Pumpkin Carving Time

Yesterday was a long day for Xander...all that waiting for it to be time to carve his pumpkin! I have a strict non-involvement policy with carving - that's Joe's job. Xander got his table cleared off, got out a guts bowl and spoon, and carried his pumpkin up from downstairs. And finally Daddy was ready to get things started.

Xander hates pumpkin guts. He kept saying "eewww!", but Joe insisted that he help scoop out the pumpkin, since it was his project. So he did. And when Joe pretended to vomit pumpkin guts into the bowl, Xander thought that was hysterical. Of course, he had to do it to.

Even Stuart got in on the action. He was very curious about all this activity, and so I let him give the pumpkin top a sniff. He tried to eat it instead, not surprising since he likes yams.

Xander and Joe scooped, sliced and finally got the scary monster face that Xander had requested. (Minus one pointy tooth that snapped off when Xander popped the mouth part out. He told me it had a cavity, so that was okay.)

Finally, it was time to put the candle in and light up our new jack o'lantern. Joe and Xander did a great job! I was worried that Xander would be scared of the face once we had it lit - that's happened before - but he liked it so much he had it glowing at him from his dresser when he went to bed.

Stuart Little - The Saga Continues

Stuart has been doing some new things this past week. One is cute, one is puzzling. The cute thing is that he's found a new toy in one of Xander's plastic jacks. He carries it around in his mouth, he'll drop it down the stairs if the gate is open and then run after it, and he bats it around the house at all hours of the day (and night!). I've been trying to catch a picture of him with the jack in his mouth, but haven't had any luck.

The puzzling Stuart thing is that all this week, after I turn off my alarm he'll come into bed with me and let me pet him. He'll lay on my, lick my face, and act like almost every other cat I've ever had. Which is totally against type for Stuart! This morning started out the same, but then while I was petting him he wrapped himself around my arm and I'm once again all scratched up and bloody. Now that's the Stuart I know!

One thing's for sure. This wackadoo cat fits in perfectly with this wackadoo family!

When Cats Attack

Stuart is not a cuddly cat. He looks like he should be, with all that plush black fur, but it's a trick.

One of Stuart's frequent sleeping spaces is in the chair by the computer desk. Consequently, when I got to use the computer I leave myself open to attack. Don't believe me? Check out these action photos!

This is one bratty cat, for sure!

A Cat and his Monkey

My mother-in-law won this really cute monkey at the fair earlier this month. She gave it to Xander, and he carried it around for a whole day. Ever since then, the monkey has been relegated to the piles of toys on the floor in Xander's room. Only now, he has a new friend.

Every morning when I go in to snuggle with Xander, Stuart comes along. Next thing I know, he's rolling around on the floor with that monkey. Sometimes he bites it and wrestles with it, other times he just licks it. New friend? Substitute kitty? Who knows!

But it sure is awful cute!

Oh, and since today's post is all about Stuart, I'll add an LOL Cat that I made from one of his recent pics, for your entertainment!

The Trials and Tribulations of Stuart

This is Stuart Little, the kitten (yes, he's only six months old) that we let Xander pick out at Christmas. He was such a sweet little guy back then, but I tell you, I've never had more trouble with any other cat in my life!

To start with, he was way too young when we got him and I didn't think he'd ever get the hang of using the litter box. It was touch and go there for a while. Now he's very much litter trained, but he's gotten quite aggressive. Just last week, he mangled my hand for no apparent reason. It looks like I stuck it in a cheese grater. Again, I had to ponder whether or not we could keep this cat.

As always, guilt has won out. Xander doesn't want to get rid of him, and I'm willing to give him some time to show me he can be a good cat. He's getting fixed and declawed at the end of the month, and hopefully that will help convince him to change his ways. We'll just have to wait and see, I guess. For now, I keep my eye on him and make sure Xander and I keep our distance. Hopefully in a month's time or so, I can report what a wonderful and friendly cat our little Stuart has become. Stay tuned!

It's Caturday!

Okay, so you have no idea what Caturday is, right? It's a special day for embracing the fun and wacky things our kitties do, with special kitty captions. At my scrappy website, A Cherry On Top, my pal Tracy hosts Caturday every Saturday. She posts a whole bunch of funny LOL cats, which make the rest of us laugh and occasionally wet our pants.

If you'd like to know more about this phenomenon, please check out Tracy's blog. She explains Caturday pretty well, and has some cute examples. If you'd like to try your hand at turning your own furry pets into LOL cats, you can do that at ICanHasCheezburger.

Here's one I recently did of Stuart. Happy Caturday!