Tigger

About 2-3 weeks ago I noticed this really cute orange striped kitten was living in the yard of our building. He was very friendly and not afraid of people like most stray cats are. There is a strange lady in our building who feeds all the stray cats every night so he was getting regular meals from her. He looked really healthy apart from a flea infestation.

About a week ago the "cat lady" asked us if we wanted him but I told her Stephen wasn't in favor of having more animals just yet. But then last Shabbat I decided I did want him. It's been a year and 8 months since we had the dog and cat put down and I'm ready for another one. It's not like I went out looking for him. He found us. So I bothered Stephen about it and bothered him and bothered him and so did Yardena until he agreed :-). Just to shut me up, I think.

So Friday I took the kitten to the vet to make sure he was healthy and the vet said he was so he got worm treatment and first vaccination. Then I went and bought cat litter and food and a collar + name tag. Effie is scared of dogs and cats. He likes them from a distance so I wasn't sure how he would react. On Friday I put the cat out on the balcony and put the flea treatment on him and left him out there until about 6 pm so all the fleas would jump off of him out there. Then we let him in the house.
He really is a brave little soul when you consider all the new smells and sounds and voices and furniture scraping on the floor and kids dropping toys that he has to get used to. He was cautious about his new surroundings and hid under the furniture just for a bit but quickly came out to play/explore. He's got amazing blue-green eyes with an orange ring around the pupils. REALLY beautiful. I clipped his nails so he wouldn't scratch the couch and he didn't mind that. I'm looking for a 2nd hand scratching post. When we go out and also at night when we aren't around to make sure he doesn't scratch the couch, we put him in the bathroom/laundry room with his cat box and food and water. I let him in the house first thing in the morning.

The kids had a ball with him over Shabbat. He's very playful, always looking for a game. And late last night S and I sat down to watch TV and he did come and snuggle on my lap. We named him Tigger. It's nice having a cat again.

I spent over $100 on Friday on the vet visit and supplies so S and I told Y that the cat is going to be her birthday present this year. She usually isn't demanding when it comes to birthday presents but this year she did have her heart set on a scooter which is a more price-y gift. So we said no to that and that the cat will be her gift. She was fine with that. I told her she will get one or two smaller presents from us but nothing big except for the cat.

E, meanwhile, is still leary but getting braver about the cat.



The kids trying to coax him out from under the furniture.



More summer pics

With only 2 more days left until the kids go back to school, I'm feeling frustrated that I didn't get done with them all I wanted or had planned. Isn't that always the way it goes? I hope to get back to more regular updates once I'm back at work every day and can get caught up on the less urgent stuff that I have been putting on hold but which has nonetheless been piling up nicely. In the meantime, here are some more pics.



Park Ra'anana

My two kids and my friend's two kids



At Davida's Farm near Ramat Beit Shemesh



Watcha got for me?

Effie on a pony - he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Tractor ride

Gardening and petting corner

Chickens

Turtles

Effie thought the tractor ride was THE MOST wonderfulest, manliest thing E.V.E.R. Can't you tell?

Water slide



Yardena on the pony

Gardening corner - the kids choose a flower and re-pot them and decorate the pots with stickers



THE END



Summer vacation - misc. pics

It's been a long time since I had spare time at work for blogging. I hope that will change soon so I can update everyone. In the meantime, I am working every other day until the end of the month so as to try to keep up with work - or at least be here to put out fires - and spend some time with the kids.  But we're into the home stretch of the summer vacation here and in lieu of an update, here are some pics of what we've been up to over the last 3 weeks or so.



E with a large grape in each cheek.



Waiting patiently for pizza.



An art project that I did with Y of which I am particularly proud. Butterflies in 3D.



Y at the beach in Ashdod.



E looking very much like a drowned rat and not looking too happy about it.





At the new and very nice gymboree - indoor play.