I haven't blogged in quite a while. Mom has been busy cleaning and baking and working. But today she is on vacation so we are blogging. :-)

Mom and Dad got a new couch. It is the most comfortable thing I have ever slept on. I could sleep for days on it!

We set up our Christmas tree last week. I just love Christmas. The tree, the lights, the presents. I love to lie under the tree and peek through the branches and watch everyone.

I helped with the tree this year. Kitty and I did a thorough inspection before we let them decorate. We didn't want a defective tree in our house!

I also had to move some things around after they finished. Did you know, if you move your nativity out from under the tree it becomes a perfect step stool...Great for reaching those higher ornaments that sparkle so nicely.

Merry Christmas to everyone!

Well, they did it

They finished working on the kitchen. I didn't think they would ever get done. Every day they locked me in my room like I was being punished or something.

Last weekend, I got to help again. Mom and Dad put in the floor by themselves so I helped them out. Well, I thought I was helping, they just kept telling me to move out of the way.

I like our new floor. It is very comfy. Dad thinks it is cute that I like to lounge around with one foot tucked under me and the other one straight out front.

Here you can see Dad's new dishwasher and the new cabinets.

Remodeling

Last night Dad let me help!

We put new trim around the window.


He keeps reaching into this bag. I wonder if it has food in it. I better check.

Kitty came and watched. He is too dumb to help.

Some really cool things are happening around here. Every morning Dad locks me in my bedroom (with my potty and some food and water). There are lots of loud noises coming from outside my door. Then Mom comes home and lets me out and there are new things to explore.

The other day I came out and all the kitchen cupboards were gone. Wow that room was big! The next day I came out and the kitchen floor was gone (and this yukky, dirty stuff was there...still is).

Then one day I came out and it smelled really bad but the walls are now such a pretty yellow!

And finally, after some very loud banging all day, I came out to lots of beautiful cupboards. I checked them all out. I just love the smell of new wood!! Plus the door handles are cold and shiny. (I know, I touched every one of them)

This remodeling is hard work though. I am exhausted!

Hmm, not a lot going on today. I am locked in the art room so I thought I would blog.

There is an awful lot of noise going on out there. I hear hammering and banging and even some crashes!

I am really glad I am locked in here!

Aren't Birthdays fun?!

Especially when they go on for more than one day!

A few days after my birthday I got a surprise. I got a present in the mail.

Mom is hosting a swap and one of the players included a birthday present for me. Aren't artists just the neatest people!!!

At first I wasn't too sure about this. I mean, Mom stuck it in my bed so she could photograph it. I couldn't even see it. But Oh Boy! once she opened it and let me see it!!!!

She tried and tried to get me to pose but No Way!!!!! That mousie is a BLAST to play with!

I flies across the floor light greased lightening!!! I am having a ball chasing him all over the house!

Thank you Cris! I love it!!!!!

My birthday was Thursday, I am now 14 years old.

I woke up early and waited patiently for my breakfast.





Mom and Dad gave me wonderful presents. I got a green mouse with a springy tail and some feathers on a stick that whirl around all by themselves (a little scary if you ask me)




He buddy, what are you looking at?!


I had a very fun and exciting day. Mom took this picture of me cuddled up with my new mouse after hours of hard play.

Tomorrow is my birthday!

Today I received a birthday card!



Mom held it up so I could read it.


It is from Abby!

Isn't she cute?! (she sent me a picture) I think she wants to be my girlfriend. :-)

Thank you Abby!!!!

One more thing

In case you have all forgotten, my birthday is coming up. It is August 10 and I am going to be 14. I love catnip (in case you didn't know what to get me) :-)

Mom and Dad have been shopping up a storm. There is a huge pile of stuff in the livingroom. Last night Mom showed me everything. There are 2 sinks, 3 faucets, lots of lights, tons of knobs and other things I can't remember. Mom says they are remodeling the bathroom and kitchen. She has warned me that there will be strangers in the house so that I am prepared.

She tried to get me to pose for pictures since I haven't posted any in a while but I didn't really want to stand still.

Mom says I even have a cute profile.

Something is up around here. Mom and Dad have been gone every night this week and Mom hasn't cooked dinner in days. I keep hearing things like "new refrigerator" and "gutting the kitchen" and "I want gas". I really hate change. I hope they don't do anything too drastic!

Yesterday was July 4th. I am not big on that holiday. It is way too loud for me. The only good thing is that Mom shares her dinner with me. We had chicken. Yum! Dad had hotdogs. Yuk!

Dad got a new BBQ grill yesterday. I helped put it together. Dad didn't seem to appreciate my help. He kept taking the twist ties and screws away from me. I guess he doesn't realize just how helpful I am like Mom does.

When it got dark it got very loud outside. I tried to go to sleep but Kitty kept crying and keeping me awake. What a baby! Finally, Mom came into the house and went into her bedroom to read and Kitty smashed himself up against her for the whole time.

When it was bedtime and the house was dark the neighbors decided to make even more noise. They had these things that made very loud whistling noises. I realized that maybe Kitty wasn't as dumb as I thought. I jumped into bed with Mom and Dad and Kitty. It was very cozy. :-)

I found a new favorite food. Angel Food Cake!

Mom was making this dessert that called for a chopped up angel food cake and she accidentally dropped a piece on the floor. She tried to pick it up but I got there first and WOW! that stuff was awesome!

I spent the rest of the evening trying to get her to drop some more but she didn't. Drats! I even kept totally underfoot trying to trip her up but she was on to me. I will have to think of some better tricks for next time.

Ok, I know everyone thinks I am a perfect little angel but sometimes I really am not. :-)

Last night Mom had Dad grill up some steaks for dinner. Mom, claiming she is looking out for my health, wouldn't let anyone give me nibbles. I begged and gave them every adorable look I have and I got nothing!

So, after dinner Mom's back was hurting and Dad said he wasn't in the mood to rinse dishes right then so they piled them on the counter. They went into the art room and I saw my chance. Since I have lost so much weight I can practically fly. I jumped right up onto that counter and helped myself to some leftovers. heehee They caught me 3 times before they finally cleaned off the dishes. I never did actually get a real bite, just a couple quick licks.

Now everytime Dad walks past me he tells me I am bad. Oh well, Mom still cuddles me and laughs and calls me ornery. That is why I love her! She would be perfect is she would have just given me a bite of steak! :-)

A Message for Abby

Hi Abby, Mom told me you had a traumatic week last week. I understand completely. I too am fixed and declawed. It has helped me stay healthier and happier.

Just a little tip for you. Don't let your people know you are feeling better. Milk this for all you can. Moan a little and whimpering is good too. They will feel sooooo sorry for you that they will give you all your favorite treats.

Have you perfected a sorrowful look yet? It works like a charm in any situation. (this look which I perfected by the ripe age of 5 weeks has saved me from punishment on many occasions)




Remember, you are really the one in charge. :-)

Today was a fun day. Mom and I were alone all day. We cuddled a lot and I posed for her.

I have now been immortalized in felt! I think Mom did a great job. Of course, she had a perfect subject. :-)

Mom says she is going to take the tiny "Me" to work with her and keep me on her desk so we can be together all the time. Isn't she sweet?

Mom joined a swap to make tiny bears. I just love it when she makes little toys, they are so much fun to bat around the room. :-)

We had fun today. Dad and the kid went up to the cabin in the mountains and Mom and I stayed home. We stamped and cuddled and had a very nice day. The Beast crawled into Mom and Dad's bed around 10am and we didn't see him again until 5pm. Yep, nice and peaceful. :-)

Mom has been really busy lately so no posting for me. I do have lots of good news to share today. Mom went away last weekend so I am thrilled to have her home. I miss her so much when she is gone. The Beast behaved himself so Mom didn't come home to find my face all scratched up.

My really big news is this: my doctor says I am almost well! I didn't post this because I didn't want to upset anyone but last fall my doctor said I was in the early stages of kidney disease. Mom was so upset, she cried an awful lot. I have been extra cuddly trying to help us both get through this. I have been having my blood checked every 3 months (thus the pictures that show my neck shaved). Last week was blood draw week. The news came back that my blood levels are almost normal! I have been eating special food and the doctor says it is really helping. I don't like the dry stuff though so he said I could double up on the canned stuff (it tastes like chicken) and have my favorite dry food so that I gain back some weight.

I feel so good, I have a spring in my step and a smile on my fuzzy face! And Mom is ecstatic too!!!

Cameras are so cool. I wonder what is inside that black hole.

Mom says I have the world's most gorgeous green eyes. :-)

Mom had friends over to stamp tonight. It was great to see Amie and Crystal again. Plus I got to meet Mary. They are all wonderful and told me how beautiful I am showing their great taste. heehee

Mary worked on a book while the rest sat and gabbed. Hmm wonder what that was all about.

Veronica didn't get to come because she was sick. I hope she feels better soon. Even Dad was disappointed she couldn't come. He gets a kick out of her teasing him about eating Mexican food. :-)

I hope Mom's friends come over again soon, they are a lot of fun and I like to hear them laugh. Maybe next time the rest of them will actually make something.

Dinner was soooooo good last night. Dad grilled up some chicken and hamburgers. I love grilled meat!!!!! Kitty thought he was being so smart. He insisted on being outside to "help" Dad cook. HaHa dumb Kitty. When dinner was served he was still outside somewhere. Gee it is just too bad that all the goodies that fell on the floor had to be eaten by little ol me. It was so yummy gobbling up all those nibbles of chicken and beef and not having to defend myself from those vicious claws. Yep, a wonderful, peaceful dinner! Poor dumb Kitty! LOL

What a wonderful weekend. The sun was shining, it was so nice and warm. Mom opened up the glass door and I got to lay on the floor in the sun and smell the fresh air. The birds were singing (and eating away at the feeder just a few feet away). What more could a cat ask for?

Even Mom got a chance to enjoy the sun, she spent a few minutes Saturday potting some flowers. I wish she would bring them inside, I love flowers. They taste so yummy. :-)

Kitty even took advantage of the weather. He managed to sneak outside a couple times (which makes for a much quieter time inside for me). When he was inside he hopped up into Mom's bedroom window, which is quite a feat since he is quite tubby and the window is 4 feet off the floor. He hops onto the bed then makes the leap of a few feet over and up into the window. I have to say, when he jumps down the whole house shakes. HaHa

My Mom must be getting lazy in her old age. She used to love to play with me but lately she pushes me away and tells me she wants to sleep. For the past 6 nights I have gone into her bedroom and asked her to play. Sometimes she just grumbles, sometimes she yells at me and once she swatted my fuzzy butt. I thought maybe she was just sleeping too deeply so after the first few nights of waking her at 4am I decided to try 3am. She was not happy. So last night I asked her (very nicely I might add) to play with me at 1:30am and when she tossed me off the bed I went back every hour until she FINALLY got up at 7:30am. Geez, by that time I didn't want to play, I just wanted breakfast.

Yep, Mom must really be getting old!

Party!!!!

Mom and Dad went away last weekend and left me and the beast all alone. Talk about a wild weekend! They left us a ton of food and water and we had a ball. I think Kitty must have had way too much to drink though cause he spent most of the day on Sunday horking up hairballs. I laughed at him but he got even and scratched my face up pretty bad while I was asleep.

Over all it was a great party weekend. We ate, we drank, we played... but we sure were glad to see the folks come home on Monday. I jumped into Mom's lap and gave her a ton of kisses. Kitty did the same with Dad. Yep, it's great to have a weekend alone but we sure did miss them a lot!

Well, it has been pretty exciting around here. Dad was listed as the webmaster's choice for the month of April at the national model railroading website. http://www.nmra.org/ He is so proud. Someday he hopes to be as famous as me.

This morning I realized that Kitty is pretty dumb. Well, I knew that but I figured out a way to take advantage of it. Dad fed us our soft food this morning while Mom was getting ready for work. When she came out into the kitchen, Kitty went over to tell her good morning. While his back was turned I ran over to his bowl and polished off the rest of his food. By the time he got back I was back at my dish slowly savoring every bite. HeeHee

Trust me, he won't starve, he has gained 3 pounds over the last year (I have lost just as much) so obviously he is eating his fair share and mine too.

Mom hasn't been letting me write again. When she IS at her desk all she wants to do is make stuff.....not stuff for me I might add. She even covered the whole desk top with supplies so that I had no place to lay down. Hmm.

This morning I finally saw my chance. I hopped up on the desk. (she had a little spot cleared off) and then I glared at her! Obviously it worked because here I am typing away. :-)

She took my picture first so you can all see the look that gets things moving around here.

Aren't cupboards great? Mom was cooking spaghetti tonight. She got out this huge pot and that left a big space in the cupboard so.....

I just couldn't resist. I had to jump in and investigate.

Uh Oh! Caught!

Well, FINALLY Mom turned on her computer! I have been waiting for her to get online for days!!!! It took a friend of hers asking her why I haven't written anything in a while to get her to turn on the computer. Thank you Veronica!

I have been very busy the last few days. Dad has been home sick since Saturday. I have been taking care of him. I sit near him and keep him company and I make sure to follow him into the kitchen, just in case he needs a taste tester. I think Dad wants to be a cat. He has been spending most of the day sleeping. He doesn't really get up and moving until Mom gets home from work.

I tried to use his computer this week but I couldn't figure out his password. I am so glad Mom had time for me tonight. Maybe now I can get back to keeping everyone filled in on my daily life.

The Olympics

Mom and I love to watch the Olympics. All that action is great fun to watch. Last night Mom decided to watch while sitting in bed. Usually when she is in bed that nasty beast climbs in too and won't let me up there. But last night he wandered off somewhere and she was all alone. It was great, I jumped up and found a nice, comfy spot right beside her and snuggled right in. We watched for hours. She rubbed my back for most of the time. I think I actually fell asleep a few times. It was one of the nicest evenings we have had in a long time. Just me and my Mom.

Mom has been really busy this week. She had to go to 3 anniversary parties and then we had company over for dinner one night, so this is the first time she has let me online.

Dad's sister and her husband came over for dinner. The sister's name is Cheryl (just like my mom) and her husband's name is Tucker (just like me) so we had two sets of Cheryl and Tucker! I liked Cheryl but I really liked Tucker. I mean, who wouldn't? He has such a cool name. He called me his little cuz! HeeHee

I usually don't come out and socialize much but since they kept calling my name (how was I supposed to know there were talking to the man and not me?) I finally came out and had a nibble of dinner. It was a chicken casserole and very yummy. I especially loved dessert. It was loaded with cream cheese and cool whip, two of my favorite things.

That was about all that happened this week. Mom is home for 3 days and busy at her desk so maybe we will have some fun this weekend.

It is a beautiful day today. Mom got up early and we played catch. She throws my toys to me and I catch them and throw them back. She runs all over the room to get them. She plays fetch very well.

Here I am playing with the sock Santa brought me.

Nothing much has been happening lately. Mom is trying to get some projects done and grumbling about not having any good ideas. Dad has been trying out his new camera.

I have been trying to stay out of the way.

This morning Dad wanted to take pictures of stuff and decided to take pictures of me (I am very photogenic you know). But his camera is freaky! It makes weird sounds and flashes these little green and red lights. Very scary! I kept trying to get away from him and he just kept coming after me. I finally went and told Mom and she made him leave me alone. I don't know why he doesn't just go take pictures of the beast. Then again he probably doesn't want to break the lens. heehee

I always pose for my Mom (2/11/06)

Poor Mom

Mom came home from work early today. She said her back hurt really bad and she felt dizzy. I felt so bad for her. I climbed into her lap and she just cried and cried. I snuggled up real close and she hugged me and buried her face in my fur. I hate to get wet but I let her drip tears all over me because I love her so much. I did have to get up a couple times (potty and food breaks you know) and when I did I gave her my puppy to keep her company. She didn't seem too impressed and couldn't wait until I came back.

me with my puppy

Me playing with puzzles

Mom and I are having a nice, quiet night at home. It is chilly out so we are cuddled under a blanket and watching old movies. Right now we are watching "It Happened One Night". Mom loves old movies and I love Mom so it works out just fine.

It finally stopped raining! You have no idea how quiet it sounds when the rain finally stops. Last night it was very chilly. I had to climb in bed with mom to warm up my piggies.

Yesterday was a horrible day. Mom and Dad were cleaning all day. That vacuum cleaner ran all day! I couldn't get a wink of sleep. And once Mom was done she came into the art room, turned on the bright lights and worked on some projects. I didn't get any sleep until they went to bed...and of course they stayed up late watching a movie. Sheesh!

Today I thought I would see just how closely Mom watches over me. She and Dad were putting away the groceries and Dad left the pantry cupboard open. I figured I would climb inside and see how long it took for Mom miss me. I only got one foot through the door and she softly said, "Now Tucker, you know you aren't allowed in there". I ran over, gave her a kiss and headed off to bed.

Below is a picture of the project she was working on yesterday. She is participating in a monthly Rolodex swap. Each member has to create Rolodex cards to match the monthly theme. February is "Greensleeves".

Something very scary happened today. I wish my Mom would have been here, then it probably would not have happened. She watches over me very carefully.

This morning Dad left the door under the sink open and no one was around so I decided to check it out. There was a bag of trash in there but I couldn't see what was behind it so I climbed in. I was looking around and suddenly the door closed and it became pitch black. I was so scared, I just sat there for a few minutes trying to see but I couldn't. I got really scared and started pushing against the door and crying for help. I must have been banging on that door for several minutes when suddenly it fell open and there was the "kid". He stood there looking at me with a surprised look on his face. I shot past him with a snarl and hid under Mom's desk.

I guess I should go thank him. If he hadn't heard me as he was leaving for school I would have been trapped there all day.

I told Mom all about it when she got home. She was horrified! She called Dad on the phone and asked what he meant by trying to throw me away with the trash! HeeHee even when I am ornery someone else gets in trouble instead of me.

I wasn't going to write anything today but Dad demanded that I apologize to Kitty. But I can't! Kitty is dumb!

Mom was making sandwiches for tomorrow's lunches and Dad was tossing nibbles of ham to us on the floor. Dad had to get down on the floor and stick Kitty's nose right on the ham before he could find it.

Either Kitty is really dumb or his eyes and nose are broken! He usually gives up looking and I get extra nibbles. I can see where the ham hit the floor from 20 feet away! haha

Yesterday the funniest thing happened. Dad came home for lunch (that isn't the funny part, he does that all the time), it was pouring down rain and the Beast was trying to get out. Dad kept pushing him back into the house and telling him it was cold and rainy but Kitty is DUMB! Have I ever mentioned that before? Even Dad agrees, Kitty is dumb! Anyway, the Beast finally manages to scoot around Dad and out he goes...into the pouring, freezing rain. And what does he do? He stops in the middle of the yard and looks straight up into the sky. Like no one told him it was raining. Duh! Dad tried to chase him back into the house but he just kept running around the yard so Dad finally gave up and went back to work but not before he drove through a big puddle and splashed the Beast. Dumb 'ol Kitty took off running into the back yard.

A few minutes later Mom and I were sitting in the artroom reading a book and I see this big, black blob by the back door. I ran over as quick as I could (to protect my Mom) and burst into giggles....yeah, I laughed!!! There was Kitty looking like a drowned rat!!!! I laughed and laughed. Mom says she never heard me laugh before but she swears that was what I was doing. (Of course I was, he looked hilarious!) Mom is such a softy, she let him in and he hung his head in shame and slunk off to crawl into bed and warm up.

It was one of the best days I have had in a long time, better than TV. :-)

Mom got her entire desk cleaned yesterday so today she did artwork. She completed a deco spread and a card for a friend. Of course, she forgot to scan them so I could show you. I helped a little. She was sorting buttons and I jumped right in and helped sort. I moved all the shiny ones into a pile on the floor. Well, I tried to make a pile but they kept bouncing and rolling around the room. Mom sent me to bed after a while, she said that I had helped enough.

Today is one of those slow, lazy kind of days. This morning we called grandma. I love it when we call grandma, Mom is so happy and laughs a lot. I snuggle into her lap and she pets me while she talks. Sometimes I get to talk too. I wanted to today but then couldn't think of anything to say so Mom took back the phone.

Right now Mom is cleaning her desk so she doesn't have time to play with me. It is cold and rainy outside so she says now is a good time to clean up. Plus, she has some more art projects she needs to get done and says she can't find any place to work so it must be time to clean again.

I am keeping an eye on her and trying to stay out of the way.

That beast Kitty sure is getting on my nerves. I was trying to eat my breakfast this morning and he walks up behind me and swats me on the butt. I whirl around and hiss at him and Dad yells at me...ME! I am the innocent victim and he yells at me and tells me to be quiet! HUMPF!!!! Something needs to be done about that beast!

Mom had a very bad day today. Her back was hurting her and she had a headache that just wouldn't go away. When she doesn't feel good I take care of her. I climbed into her lap and snuggled with her. She says it makes her feel better to have me close. And I love being close to her so it works out well for both of us.

Dads sure are different than Moms. Today Dad stayed home sick. He fixed himself some breakfast, eggs and cheese. I climbed up onto the footstool in front of him and gave him a sweet look. He just ignored me. I then gave him my wide-eyed, pouty face. Again, nothing. Mom would have been putty in my paws by this point. I finally tried the pathetic whine with the pouty look. Still nothing, this guy must have no heart. Mom is definitely going to hear about this. And I am sure she will comfort me with all kinds of goodies too!

I read a book with Mom today. I think maybe I need glasses because I seem to only be able to see the words if I press my nose against the pages. Mom was getting annoyed with me. She said I was in her way. I just wanted to see. Geez, you try to spend some quality time with someone!

Mom and I worked on art projects today

Mom is way behind on some of her art projects so I helped her out today. She was making ATCs and I made sure to keep those colored pencils moving for her. For some reason she didn't seem too happy. I thought they looked very pretty rolling across the desk. And did you know, lace is almost as much fun to play with as yarn?

Mom is still hard at work on a mini book and a couple ATCs but I am going to go take a nap. Here are the ATCs we made this morning.

My first blog post

I have been thinking about starting a blog for a while now. My mom works hard all day and hasn't had a lot of time lately to update my website. I figure this will help her out.

Today started out great. Dad fed us (Kitty and I) soft food for breakfast. We usually only get that for dinner and have to eat the hard, crunchy stuff in the morning. Not today!!!

It snowed today. It NEVER snows here so this was a big surprise. I love to watch the snow, it is almost as much fun as watching leaves blow around. Of course, the snow melted as soon as it landed which is fine because then my mom was able to come home safe and sound.

I miss my mom when she is gone and I met her at the door today, like I always do, with a big meow and lots of hugs and kisses.

Guess that is enough for my first entry. I need my rest, mom and I are going to work on crafts in the morning. Lots of fun little things to toss on the floor!