Shadow...

We have finally recognized Shadow's true greatness.  At almost 13 years old (in April) we have finally accepted the fact that she is, indeed, the Queen of all she surveys. 
She is slowing down considerably this winter. She limps a lot and really spends most of the day sleeping on the futon or the couch, our bed, Nathaniel's bed or, if the blinds are open and the sun is shining in nice and warm, she'll lay in it on the floor. Sometimes we find her curled up in a chair at the dining room table - where the heat blows from the monitor - she's no dummy.
We have a trunk and a rubbermaid tote at the foot of our bed to help her get up and down - sometimes she uses them and sometimes she doesn't.
Not to mean that all she does is sleep and eat...she has her bouts of play - usually at midnight or 1 in the morning :)
Since we moved in August, she hasn't really tried to get out of the house...we'll see what she does come spring and it is warmer out and the snow & ice is all melted - that might change her mind...

This was in August before we moved out of our trailer. The fan would blow on her so she would lay right there in the boys' doorway.

 

With her youngest tormenter, I mean, subject.
Actually, Grace & Shadow have the most interesting relationship of all...Grace sometimes just doesn't want to get close to Shadow and doesn't like her claws, etc.

Probably because they both think they should be Queen...

She loves to spend the day very productively - ie...shed hair on the futon (I'm black, it's black, what are you complaining about) - which is where we sometimes can't find her because if she is curled up and her eyes are closed and the light is dim, well, you could sit on her (it has happened)...

Her throne - pillow in Brian's chair...don't mess with me.

The oldest subject showing the proper respect.

Joshua was home sick from school one day...and this is what I found...she loves laying right against your leg as you try to sleep (or right between your knees - plan on staying that way ALL NIGHT unless she decides she is going to move)

Nap time, again....

Being friends at the moment...I just realized that I don't have any recent pictures of her with Nathaniel...they get along quite well...his bed (well, besides mine & Brian's) is the only bed she'll sleep on...probably because it is nice and dark (bottom bunk) and quiet when he's at school. When we can't find her (and haven't sat on her on the futon), we look in there and see if any of his stuffed animals have glowing eyes.

Christmas morning...she's waiting for Joshua to open the gift he picked out for her (little mice filled with catnip...yeah, she was pleased)



She couldn't wait for them to get out of the package...she has disemboweled at least one of them, and removed the tails off of all of them.

She likes the balls too - I think she realized right then the potential these had for playtime at midnight.
 

You are dismissed...I need to get back to my important nap, peasants.




Some fun the last few weeks...

On January 29th, Joshua got to participate in the county wide 4-6th grade spelling bee.  It was held at COS.
He looked so handsome and even though he was nervous, did his very best and we were very proud of him.

The fifth grade gets to go to an outdoor school/camp in May. They earn money by selling tickets to a lasagna dinner in early February. 
Between the tickets sold prior to the dinner and at the door, as well as desserts sold and auctioned off, they made the $5,800 that they needed to go ot the camp.
Joshua worked so hard!!  He was great during the dinner serving, etc., but I was even more impressed come 6:30 p.m. when it was clean up time (and he hadn't been home since 7:40 that morning when he caught the bus)  and he was still going strong helping clear tables, fold up and put away tables and chairs, and doing whatever he could to help out.

One of the most exciting things about 1st grade - making rockets!!  Nathaniel made the coolest & tallest rocket - it ROCKED!!
He used water bottles, Lifewater bottles, a Powerade bottle (can you tell we'd had someone sick earlier in the week), Dad's Nexium bottles and Mom's potassium bottles (thank goodness for our prescriptions, right?) plus a cone for the top.
He had drawn a plan of it beforehand and colored each section how he wanted it painted and the teacher later spray painted it for him.

Tuesday morning, right before we were getting ready to head to Etna so I could help in Joshua's science lab this is what greeted me - Miss Grace in her baby stroller (her Christmas present from great-grandma Donna) - she looked so cute...then it was time to get out and she was STUCK!!  I told her she might have to wait until Daddy got home so he could get her out - that wasn't an idea that she thought was very good. She told me I'd just have to try and get her out...well, we did manage to get her out and she has decided that maybe that isn't the best place for her to sit and she'd leave it for Maggie (her favorite baby doll) and others.

Snow White - complete with tiara.  I can't remember what inspired her to but on her Snow White costume the other day - maybe she'd been watching Sofia the First again.
Anyway, she curtsied and was quite regal for awhile.