Of course, as we all know by now, Yota is here and starting to settle into the family. Ala Spit took out her frustration of having her nails clipped by promptly attacking him and cutting off his nose, both ears, and his tail. Not really, but that’s what she told me she was trying to do. They have actually started getting a little bit more tolerant of each other (unless Yota tries to pounce on Spitty’s tail) so hopefully things will continue to improve.

Today I took a few new pictures of the kids…I hated their school pictures. Hopefully tomorrow I’ll get a few to use as school picture but in the meantime, I thought these were pretty adorable.

What do all these places have in common?  They’re where Yota likes to hang out.

He’s definitely warming up to us quickly.  The same can’t be said about Ala Spit.  The first day he just lay there and was, like, “Whatever.”  Today, though, he arched his back and backed away slowly when Spitty Kitty went to investigate.  The good news is that she is at least approaching him to sniff him out.  The bad news is that she is just trying to figure out what herbs & spices would complement him best in a pot of soup.

So to keep him from being terrorized for the morning, I brought him into work where everyone was wanting to see him again.  He warmed up pretty quickly after a frightening 30mph car ride that he emerged from trembling.  And then he snuggled up in my coworker’s inbox, and that was where he stayed til it was time to go. 

So far, still no accidents, he sleeps at night (in the tuna pate-scented bathroom) and doesn’t start mewing until it’s time for us to wake up.  He is super snuggly with me and B and has been snoping out Isak - Anja is still banned from holding him but she can pet him when one of us is holding him, and it’s all going well. 

Poor Ala Spit has put us on ignore and won’t come lay with us anymore.  Hopefully that will change soon.

A few pictures of Yota!

Welcome the newest member of our family. In keeping with the naming tradition from our older cat, Ala Spit, who was named after where B found her, this new little one’s name is Toyota Celica. He’s named after the car he was rescued from by a mechanic and a very confused coworker’s wife.

He was very skittish - as would be expected when someone had to pull a muffler off to rescue you, right? - but once I figured out how he likes to be pet, I have a new little buddy who likes to crawl up my shirt and nuzzle my neck and play in my hair. He is too cute for words, so teeny that he fits into one hand. He was taken to the vet where he got a clean bill of health, and then when he got home with us, he took right to the litter box and is eating well now after some initial hesitation.

Yota, as we call him, is only 4 weeks old. FOUR WEEKS! He’s so cute that I just want to eat him. I think Ala Spit does, too, but for different reasons. She is definitely the Cat Master of our home, DON’T YOU FORGET IT. The placid little kitty that’s always been so sweet has spent the last day growling, hissing, screeching and menacingly waving her very sharp claws near Yota. I think I heard her up at 3:00 this morning sharpening her claws with a nail file and plotting Yota’s demise. So for his own safety, he’s transitioning to our home in the bathroom which now smells of tuna and chicken pate.

Welcome little Toyota Celica!

10 years ago today, I packed up my backpack, got on a bus, and reported for Basic Training in Great Lakes, IL.

It has been a very, very long 10 years. 

And today I’m at that “point of no return”, where I am halfway to retirement, and I’m very fortunate that I’m in a career I love, at a great command, and walking a path that - hopefully - will take me to great places.

This week is Spring Break so our schedules have been all disrupted.  Anja has brought home an attitude from her Kindergarten class that has been very difficult to deal with, and Isak is having a hard time with the kids in the neighborhood being mean to him.  And when we’re not dealing with one of the two things above, the kids are fighting any time they’re within 500 feet of each other.

Tonight, though, B and I have a date.  We’re going out with our neighbors and some friends from work and have a babysitter and everything.  I have a farewell luncheon this afternoon, and then we are going to a barbeque tomorrow, and then Sunday I fly back to the States to a week. 

I have had a really hard time adjusting to the culture here in Spain, and I will refrain from all the venting I want to do about that and instead think about all the things I get to do when I get back to the States, and B, I think you should stop reading now:  I can shop from the time I land in Philadelphia (there’s a Gap in the airport) until I leave next weekend - including an enormous mall by the airport in Rhode Island; I can go to restaurants I love; I can buy the things I can’t get here (more Bath and Body Works lip gloss!); and I have a growing list of items requested to bring back - shopping with other people’s money! Yay!

I really love going back to the States.  It always feels like home, no matter where I’m going, and I love that.

Calling home at 10:30 to find out when an appointment was, I could hear very quickly that there was a bit of tension at home.  Through the hubbub I heard Isak starting to scream, and B, on the verge of losing his temper, said, “Would! You! Two! Stop! Fighting!  You’ve been at each other all morning!  Just stop fighting for 5 minutes!!”

And Isak whimpers from the background, “I’m not fighting with my sister!  I’m fighting with my shoelaces!”