One-on-One Time

When Katie gets the chance, she likes to spend one-on-one time with the cats.

He was so happy in my lap until he saw his brother with a toy.

One Paw Ready

When General Washington sees the kittens playing, he always keeps one paw ready.

General Washington puts the kittens in their place when they need it. He's not that tough but his antics work.

Artwork

Katie continues to put forth so much effort in her artwork.

A Sale

When a bookstore is having a big sale, you have to go!

Aunt Jennifer heard about the sale and invited us to go!

Kittens with be Kittens

The kittens are pretty well-behaved most of the time, but they are still kittens. When Katie has her electronics out, the kittens often think the cords are their toys.

I try to protect my things from the kittens.

Easy Entertaining

It doesn't take much to entertain kittens.

All it takes is a paper bag.

The Wearable Blanket

Katie has a wearable blanket that she loves. She likes anything that keeps her toasty, and so do the cats.

The cats like to sit on the softness and stay warm.

The Ice

It seemed as though the ice was never going to go away.

We knew when we went to bed that the school delay would probably turn into a cancellation.

It was so slippery.

During the Cold Weather

During the cold weather, the cats stayed cuddled up close to the fire.

We all did what we needed to stay warm.

A Week of Bad Weather

We spent all of last week home from school. We had freezing wind, some snow, and lots of ice. Since local roads aren't treated, we were trapped in the house. It was so nice to leave again when it started to melt.

We didn't get very much snow. It was all the ice on top of it that made things miserable.

A Happy Cat

All the cats love to be by Katie. Mr. Limpet and General Washington love when they beat the kittens to her lap.

Mr. Limpet found the blanket on my lap and stayed there all morning.

The Japanese Gardens

Katie is so interested in Japan these days. It all started when she started watching anime and reading manga. One of her biggest dreams is to take a trip to Japan someday. She has already taken one online Japanese class and has started studying their written language in her spare time. Since we aren't close to traveling to Japan, she asked if we could visit the Japanese gardens. Even though it's more beautiful in the spring and summer months, we got out of the house on a rainy day to visit.

On a sunny day, you'd see a big mountain behind us.

This was one of my favorite things in the garden. It was a gift from Japan.

I also loved the waterfall.

This is one of the most well-known spots in the garden.

It was fun - even in the rain.

A Snapchat New Year

Another holiday, another chance for Snapchat.

It's Done!

After hours of work, Jennifer and Katie finished the book shelf decoration.

This represented lots and lots of work and patience!

It's a lit up scene out of Japan.

Finding Comfort

Wilson and Gilbert have had fun exploring and trying to find their most comfortable spots around the house.

Sometimes the cats are happy as long as they're close to Katie, and...

...sometimes they just need each other.

End of Day One

Sometimes when things are a lot harder than expected, you just have to laugh and take a break.

We worked for hours and just had to laugh.

This was our stopping point at the end of day one.

Using Fine Motor and Coordination

Katie's building project seemed to get more difficult with each step.

I felt like I needed more hands to try to hold it together!

The Beginning of a Big Project

Katie decided she wanted to make the building project that Garyldine gave her for Christmas, and she enlisted Jennifer's help for it.

All of these tiny pieces would turn into a decoration for my bookshelf. We had no idea what we were getting into! It would be the beginning of a very hard project that would take a week to finish.

Katie, the Hero

All of the cats look at Katie like a hero when she gets out the feather wand.

I like to be extra tall when I get the feather out.

Getting Closer

We got the cats a Christmas present, and all four cats were very interested in it. It forced the cats to get a little closer.

It was fun to watch the cats get closer and closer!

Katie's Favorite Gift to Give

Katie and Jennifer play Animal Crossing together, and Katie has always enjoyed that Jennifer gets excited by the Orchid Mantis. When Katie found the stuffed animal of the preying mantis, she knew she had to get it for Jennifer as a joke.

This is what made me most excited for Christmas!

Some Favorite Gifts

Katie is always very happy about any gift she receives.

I got these cute earmuffs and...

...this building set from Garyldine, Jim, and Aunt Jody.

I got a gift card from Uncle Jeff, Aunt Grace, Ian, and Eva, and...

...a 3-D pen from Aunt Debby! Thank you for the gifts!

Time to See the Gifts

After Jennifer got to the house, Katie checked out her gifts.

It's always fun to get a first glance!

I was excited about this Japanese building set!

A Snapchat Christmas

While we waited for Jennifer to arrive on Christmas morning, we pulled out Snapchat.