Ellie

I often talk about Jasper on the blog, but realize I've neglected to talk about Ellie, the queen of our house. I have decided to make a list of all the things that make Ellie a totally One of a Kind cat that intrigues most of our visitors.

1. Ellie should be in the circus. She can jump extremely high and has turned our house into an obstacle course. She will run around, up and down after toys launching herself onto small surfaces 12 feet high and then sliding down walls etc. It's quite interesting.

2. Ellie is a Daddy's Girl. She much prefers Wiggy over me. It doesn't matter who feeds her and who is nice to her.... she curls up on her Daddy's lap every single night.

3. Ellie lives to eat. She is at her best and most affectionate when she is hungry and will do just about anything for food. Her food is kept in the laundry room which is connected to our guest bathroom and has a bad habit of following guests into the bathroom in hopes they might feed her.

4. Ellie loves drawers (see photo). Ellie loves to open drawers (a nighttime habit that earned her her own special room that she sleeps in so everyone else in the house can also sleep). Her favorites are my sock drawer and t-shirt drawer.

5. Ellie is surprisingly a wonderful traveler. In the car is the one place I can get her to sleep on my lap for hours at a time.

6. Ellie is a wonderful heating pad. She always knows the perfect place to lay when you're sick or napping to keep you warm.

7. Ellie loves pudding. I eat a pudding snack just about every night and Ellie loves to stick her face in it and lick up anything that's left in the cup. This always entails her getting pudding all over her face and whiskers.

8. Ellie likes to punch Jasper. She does not like to play with him (unless she may get food and then she'll even rub up against him). When he gets near her she strikes him with her clawless paws very similarly to the way a snake bites and then recoils.

Birthday Mama

Last weekend was my Mom's birthday and after a very stressful first month of the year (her Office Assistant quit unexpectedly the first week of January causing 12 hour days for my Mom), I decided to have my Dad whisk her away to Winston-Salem for the weekend. They had not been to visit since September and that's just too long!

Upon their arrival on Friday evening we went to the Little Theater to watch "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change". It was delightfully funny and appropriate for the Valentine's Day feel in the air.

Saturday morning Mom went to the spa for a massage and facial I had given her for Christmas. Afterward we headed to Whole Foods for lunch (both of our favorites) and then took Jasper to the dog park and enjoyed the gorgeous weather. After that Mom and I got pedicures and went to TJ Maxx for a mini-shopping spree before meeting up with the guys for dinner at The Chop House. It was absolutely wonderful as always. At dinner we presented Mom with her gift from Daddy, Wiggy and me... tickets to see Elton John and Billy Joel next month in Charlotte. She is oh so very excited (as am I!)

Sunday we all slept in then I went for a lovely long run while my parents did a little more shopping before we all headed to the Joel to watch the Deacs redeem themselves. Woo Hoo! Finally, we ended the weekend watching "The Secret Life of Bees" and eating crock pot chili.

I had such a great time that I'm beginning to think maybe it was in fact my birthday? Oh yeah, that's in June and will be here soon enough!

Wiggy becomes a Snow Bunny

My husband has swiftly and strongly become a snow boarder. My parents got him "skis" for Christmas and he randomly decided to try snow boarding before making the purchase. He headed to Boone all by himself for a day of lessons and practice and came home determined to buy a snowboard immediately. After many hours of surfing online and lots of help from our friend Zac he settled on a board, boots, helmet, wrist guards and I forget what else....

Anyway, the snowboard arrives after several hours of Wiggy looking out the window looking for FedEx to come to the door like a kid waiting for Santa. Fed Ex arrived and he couldnt wait to open it. After doing so we admired it for a few minutes then i went back to the kitchen and whatever I was doing and about a minute later I hear "NOOOOOOOOOO" coming from the bedroom. Apparently, the Canadian company he ordered it from sent him the wrong size... by 3 centimeters and he would not settle for it.

So later in the week the correct board arrived. This Saturday Zac helped with the bindings and whatever else is required in setting up a snowboard. Sunday morning at 7 AM Wiggy was again off to Boone to try out his new board. He arrived home that afternoon waddling with a very sore tailbone and a comment that " I'm really glad I got the helmet because I definitely hit my head".
I try not to worry during these excursions, but I can't help it. I guess I'll just say a prayer that the helmet does it's job.... oh my husband and his hobbies :)