.  

Part of the routine, that I needed to restart, was walking daily.  "Chocolate season" started at the end of October and then "family dinner" season (which has a lot of food, and delicious desserts) added to that, and I stopped walking and it's noticeable (to me, if not to anyone else).   So, this morning, we put on our warm coats, and set out to walk around our neighborhood.....

So we set off...Heather shivering and wanting to be inside, and Kylin, pointing out every car (make and model) to us.

Kylin brought along his "whip".  It's made from the hoses of a toy fire truck, hooked together and taped in place with mailing tape and painter's tape.  He rarely leaves home without it.   I'm not sure if this is all that common for autistic kids, but it works for him almost like a pacifier works for a baby.

  This cover, meant to keep folks from falling into this square hole, was actually so slick, that I slipped and fell on my knee.  Notice the smirking smile already there for any adult who trips or slips because of it's presence!

 As we were approaching the end of the street, Kylin pointed to the field across the road (with his whip, which also serves as a pointer) and said, "Mom! That's rural over there!"

It's starting to get a bit windy and we're starting to feel a few rain drops.  Heather is getting a bit cold, and so is her mother.

 Back in the house, where it's warm.  Time for "book learnin'".  Normally, I'd have them sitting at the kitchen table, however......

 My table is currently in service as the place to put all of the Christmas decorations before I put them away :)

Lp

 

Happy New Year!!!

Happy 2010 everyone!

My husband and I were checking our nearby Twitter pages and noticed that alot of folks were talking about where they were 10 years ago.  My husband posted that 10 years ago, he didn't know how to spell "atheist" and now, he is one (and being the Christian wife of one, could generate a blog site of it's own.  Tempting, but for now, I have no plans to start one).    For me, 10 years ago, I had two toddlers (3 and 1), now, ten years later, you can do that math on that one.  I also was recovering from a D & C that was the result of a miscarriage.   We were also watching the TV all day to watch the new year happen in the rest of the world.   Mostly because we'd been warned of Y2K and had been strongly encouraged to store water, food and other supplies should our power go out.  I woke up the morning of the 31st, turned on the news and the first thing I heard about was that the power was out in Paris, France.   It wasn't due to Y2K.  Paris was experiencing a very strong wind storm.  As you all know now, Y2K didn't happen.  There are the original naysayers that said that it wouldn't in the first place and they like to laugh at those who were hoarding supplies.   They can laugh all they want.  If anything, the threat of Y2K, did bring about an awareness to the population that it's a good idea to be prepared with those supplies in case of ANY emergency.

This is the second year that we've let the kids stay up with us to ring in the new year.   It's exciting for them, and yet exhausting for us.  Our son, Kylin, is the type of person who is running on adrenaline every waking moment, even if that moment is at midnight.  When he goes to bed at his regular bedtime, my husband and I are mentally exhausted.  Our son spins, skips, and just stays very active until he falls asleep.  He talks as fast as he moves too (which is probably part of the reason that his sister shuts herself in her room).  He's the boy who, after being awake for an hour in the morning, has us anxious for his bedtime to arrive.   So letting him stay up late, is a big step for us.  

In preparing for this big night, I asked for everyone's input on what to eat.

~Kevin wanted cheese fondue.  We had this last year and he really liked it.  I used a Swiss cheese sauce this time from the Better Homes & Gardens cookbook.  for the sauce, we had things for dipping such as Potatoes, vegetarian meatballs,  raw veggies (so that we felt we were eating healthy).    He also bought some Kettle chips, and everything one needs to make margaritas (so he won't need to make a stop at the 7-11 for Slurpees to spike).

~The kids wanted cookies!  Oreos and Nutter Butters!

 

~and Root Beer! (Yes, I realize that my giving them sugar contributed to my son's busyness, but it's New Year's Eve!)

We started the evening with watching the Blu Ray version of "Star Trek".   All but Kylin had seen the movie already.  Am I a "Trek Nerd" if I admit that this movie brought some tears to my eyes at some point?   Once the Trek movie was over, we still had time to kill, so our next movie was "Napoleon Dynamite".   That one is just plain funny!  It took watching it about 3 times to grow on me, but it's just a fun, goofy movie.  Our last movie of the night was "Paul Blart, Mall Cop".  Kevin really likes this one.  It was Heather's first time watching it and I don't think that she liked it as much as her dad did.  I had forgotten how much swearing was in it too.  More than what my kids are used to hearing anyway.

Kevin finished the night by making Margaritas.  As he was crushing the ice in the blender, Kylin came in and asked what Kevin was making and then saw the blender and yelled "Smoothies!".  Kevin had to explain that it was a "grown up smoothie".  I will say that I did try one, and my conclusion is that I prefer regular smoothies, not the kind with the alcohol. 

Today, we're celebrating the new year at home.  Our university's football team (the Oregon Ducks) is playing in the Rose Bowl today!  Go Ducks!!!!


We're sort of taking it easy today.  I didn't have to make lunch (Kevin ordered pizza)!  I say sort of, because I need to finish the laundry and get the kids' lessons planned for Monday as well as order some curriculum.   I was going to go grocery shopping today, but I changed my mind.  I'll go tomorrow, when everyone else is.

Lp