Category Archives: Family matters

In which we discuss matters of the family.

Family matters

Don’t call it a comeback

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MTCThose of you who’ve been hanging around here for awhile may recognize the newest addition to our household. Marsha T. Cat came to us about 7 years ago from an animal rescue place. She was an odd little kitten who liked to put waterdish-moistened tissues in her food and was frightened of the dryer (until she licked it and made friends). Then we moved into an apartment that didn’t allow pets, and Marsha went to live with my stepmother. And there she stayed until this week, when we readopted her.

She was silent and calm for the entire 12-plus-hour car ride home, and right away it was as if she’d never taken a years-long vacation at all. She is still an odd little thing, complete with the gross tissue thing. She still follows me around everywhere and curls up on my lap and yowls into Rockford’s ear for breakfast promptly at 6am. (He is not please with that recurrence.) The kids adore her, and she either tolerates the adoration or hides under the bed until they go away.

I can’t adequately describe how pleased I am that the furball’s back in town.

Family matters

On a boat

We twoYesterday we went to my uncle’s house. We spent a good part of the day riding around the lake on his pontoon boat.* The kids played in the lake, and we got stuck in a very brief rain shower. It was another splendid vacation day. Tomorrow we’ll be in the car for more than 12 hours.

I’ll miss you, vacation.

*Is that redundant? I’m not well-versed on boating linguistics.

Family matters

Boomtime

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FireworksShould you ever have the opportunity to go to Bay City, Michigan’s July 4th weekend fireworks display, you should definitely do so. They put on a phenomenal display. It was 45 minutes long, and the intro was at least as spectacular as many fireworks finales I’ve seen.

This was the first time we’ve taken the kids to the fireworks, because Poppy is really sensitive to loud noises. I thought we’d risk it this year, though, because my sister-in-law’s family has a building within walking distance of the park, so I figured we could go there and hang out if she was having a hard time. But we ended up not needing to seek shelter. My lovely and wonderful sister-in-law brought along some noise-cancelling earmuffs, and Poppy had a wonderful time. She sat next to another little girl, and they spent the whole time chatting and oohing and ahhing over the display.

Today was perfectly wonderful, too. My uncles and their families came over to my dad’s, and we spent the day eating and swimming and talking and laughing. Superb.