Halloween

I've been thinking about updating my blog for over a month but I've been ever so ill with health problems that I could never muster enough energy to even take care of my family and job (and used up most of my leave) but I am finally finding enough strength to sit at the computer for a few non-work moments and get some photos uploaded and do a quick update. The week of Halloween was tough. My cat was put to sleep. My health problems got worse to the point of me being rushed to the hospital on Halloween day and being told not to drive or be left alone or alone with the baby! I had to get another root canal (I HATE my teeth) and had a very unpleasant medical procedure performed. It was a tough, tough week but we still managed to have a bit of fun. Since then it's been all downhill but I am trying to keep a positive attitude. Click on the collages to get a better view of the photos.

Despite my health problems Samantha had a pretty good Halloween and Sierra had a good time showing her what Halloween is all about. They both dressed as black cats and Samantha loved getting dressed up and Sierra loved wearing makeup! At Sierra's school Halloween carnival she won a cake and about a dozen cupcakes plus a bunch of toys and odds and ends. She was very excited about all of her "booty". All of the kids posed for a group shot at the end of the carnial so if you look closely you will see Sierra holding Samantha.

At Sierra's school the children are not allowed to dress up in normal Halloween costumes instead they must dress like an important figure from history. This year they were required to dress as either a former US President or former US First Lady. Sierra chose Rosalyn Carter (actually she chose Jacqueline Kennedy but she was already taken) and this was the best we could do for a costume! I know it's pretty bad but we didn't have a lot of time and I was too sick to get to a store so we did our best. We tried to make her hair look short and make her look middle aged. She didn't mind how bad the costume was she was just happy I let her wear lipstick and eye shadow! She also wrote an oral report which she gave in front of the school. I know it's probably a very educational idea but it's a real pain putting together two costumes in one day every year!!!

Stormy was a good cat and she is missed. Stormy was with me for 18 years. That is a very long time. She was the first pet I got as an adult and she was a very affectionate and attached kitty. Wherever I was there was Stormy. She was also a very good cat. Despite being extremely ill, which we didn't know about until near the end, she never missed using her litter box and still used her paws to clean up garbage or spills. It was always so cute when she did that.

The first photo is Stormy as a kitten and the rest in the top row are Stormy (as an 8 or 9 year old cat) with Sierra as a toddler. She was very accepting of Sierra despite spending her first 8 years with no children in the home. Then there are photos of Stormy and me as youngsters (the only one I found) as well as Amber and Jeremy in their younger days. The last photos are of Stormy in her final days, including one of the only photos of Samantha with Stormy, and then the little goodbye we had for Stormy. Sierra and Jeremy made a little collage of photos and Sierra wrote a poem and Jeremy printed up a poem. It was a extremely sad day for us, me especially, but Stormy left the world at peace. She was in my arms looking into my eyes until the end. She was never agitated and that does give me some peace. She was such a loving and good cat and she deserved to leave this world peacefully.

Logan has good days and bad days but no matter what he wants to play! The kids having fun together on a recent Saturday. Logan has been in quarantine for most of his chemo so when he does actually get to leave his house, or the hospital, we all enjoy - no one more than him!

These photos were taken nearly two months ago but I think they are so sweet and funny I decided to share. Samantha has many babies, all pilfered from JeiJei, and she LOVES to take care of them. In these photos she went from changing baby's diaper to giving her a bottle and then asking me to give her a bottle, giving her another bottle and then giving her a big kiss. Then she got up and put baby where every good mommy puts their baby - the kitchen drawer! Which is actually where she keeps two of her babies most of the time. She also keeps on in the storage compartment of her little car and some "hidden" in a foot stool. She always takes a baby, or two, out with her, and always has to feed, diaper and give them bottles while we are out. We steer her towards the more plastic babies for going out because they often end up in her food if we are out to eat!