Garden update

The garden is pretty much on its own right now. We've gotten a bit of rain the past couple days so I'll be interested to see how the tomato, lettuce and herb plants do.
Last week we got a little rain and the weeds exploded in the flower bed. It took me nearly two hours to pull all the little buggers out!!
When we moved rocks from the back flower bed to the bed by the pond, we accidentally put one over a hosta. We didn't realize it until we saw the leafy green poking from under the rock! So we moved the rock and the hosta was pretty flat. But those things are pretty strong! When we got back from our Memorial weekend away, the hosta looked normal.
C picked up some wood from the farm this weekend, with the idea that he'll build a frame around six of the containers. (I think mostly to hide the green containers. It is a bit of a bright green.) S is excited about having a frame so she can paint on it. Although she really wants to paint the Subway logo on it for some reason. :)

Old School

A couple weekends ago we acquired an old school hot air popcorn popper. It is so cool! Way cooler than microwave popcorn!

My folks had it out when we visited. So of course I was all excited and thought that the girls would get a kick out of it. We fired it up and the girls loved it!

When I was growing up, we used mostly an electric wok to make popcorn. I don't know where this hot air popper was. Probably packed away all these years and rediscovered when my folks finished their kitchen remodel.

I hinted to my folks that it would be a good gift idea for us. But then my mom said we could have it because they don't use it as often. Sweet!

We've used it a couple times since we got it. What is cool is that a huge bag of popcorn kernels is so inexpensive! It's an economical choice and fun to watch and hear. The girls love to get a freshly popped kernel once it hits the bowl. Add some melted butter and yum-o! And I discovered a variety of seasonings so you could kick it up a notch, with stuff like ranch, garlic Parmesan. Yummy!

Zoo pictures

Here are some pictures from our recent trip to the Milwaukee County Zoo. It was a pretty good time, although we did have listening and obeying issues with M.

My favorite picture is of M trying to pet the lion through the glass as he walked right in front of her!

Sadly I realized I did not take a lot of pictures of S.

But we have a family zoo pass, good to 130 zoos in the nation, including the zoo in Green Bay! So I would hope we'll be hitting that zoo more often. If anything, the trips wear the girls out. As seen in the pictures here, the girls were out cold by the time we hit the freeway!

Graduation

S graduated from preschool (again) last week. This is her second time through the four-week program at the local high school. She absolutely loves it! The high school buddies are super to the kids. And the kids learn a lot of fun things.

So last week they had a graduation ceremony and slide show. It was neat to see the pictures of the kids doing crafts, listening to stories, playing and such.

After the ceremony the kids got to eat sugary frosted cupcakes. Thankfully we decided to go to a park afterwards to burn that sugar off!

Next fall/winter, both girls will be participating in the preschool program. M will be a week or two shy of turning 3 (3!!!) but that shouldn't be an issue. And hopefully, with her going through ballet this summer, she will be more likely to sit still and participate and learn.

S will go through the program for sure in the fall/winter since she won't be in K yet. We'll see if she can do the following spring but if not (because of her age or whatnot) that's OK. I plan to continue homeschooling, which will include reading and Spanish and math.

Chicago! Chicago! Chicago!

We are gearing up for our Chicago trip. I am excited to see how the girls will react to the city. I love Chicago. I have fond memories from childhood of going to the city and exploring the museums and walking down Michigan Ave and eating pizza and Chicago hot dogs. Our mom would call us in sick for a "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" Day. She felt our trips to the museums and whatnot were educational. As an adult, I would ride the train in. That was pretty cool! In college, a group of us went to Chicago for a day trip. It was fun but our driver, a friend, was not familiar with the area and we ended up in a very bad section of town. I told him we needed to book it quick! It was pretty intense for my friends.
For our family vacation (our first official family vacation), we've got plans to take the girls to the Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium, Sears Tower and Millennium Park.
We've talked some about Chicago (that we are going to a big city, checking out some cool places and riding the trains and buses to get around). The girls are super excited. They like to jump up and down and chant "Chicago! Chicago! Chicago!" It is so cute!
I got some books from the library about the ocean, Beluga whales and sea creatures. S loves them! I can only imagine how she will react when she sees sea creatures in person!
Yesterday I reserved some books about Chicago itself, just to give S a taste of what is to come.
I am excited to share a city I love with the girls. Our trip will be here soon enough but please pray for us: safety and protection, patience, stress-free, health, having a good trip all around.

Gardening Part 2

Today I finished the last of my planting. I bought some more potting soil so I could plant the lettuce seed paper I got recently from Kraft Food and Family magazine and the herb seed paper I'd gotten from Kashi.
The lettuce went into another cat litter container. I did not read up on planting lettuce but I figured this would be an OK container.
The Kashi seed paper went into a hanging planter by the patio door.
So now I wait. And wonder. Will anything take? Will this be a flop? What will I do with so many tomatoes! Do I need tomato food for the tomatoes And herbs? Will the herbs produce some nice flowers, like the chives I have? I'd asked a friend for chives last year because they produced these beautiful purple flowers. The suckers came back this year, which is super! I see the flower buds now so I am excited to see them bloom. And, now that I will potentially have thyme, oregano and basil, well, I can use chives for recipes. :)
Next step in my gardening efforts will be to finish pulling weeds in the back bed. But that may have to wait until next week.

They're in!

The tomato plants are in their containers!!
We are using empty cat litter containers for the pots. Nothing fancy but I look at it as a way to RRR. And it's economical too because we have a ton of them in the basement, thanks to three cats!
They are not 5-gallon containers, as many Web sites recommended, but I am hoping 4-gallon will suffice. Again, I was thinking RRR. I still need to get some stakes or other kind of support for when the plants grow bigger.
The containers contain: a small piece of landscape fabric , mostly so that the patio is not covered with dirt when water seeps out of the holes C drilled into the bottom of the containers; egg shells, which someone recommended to help provide the soil with the calcium needed to prevent some rot bottom something on the ends of the tomatoes (we'll see if it works); top soil, which I filled in nearly halfway; Miracle Grow potting soil; the tomato plant; and then a sprinkling of another kind of potting soil, mostly to add more dirt to the containers because I honestly didn't know how much dirt to put in the containers!
So we'll see what happens! I watered them down and the containers are sitting on the back patio to get the full sun.
As for the oregano plant, that went into a hanging planter that I found in the garage (left by our previous green thumb homeowner). I've hung it in back among one of the beds. That planter includes potting soil and the plant. I have to get more Miracle Grow potting soil, which I will add to the planter.
Also today, I received with my Kraft Food and Family magazine a seed paper that, when planted and cared for, will yield a head of lettuce! Bonus! Now maybe I will have a home-grown salad to enjoy! Yummy!
In case you don't know what seed paper is: it is special paper with seeds embedded. So you just rip the baby up a little, put it in a thin layer of soil and you should have a plant. Pretty cool because the paper is biodegradable so there is no need for fancy packaging.
What is even cooler was on Earth Day we planted some flower seeds in an egg carton. We didn't plant them in time but ultimately we could have planted the seedlings, paper egg carton and all, into the ground!
I also found my seed paper from Kashi, which when planted and cared for will yield basil and thyme. I actually got that a year or two ago but, what the heck, I'll throw it in some dirt and see what happens. Maybe something will come up and I will be on my way to making a super easy and yummy bruschetta as well! My mouth is watering at the thought of it!
So probably needless to say, I am sore from all my gardening work. Back, fingers, toes, knees and probably other parts that I will discover come morning. Because, in addition to planing the tomatoes and oregano (I have to plant the seed paper later because I ran out of Miracle Grow potting soil), I decided to do some much needed weeding.
I don't know if I've said it already but I am not a green thumb, so it is with much bravery that I decided to tackle tomatoes and herbs. But when it comes to weeding, I honestly don't know what is a weed and what isn't. I do know dandelions and prickers but other than that, what is it?? So I think 80 percent of what I pulled today was a weed. Maybe it's more than that but I don't have much confidence in myself.
I still have much more weeding to do: a small corner in the bed by the walkway and most of the bed in the back with the pond. Maybe we'll get some rain tonight and then it will be a little easier to pull stuff out in the next day or two.

Zoo trip

Our family went to the Milwaukee County Zoo. It was a breezy day so I was glad the girls had coats on but at times wished we had warmer hats, even mittens.
The zoo was a different experience for M, who was excited to see the animals. The one animal she wanted to see was the elephants. Unfortunately, they were located on the opposite end of the zoo! So we journey on through the zoo to get to them.
We saw: a baby orangutan. Aw! And a couple other baby monkey that were so cute and funny. The aquarium was a big hit! No penguins on the trip. Bummer! Bears asleep. Polar bears were out but not in the water.
When we got to the elephants, it was a huge relief! By that time, M been well over wanting to be in the stroller, which was OK but it was hard to keep her with us because she wanted to run off or breeze through the exhibits. Sigh. Makes us wonder if Chicago will be like this! I truly hope not! At one point, she got a time out in the stroller and had to sit there for a while. But we made it to the elephants, who were eating hay. It was cool to watch! We saw the giraffe's as well, including a younger one. Then we went to the lion, which turned out real cool! He was sitting down when we got there, in this large glass enclosure. After a couple minutes, we decided to move on. As we started to walk away, the lion got up and started pacing in front of the window. So we went back so the girls could stand right by the window. M, fearless and brave, would stick her hand against the glass whenever the lion walked by, like she wanted to pet him. :)
The last cool thing was the hippos, all black and shiny, they waddled from their indoor enclosure to the outside pool. One drank from the water while another went into the water. I'd never seen one in water so this was a cool sight. It would go down and then surface, blowing water, and then go back in. It was neat.
It was a nice trip to the zoo. And now we have a family membership pass (thanks A&E!), which we discovered we can use at our local zoo! Now to figure out what to do with M to keep her close to us, especially when we are in such busy public places. C was saying he didn't think much about those kid leashes but the idea of one seemed appealing after the zoo trip!

Tornadoes

There have been some strong storms in the nation recently that have produced tornadoes, which brings to mind that I need to check on our emergency supplies in the basement.
Maybe it comes from the time we spent in North Carolina but I like to have supplies on hand in case we need them.
Yes, a tornado is different from a hurricane. For one thing, you can plan in advance for a hurricane, even leave the area. Tornadoes can pop out with little to no notice. So with that in mind, I don't want to be scrambling for supplies should a tornado hit and we need to seek shelter.
Our shelter would be in the basement, which we use for storage and laundry.
The previous owner used one corner of the basement for a craft area complete with shelves and storage options. I'm using one craft cabinet as a place to store our emergency supplies: blanket, some food and snacks, can opener, extra clothes, toys and activities for the girls, first aid kit, diapers and wipes. That corner of the basement also has a television and radio and a flashlight with extra batteries.
Again, the supplies we'd need so that should we need to seek shelter, we can be comfortable. On the plus side, we've got a mini-pantry in the basement so we could raid that, if needed. :)

American Idol

OK. I watched my first American Idol show tonight. Wait, maybe this is my second because I think I watched one when Clay Aiken was a contestant.
Anyway, I watched one to see how Milwaukee native Danny Gokey would do.
Well, he was cut, which was sad. He sounds amazing. Hopefully he'll go far after this experience.

Here they are!

I picked up a La Roma tomato plant at the garden center yesterday.

I haven't planted them yet because we are going to get strong thunderstorms today and tonight and I haven't put them in containers yet.

I also picked up an oregano plant. I saw the herb plants and I felt compelled to pick one up. Plus the price was just right for both plants!

La Roma, I felt, would be suitable for a container. Those are relatively small and I prefer them. And oregano was the best option out of the bunch. I can't even remember what the other herbs were but nothing that appealing or useful to me. I would have liked spearmint, just for the smell, but I recall from an interview I did of an herbalist that mints tend to take over everything. Plus, what does one do with spearmint?

Tomato and oregano go hand in hand for Italian and Mexican dishes.

So, now it's time to get these babies into containers. We've got some cat litter containers that I might use, although I just saw that they hold four gallons and some of the Web sites I visited recommended 5 gallon. And I'll need C to drill some holes into them first. Later I might get some spray paint so the girls and I can decorate the containers.

Family Portrait

Who needs Sears Portrait Studio or Picture People when you have an artist in residence who can create a masterpiece of your family?

S did this photo in her Patriot Preschool class today because they were talking about family and friends.

I am so proud of her! She is amazing and this picture definitely deserves a place on the wall. And it comes beautifully framed! Check out the Popsicle stick frame! You can't find that at Hobby Lobby!

So I say again, artist or astronaut?

Artist or Astronaut?

S had shown an interest in outer space recently. We covered the universe in our homeschooling and I found a book about space recently at a garage sale. She also loved watching a re-cap of the shuttle Atlantis taking off this week for its mission to repair the Hubble telescope.
So now she talks about being an astronaut. And the other day she had a dream about travelling in space with the astronauts. Apparently, they had a middle seat for her to sit in and they took her to all the planets and she got to look out the window to see everything. She wants to walk on the moon one day.
The other day she blended her artistic ability with her interest in outer space by drawing a picture of an astronaut in space.
We are taking a trip to Chicago soon and she picked the Adler Planetarium over the Field Museum.
Space Camp here she comes!

Orange you glad....

The other day I decided to get a little creative with lunch. Usually our lunch consists of stuff like PB&J sandwiches, grilled cheese sandwiches, Spaghetti-O's, and slurping noodles, a.k.a. Ramen noodles.
But this week I decided to make an orange-themed lunch. Mac and cheese, mandarin oranges, cheesy puffs and Sunny-D. Yum! The girls got a kick out of it! And it was fun to do.
I can't take credit for the idea, though. I got the idea from a scrapbooking catalogue. There was an example of a page in which the family was stuck indoors because of a snow day and the parent decided to make a fun lunch.
What a great idea! I can see trying to do other color themed lunches or doing a rainbow colored lunch (a little of something to represent each color.) Great idea for homeschooling too, I think!

Reading programs

Summer also means summer reading! Being the nerd I was in my youth, I could often be found with a nose in a book. I loved to read! And still do, when I can get the time.
I love that the girls love to read as well. We have pictures of the girls sitting in their rocker, surrounded by a pile of books. The girls would also come to us with a stack of books to read. :)
So we get involved in the summer reading programs at the library. Yes, they have a program for kids as young as 3. And yes, that means parents have to read to their kids, but, seriously, what a way to bond with them and share or discover favorite stories!
Our local library is starting it's summer reading program in June. The program has weekly prizes for reading. And library is also offering a 40 Books Challenge, where your child reads 40 books and they receive a certificate of appreciation. Maybe that is more for school-aged kids...
Anyway, summer reading programs are fun!! I believe places like Barnes and Noble and Half-Priced Books offer reading programs as well so check them out!
I was super psyched, too, to see that local libraries in our area are participating in the Passport to Nature--No Child Left Inside! What an awesome program! Kudos to the programs that support such a program. These days kids stay indoors in front of the computer or television or glued to some gaming system. But this program encourages kids, and families, to get outside and explore local nature centers! We did it last year and the girls loved checking out the nature centers and parks. However, there was one forest we ventured through and nearly got carried away by mosquitoes! It was bad! My advice for the nature centers: lather up on sunscreen and bug repellent! And bring along some water, snacks, wipes and Band-aids.
I also tried to make our nature center and park visits educational. For instance, we explored the different educational aspects at the nature centers and tried to explore the parks in other ways, like we did a five senses walk through the forest. It was fun.
If your library does not have such a program, I would highly encourage you take the summer to check out your local nature centers or parks. It's fun and educational. And bring along a picnic! Summer and picnics go hand in hand! And don't forget to bring along your child's library book!

Road trip

Summer is here and road trips loom for many families.

We have three coming up in the next four weeks or so. Two are to family, who each live two and a half hours away. And one trip is to Chicago, so about four hours away.

So with that in mind, I thought I'd ask my readers and followers to share their road trip tips for kids.

For instance, for us, each girl gets their own road trip bag filled with toys, books and sometimes a special road trip item. I highly recommend travel Magna-doodles and Aqua-Doodles. We also have a Water WOW Doodle Book. It was something I saw at an airport last month and immediately thought of the girls. It's like an Aqua-Doodle but it makes colorful pictures appear. The plus is that it dries and then you can play with it again. I didn't pick them up at the airports but I was thrilled to find them at a local store. So the girls got them in their Easter baskets. And they love them! They are cool too because the water really makes the pictures come to life. And there are little search and find games for the kids to do with each picture.

We are also huge fans of books on CD. S loves to listen to the stories and is really good about following the page turn signals. M, at 2, also wants to "read" with the book on CD.

I also learned from our local library that they have a new kind of book on tape. I can't remember what it is called, Playmedia or something like that, but it's this small, hand-held-type of MP3-type player that has the story on it. So each kid could rent their own stories and listen to them using ear buds or ear phones. I think that is an awesome idea! Then we adults can listen to our own music and stuff. I was told there was also quite a selection in the adult section. Our library does not have a lot of these type of books for preschool aged kids but there are probably some chapter books they could listen to. I think we may give them a try sometime this summer.

We don't have a DVD player in our van and I've avoided going that route, especially since our trips really aren't that long. If we were travelling for more than four hours, sure, I might look into something.

But we also plan our trips around nap-times. That helps to pass the time quickly. :) Except for the time M decided not to nap at all while on a road trip last year to Minneapolis. Oi! :)

So what road trip tips do you have? Games? Activities? Snacks? Rest stops? Map programs? Hotels? Share it all!

Scrapbooking

Last Saturday I spent 8 hours scrapbooking. Well, mostly I worked on getting stickers and journaling on the pages. I had a lot of catching up to do!
See, when I scrapbook at crop events, my main goal is to get the pictures on the page. Sometimes I'll look at a stack of pictures for a page and automatically see the theme. In which case I'll find the corresponding paper and stickers to go with the pictures on the page.
But often at a crop event, I want to get the pictures down first. My hope is later I will work on the finishing touches, like the stickers, titles, journaling and other embellishments.
Well, on Saturday I was able to complete two of S's books (2-3 year and 3-4 year). I have two more to do: S's current year and M's 1-2 year book. Then I need to get caught up, picture-wise, on S's current year and start on M's current year.
It's a lot to do but I look forward to the crop events. And, if I can manage my time wisely, I could try to do some of the work at home. I do, after all, have an area in the basement for scrapbooking. :)

Farmer D

I've decided this summer to try my hand at a tomato plant. I have not purchased the little buggar yet but saw that a local garden place has some on sale.
I don't know for sure why I am tackling this project. I think mostly because S has expressed a desire to have a vegetable garden. So I thought to go with the easiest one I could think of: tomatoes. (Are they really easy? I don't know for sure but will find out!)
Also, I like the idea of having something home-grown. Just walk outside and pick a tomato right off the vine. Yum!
I'm the only one in the family who really likes tomatoes but I can use them for salsa and I have a super easy bruschetta recipe that I would love to serve at a party.Homemade spaghetti sauce maybe? Something that would also be first for me. I also read briefly that tomatoes can be frozen and then thawed in the microwave halfway and then tossed into a stew. Yummy!
I don't even want to think about canning. Yet. Maybe I'll try it but honestly, I'd rather give them away first! :) (So let me know if you'd want any from my harvest, should there be one.)
One concern I had about doing a garden was rabbits. I don't know that they are fans of tomatoes but I don't want to take chances given that we do have them in the neighborhood (You should have seen the lawn after the snow melted!)
I've decided to try a container garden. It won't be the super cool enclosed, raised garden hutch we saw at Sam's, though. From what I've read I basically need a 5 gallon container with drainage holes, put the soil and other things in, add the plant and keep it well watered.
Sounds easy. I will see. I hope S will enjoy the experience with me. I don't really have a green thumb but I do appreciate flowers and vegetables and lovely things so I hope this project will work.
It makes me also think I should get a cucumber plant and maybe some herbs.
OK. I know. One step at a time.
I'll be sure to journal my efforts and include pictures.
Anyone with advice on container gardens, please feel free to contact me!

He said it!

The other day C and I were watching an episode of Ace of Cakes, in which the crew went to Hawaii to make a cake celebrating the 100th episode of LOST (and a Blackhawk helicopter cake for a military family appreciation day.)
During the episode, C said he would go to Hawaii before he goes to New York, a place I've said we should visit one day.
Well, heck, I'll take Hawaii any day! When are we going, sweetie?? Maybe that will be our 10th wedding anniversary trip. Or 15th.
First we have to get through our upcoming trip to Chicago! We are going to spend at least a couple days there, checking out some of the attractions.
So Hawaii can come next. After that Walt Disney World? Or maybe New York?

Just for Moms

Check out THIS blog from last fall, where I linked an acoustic version of Steven Curtis Chapman's "One Heartbeat at a Time."
Listen to it. Have a hanky on hand. Listen to it again and let the words flow through and encourage you. It is a perfect song for Mother's Day.
Remember, Moms, we do a lot but often feel like we don't accomplish much or get appreciation. But years from now, we will see we have made a difference and impacted our families.
As a verse in the song goes: "You are changing the world, one little heartbeat at a time. Making history with every touch and every smile. Oh you, you may not see it now but I believe that time will tell how you, you are changing the world one little heartbeat at a time."
So don't give up! You are doing the best job EVER! Hang in there! And find a support network of other moms so you don't go crazy!
Happy Mother's Day!

Wonderful freebies!

I had to smile when I opened a small box I got in the mail yesterday.
"It's not every day something cute and great smelling shows up at your door," read a card that cane with my free sample of Dove's cucumber and green tea anti-perspirant/deodorant.
I also got another surprise: an Escape from Winter Gift Pack, which included a Glade PlugIn Scented Oil Warmer and a vial of Hawaiian Breeze Scented Oil. It also had a couple great coupons and a packet of Forget-Me-Not seeds, which I hope to put in a container for the back patio.
Speaking of containers, I am hoping to do a little bit of a container garden this year. Looks like I won't be getting the cool enclosed garden hutch thing from Sam's....:) But I would like to try my hand at growing some basic veggies like tomatoes and some herbs. I think a container garden might help to deter the bunnies. If anyone has any tips and advice on container gardens, please let me know!

Happy Mother's Day!

Mother's Day came early to our house this year given that on Sunday I will be at church first thing in the morning, which would conflict with my traditional Mother's Day breakfast in bed. :)
On Sunday, C woke up early and he and the girls (who were already up) went to McD's to pick up hot cakes. Yum! Then they "surprised" me with breakfast in bed. It is so sweet. I got to get a half hour of peaceful sleep before they got back home. The meal was served up on a tray and I was surrounded by my sweet girls and loving hubby as we ate breakfast.
The girls each made me a beautiful card. S gave me a butterfly garden decoration and M gave me a book by Max Lucado.
C's gift to me is the promise that we will take a family vacation to Chicago!! I can't wait! He already got approval from his boss to take the time off and we've been searching on-line for hotels and info on various attractions like the Shedd Aquarium, Millennium Park, Lincoln Park Zoo and more. We'll probably spend a couple days, at least, there. I can't wait.
I love Chicago!!

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

I was inspired today to cook semi/home-made food for Cinco de Mayo. Maybe inspired is the wrong word. I was looking at the Ortega taco kit and can of refried beans and thought I needed something else. So Spanish rice popped into my mind. Usually I make something boxed. But, since I didn't have anything in the pantry, I decided to make it.
My good, Old Betty Crocker cookbook came in handy once again with a Spanish rice recipe. But then I found a recipe at http://www.recipezaar.com/Easy-Spanish-Rice-354641. It's not the same as my mom's but it looks, smells and tastes good.
The ball got rolling after making the Spanish rice. I used a Betty Crocker recipe for pinto beans, which I haven't decided if I am going to mash into refried beans.
And, once the girls get up, we will make flour tortillas.
I'll make up some taco seasoned ground beef and we should have a tasty Mexican meal. I have to say the house smells great!!

In memory of Junior

Yesterday my mother and step-father had to make the tough decision to put our family cat, Junior, down.
Apparently there was a blood clot in his artery, which was causing him severe pain and the inability to walk or function properly. According to my step-father, who was home at the time, it all happened suddenly. One moment he was fine, happy to be petted. The next, he was yowling as if in pain and struggled to get up and walk.
My step-father rushed him to an animal hospital and was given the news. He called my mother, who was on her way to Ohio to run a marathon, with the news and they made the decision.
They are both hurting over the loss. Junior was about 18 years old.
Technically, Junior was my cat. But, since I've been gone for a long time, only seeing him on weekend visits, he has been the family cat.
I remember when we got him. A friend brought over a bunch of kittens and we selected a couple to add to the two we already had, Whiskers and Midnight.
We selected a gray one, who was Smokey, and an orange one, who we named Junior.
Eventually, we had to give away Smokey because we were told by the city that we had too many cats for an in-town home. Whiskers later had some medical complications and had to be put down. Midnight passed away suddenly.
Junior was all that was left. By that time, I was out of the house. My brother and sister were soon to follow for college and then careers.
As I said, he became the family cat. By that time, he was an indoor and outdoor cat. He loved to be outside, often hanging out under the back porch. Often, it was hard to coax him back indoors. Neighborhood cats would come to visit or fight. But Junior toughened up and learned to hold his ground, if needed.
He was a sweet cat with a sweet meow, who loved to be petted. Above all he wanted to be petted or to sit by your feet.
I am sad to know he is gone but he had a long life and I am glad he was not alone.