This morning during breakfast Solomon and Isaac jumped in to the kitchen window to enjoy the view. I think that is a pretty good indicator that Isaac has been accepted in to our cat tribe. Lulu isn't so crazy about Isaac, if he comes around she gives him sort of an unenthusiastic hiss. She has never gotten along with Solomon either. She still occasionally hisses at him and he's been here for 5 years now. They have gotten along better since Gus died. Gus was Lulu's confidant and protector... I think since she had him around, she didn't need to be nice to that crazy kitten/cat Solomon. Since his death, she tolerates Solomon and he doesn't bully her around like he used to. I hope Lulu warms up to Isaac.
This morning after breakfast the kids and I went out for a morning bike ride. It was cool and beautiful. We rode around the basketball court at the school. All was well until Kitty started complaining she was tired and couldn't peddle anymore (she has been running a slight fever since yesterday.) When that didn't seem to get the correct response from me (I was racing Jack around the court) she pulled out her last Ace, "I have to POOP!" So we came home. Right in front of our house Kitty slipped on a patch of mud and came down hard on the sidewalk. Hysterical crying ensued. (Let the record show that it is an hour since we got home and no pooping has occured.) Once we got inside and got her cleaned up (nothing broken or scraped), I had a moment to look around. First I noticed egg yolk on the floor. Then I noticed a huge smear of yolk across the chair. Lastly I saw a huge fried egg on the floor leading in to the pantry... AH HA! Putting all of those clues together, I deduced that it was Isaac who was the culprit. We just bought a spray bottle two days ago to use on him when he gets up on the kitchen table. There was a bit of a misunderstanding of when to use the spray bottle because Kitty wanted to spray Isaac while he was eating cat food from his bowl. I think that would send the wrong message. Before the spray bottle, Isaac would get up on the table to check out what you were eating and you would hiss and clap your hands at him and he would look at you as if he were thinking, "What is the matter with you? I have no idea what you mean because I am just an innocent kitten." It was really maddening. Actually, now that I think about it, that is the attitude he adopts with most things. I think that is one of the reasons he and Solomon have become friends... Solomon hisses, Isaac innocently blinks his eyes at him and then rubs up against him. It's hard to keep up your indignent anger in the face of such, well, cuteness.
Jack has become quite the bike rider. He and Thom have taken two different miles long rides in the past week. I'm planning to go out with him today. First I am going to google bike riding rules because I just feel like a nag when I tell him to walk his bike across the street... I'd like to have some sort of document to back me up on that.
Kitty has been taking pictures again. Here is one of Thom on the phone with Gretchen, trying to get Skype to work. Notice the splash of color under the desk... yes, everyone should have a red fireman's hat near their computer... just in case!
The next one my family and longtime friends will enjoy... I used to take bazillions of pictures of my feet... in fact I think my dad may still have a t-shirt I gave him for Christmas one year of my feet in black and purple pointy shoes and bright orange tights on my legs. Ah! I still believe one should wear as many bright colors together as possible... as is evidenced by how I dress my children. I really dred the day they have a strong opinion about their clothing as I so enjoy picking out what they wear. Anyhoo... here is the foot picture Kitty took yesterday: