Swimming, bowling, and kittens, oh my!
The summer league swim season is done and Hayley and Carson were both happy to receive their trophies. This is Carson's first ever trophy and I know, despite some whining during the course of the short swim season, he was happy to finally have a trophy with his name on it!
We have been spending many hours a week at the pool - this has been a dry, long and HOT summer, with most days hovering around 95-100 degrees, so the water comes as a welcome relief for us all.
Terry and I have had a long-standing tradition with our kids, dating back to when Warrick was young where we have a Mommy/Daddy and Me day. For a long time it was a Daddy and Me day because Terry worked so many hours, and we wanted to ensure he developed a great relationship with them. As they have matured, the kids now choose either he or I to go and do something with. This week Carson asked me if we could have a day. He asked to go bowling and then to watch a movie. It was such fun bowling with him, and he is quite the chatterbox when he is by himself!
Our new kitten, Thandi, has made herself completely at home and it's apparent the other cats are enamoured with her as well, especially Drake, our large ginger male. I have dubbed him "Daddy Drake" because he has taken every kitten under his wing, and little Thandi is no exception, as you can see here!
So, we are in the full swing of summer and loving every moment of it!
Labels: bowling, Carson, Drake, movies, swim team, Thandi
Welcome To the Smelker's AKA a Menagerie
Almost a year ago, our family had to make the hard decision to put our
Maine Coon, Serena, to sleep. She had crept into our hearts the way no other cat has.
We have brought two new cats into the house since then, but neither of them are Maine Coon cats (although we love them dearly). The Maine Coon is special. We have not actively looked for one for couple of reasons, we have four cats already and really don't need another one, and the other reason is we didn't realise how much we missed having a Maine Coon around.
At the beginning of June, Teagan bought a frog. While we were at the pet store, I noticed a gorgeous male Maine Coon. Now, I know better than to buy a pet from a pet store, so I did no more than look briefly at him, think he was gorgeous and enquire how much they were selling him for. I almost lost it when they told me $1000! You can get one from a reputable breeder for less than that!!
When I got home that afternoon, I told Terry about the Maine, and his response was typical - we don't need any more pets. Well of course I know that! Anyway, a couple of days later he had to return to the pet store to buy some crickets for the frog. He called me from the store and said, "OK, that Maine is gorgeous! If we had a $1000 in the budget I would so be bringing him home." Of course, he knows better. Then he said, "You know, seeing this Maine make me realise how much I miss Serena. I really think we should look at getting another Maine Coon." Just a week earlier a Maine Coon Cat rescue group had advertised on craigslist, looking for people to adopt a slew of kittens they had rescued from a Kill shelter in Austin. I asked him if he was serious because we could get one of those kittens for less than $150. He said yes, so I called the woman immediately.
We filled out the paperwork that day! The organisation called all our references, and our vet. We passed the adoption test, but had to wait three weeks for our new kitten. She was severely underweight, was flea infested and so filled with worms they were coming out both ends. She responded well to the treatments and her foster mother fell in love with her. However, this weekend she was ready to come home, so Terry and I made the drive to Austin to get her. Her foster mother has done a great job of socialising this little one, and she has made a seamless adjustment into our home as a result.
We came up with a name for her the same day we saw photos of her. We decided to use an African name, so I picked a Xhosa name meaning 'nurturing love'. The name is Thandi, pronounced Tun-dee.
So, without further ado, here is our new baby making herself at home in the little cat tower we have.
Labels: kitten, Maine Coon, Serena, Thandi, Xhosa
We have been spending many hours a week at the pool - this has been a dry, long and HOT summer, with most days hovering around 95-100 degrees, so the water comes as a welcome relief for us all. 
