A new place to pose

Mom has been taking yoga classes since September and it turns out she's allergic to the studio-provided mats -- they contain latex. So she ordered this mat online, which I promptly decided to test out.

I approved once I figured out how not to get my claws stuck in the squishy material -- not flexing them quite so much when I walk on the surface.

The other option is to put my front paws on the carpet when attempting Downward Dog.

All that rumbly goodness

Leslie behind the keyboard today -- we're all well, and Meow Meow's enjoying the extended sunshine we've been getting, even though it's October. Seattle is not known for sunny Octobers.

One of the things we've always found amazing about Meow Meow is how loud her purr is. It's resonant enough to be heard across a room above the whir of the cooling fans in some electronic devices (and around here, with D's tech junkie tendencies, there are many cooling fans in operation). My phone mic can't record at such a distance to give you an idea of just how beautiful that contented rumble can be even from 15 feet away, but I did recently sample the joy up close for your listening pleasure.

Jaw-rubbing and pawing to ask for loves are bonus visuals. Apologies for the glaring light, though ...

Thank goodness, they're back

Mom and Dad went to Texas for a wedding over the weekend and they left me home alone. I know, right? Not nice at all. I missed them horribly. Forty-eight hours is a long time for a kitty, even if I did spend more than two-thirds of that curled up on my fleece blanket in total oblivion.

I had plenty of food and water (neither of which I finished), but I was afraid Mom and Dad wouldn't come back. I gave them both a thorough talking-to when they returned last night. And followed them both around very closely today to make sure they weren't heading anywhere else except work. Dad was amused this evening when Mom told him I seemed particularly clingy -- I was kind of plastered against her hip and thigh while she researched car seats on the sofa. Normally, I just sleep about a foot away from her on the afghan she knit for me. I also let her groom me way longer than I usually care for (and I'm pretty amenable to a brush session under regular circumstances). What can I say, I was feeling ignored for two days! I needed that extra TLC.

Now that both of my parents are home for the night, I'm giving Mom a break from making up their absence to me. Reading time is tummy time, Dad. Start the belly worship.

Home improvements

There is never a shortage of cozy spots here even when Mom isn't laid out on the sofa. This week, she and Dad were hardly around -- something about picking up furniture for the nursery that they found on Craigslist. (Craigslist? What's that?)

They have, so far, acquired an IKEA crib frame and chair, the former now assembled and the latter still awaiting some nuts and bolts. I'm a bit dubious about the comfort of the crib -- it looks suspiciously like a cage. Mom insists it will be better once there's a new mattress in the bottom, which is currently nothing but wooden slats. I much prefer my fluffy kitty bed and blanket, thank you very much! Especially when it's fresh out of the laundry. Mom and Dad finally caved and replaced the ancient washer that came with the house -- it wasn't draining every third load or so -- and now the new machine (which happens to reside in the kitty suite) gets my bed extra dry after the spin cycle. Mom was impressed and wonders why they didn't do this sooner.

The machine is also much quieter than the previous one, but it still makes enough noise that I prefer to hang out elsewhere while it's running. As you can see, I'm not picky about alternate accommodations. And perhaps if I'm on Mom's purse, it'll keep her from going out so much ...

They can't be the same, can they?

Meow Meow here again. Mom is still knitting and I'm taking my naps all over her equipment. Occasionally, she has to sneak her scissors or tape measure out from under my tummy, but I don't mind. I like keeping them warm -- like this book I'm resting on.

Mom says this creature in the picture is what I'll be meeting early next year. Looks fairly innocuous. Mom also tried to explain that this is the same thing as the baby I met last weekend when her friends came over for lunch. I'm not sure I liked that one -- she made me nervous because she wanted to pet me but couldn't figure out how not to grab my fur instead of stroke it. She also liked to slap things with her hands -- the couch, the carpet, the coffee table -- a little too close to me for comfort.

Mom says I did just fine, and I didn't run away (Mom also gave me lots of reassuring chin scratches and let me hide my face against her leg when I needed to). Looking at this picture, though, I'm not convinced that the baby that's coming could be like the one from last weekend. I mean, according to Mom, her baby's movements hardly feel like more than a flutter right now. Flutters = slaps?

Clearly Mom doesn't know what she's talking about.

Meow Meow has an announcement

Hi! Meow Meow here. I'm writing for Mom because she's been under the weather for the last two months -- which you might think is a total drag, but for me, it means TONS of time next to her while she's curled up on the sofa. Best two months EVER.

Mom is almost back on her feet again, but she's asked me to tell you that I'm going to get a sort-of sibling in February. A human one. She finally told her friends at the Humane Society (who occasionally visit this blog) so now I can share the news officially. I have no idea what the sort-of sibling will be like, but Mom has been knitting a lot lately, which has also been lots of fun for me. See?

I like this sock. I like whacking the back ends of Mom's knitting needles even more when she's using them. So far, I've only made her lose three stitches, but she's been cool about it.

I may be the one updating the blog for a little while, but Mom promises to take more pictures of me so you can see what I've been up to. In fact, she's got a backlog to post (most of them taken while she was lying on the sofa), so look for more shortly.

And there goes another

Meow Meow's adoption anniversary was last week! It's hard to believe she's been with us for only two years -- it feels like she's always been part of our family. It goes to show you how well she's trained us ...

In honor of the day, we treated Meow Meow to tuna, which she was delighted to discover next to her water dish. We tried to get her to look up for a second from the food, but of course, it was a lost cause.

It's good to know she's happy :)