It's been awhile...

Well the guys and I want to send a heartfelt apology out there to all of our readers. A couple of weeks ago was spring break, so we were all living it up Shark Week style. While I spent a little time on the slopes, Howie and Patrick partied it up here at home. I didn't get any calls from the police, so I'm going to assume that most of the chaos was safe and well-contained. I did, however, find a keg-tap under the deck. Want to explain that one, Howie?

Anyway, we are all doing quite well. I've started the new term, and one of my classes is Law and Governance for education. Can we say perfect set-up for my paralegal conversation with Howie? He likes to help me study already, usually doing so by sitting on top of each page as I try to read it. He does this so that I am required to really absorb and remember the information. Patrick is also of great assistance, as he sits on top of my keyboard so that I am forced to put some serious thought into my papers before I can finish writing them. They really are so thoughtful.

In other news, Patrick seems to have developed restless leg syndrome. He is unable to ever get comfortable, especially in the early morning when I'm trying to sleep. He tries to remedy this by walking back and forth across my back and re-situating himself on my head. Unfortunately, this seems to have led to a deeper problem. Yes, Patrick has developed a condition that we call trichotilimania in the soft sciences. For the layperson, this basically means he likes to ingest hair (or fur, I suppose). While a serious condition on its own, in Patrick's case it appears to be trichotilimania by proxy, if you will. Basically I bear the burden of this as of late, as he generally munches on my hair in the wee hours of the a.m. I'm starting to think his obsession with Twilight was more just a means of covering up his illness and biting Howie's neck was a way to feed his neurosis. I'm not familiar with psychiatry, but I hope there is some sort of medical remedy for this. I do know any such treatment should also be coupled with counseling. I'll have to look into whether or not our insurance covers this, otherwise we may have to seek some new-age treatments. Luckily we live in Eugene--hub of nature's cures.

Well we'll sign off for now, but we'd like to leave you with with a few pictures of our snuggle session tonight. It's not a bad life over here, I'll tell ya what.

As always, the guys send their best!

Big brothers and sisters of the world, we need your help!!

Howie is having a problem, and as a youngest sibling myself, I do not know how to help him. We're reaching out to all of you older siblings for some advice. You see, Howie cannot get any time with his favorite toys because the second he starts playing with them, Patrick runs up and takes them away. It doesn't matter if Patrick is playing with his pencil or feather himself (little point in spending money on actual toys these days), he wants whatever Howie has. This is a common problem, I know, with kids of this age. Howie takes it in stride and doesn't get overly frustrated, but I do wish I could curb this behavior a little bit, because Howie deserves some time batting his mice. I even try to box Patrick out, but he's just too nimble!

So I ask you, previously (and even currently) frustrated older siblings, how do you deal?! I just am unable to provide any sort of counsel because I myself was a nettlesome, toy-coveting child. Any help is greatly appreciated!

Tooth Fairy Time!

I took Patrick to the doctor yesterday because he has the sniffles. Rest assured, it's nothing serious. While we were there he got weighed (6.6 pounds!), and he got his teeth checked. He should be expecting a visit from the tooth fairy soon because he's lost his front baby teeth, and his grownup molars are starting to come in! They grow up so fast! Of course if that old fairy visits, she'll have to leave some Greenies for Howie too, otherwise we'll have a serious issue around these parts.

I'm trying to find some sort of window perch for my bedroom. The guys have decided since it's been sunny that they are no longer satisfied with the view from the living room. I'm not sure why because the view is basically the same, but they want what they want. There is no ledge on my bedroom window, so I often find them struggling and dangling from their front toes trying to peak out, their back legs hanging like furry pendulums a few inches above my pillows. Every once in a while I take pity on their pathetic attempts to spy on the birdies and just hold them up for awhile. I can't be doing that all the time though. I have an old bird guide we might have to flip through one of these nights so their curiosity can be rewarded with a little more knowledge about the wildlife of Eugene, OR. We might even get involved with the local audubon society.

Well anyway, just wanted to update you all on Patrick's health and let you know that things are well around here. The guys send their best, as always.

Kids these days...

Well snuggle time tonight quickly diverged. Patrick, as usual, could not resist the urge to bite Howie's neck, which not surprisingly, he does not like. The picture to the left looks like I am choking an orange, defenseless kitten, but in actuality, I'm trying to intervene in a teeth-to-neck situation. It's hard to get angry at Patrick though because I've realized he's not doing it maliciously, he's just one of those kids who's really into Twilight right now. These other pictures show him succeeding in his desire to practice his vampire skills on his older brother.
I'm fairly certain this Twilight thing is just a phase, and the neck biting will stop. About a year ago, Howie himself was quite obsessed with Harry Potter to the point that he was actually aspiring to be Dumbledore when he grew up. It was a difficult conversation to explain to him that wizards don't really exist, and that's when we started looking into more practical professions. However, I do get the sense that deep down, Howie still believes he can be a Gryffindor someday.

Well, that's it for tonight. As always, the guys send their best!

Note. You can see Howie's snaggletooth if you look closely.

What a crazy night!!

Make sure you have the sound turned on.

Dispatching Team Kitten

I happened upon a sign for a lost cat the other afternoon. When I got home, I told the boys about it, and they became quite intent on organizing a search party. Howie wants to be a volunteer firefighter anyway, so this could be some great experience for him. I know the recovery of lost cats is something he's passionate about, seeing as he's probably the result of a little girl "losing" her cat as well. We try not to talk about it. Anyway, the guys started hashing out a plan. They decided they'll need to split up to optimize their search radius. Howie's thinking he can look behind the couch. Patrick has the underside of the rugs covered. I'm not sure they will be too successful, but I'm certainly not going to squelch their enthusiasm. I'm going to try to keep Patrick away from the mirror though, because I don't want to deal with the heartache that will inevitably follow when he realizes the missing cat isn't small, orange, and mimicking his every move.

I have a feeling the search will continue well into the night, probably starting with some preliminary laps around the apartment, followed by a thorough hunt around my toes beneath the covers, and culminating in a strategically placed nap.

I'll update with any progress on the missing kitty front.

We can't all be Randy Barnes (world record holder for the indoor AND outdoor shot put)!

I sure hope Howie didn't see my blog last night. Maybe I'm being a little paranoid, but he seems to be overly self-conscious today. The last thing I want is for him to get down on himself. He really is perfect just the way he is--snaggletooth and all! However, I do always get nervous when I think he's having self-esteem issues. I don't want him falling off the wagon. I know, people say, "it's just catnip! A little here and there won't hurt!" But catnip really is a gateway drug, and I just can't afford rehab right now.

Patrick's track and field training has intensified. He's not only training for the 100 meter dash, hurdles, and the high jump, but he's started tossing the shot put around as well. He's not very good with the old shot just yet though, mostly on account of the fact that he can't find it again after he throws it. After a moment of looking, he usually just ends up in a grocery bag. I might have to chat with him about focussing on only three events for now because I don't want him burning out.

Well that's all for now. As always, Patrick and Howie send their best out there to cyberspace! Cheers!