Michelle and Mannie (GA)
Member Since 2009
'Tis the season to be jolly, fa-la-la-la-la-la-la .... Just ask Lola!
Good Morning LL!!
(Ahhhhhh.... elixir! Thanks Elsa), and Happy Catmint Caturday!
LL! It's is I, Elsa, KBP, president and CEO of Coffee Cat! Life is GOOD! GUESS WHAT! Paw Prints Pizza is open and ready for business! They are running a Caturday Catnip special today, in honor of Catmint Caturday - lots of nip in those pies!
They have even used their signature nip cheese. 
Best order early! OOOOOOOOO! They have perfected their NY Style hot dog pies. MAJOR YUM!!!! Try one, you'll see! Just order the Mannie and Stu Special! so. well. anyways. Coffee time! For today, I proudly offer Elsa's special 10 hour energy coffee, and Double shot espressos, with beans from deep within the mountain slopes of Africa, AND.... for all my Mocha fans: a venti quad peppermint white chocolate mocha, with peppermint infused whip, garnished with peppermint candy chips and white chocolate shavings... It is my bean's fav! SWEET! OH! No worries, a dollop of peppermint and vanilla and chocolate and caramel swirl ice cream, on top of a dollop of fudge, sprinkled with peppermint chips and a chocolate caramel drizzle.... AND (!!!) Since it is the holiday season, we have EGGNOG! Mannie's secret recipe! I found it on my pillow this morning... I wonder how that got there.... Mannie I lUVS you! THX! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh....... mega good!
I hope everyone had a great week. ;-) The days with the boys have been good ones! We have been very busy, that part of life has not changed. Will it ever? ;-) NOPE!!
What a BUSY week! The other grandparents are still on vacation, until 12/2, so I have the boys five days a week, short of the Thanksgiving holiday. :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: With the holiday this week it wasn't as hectic. :roll: well, in theory anyways. We spent Thanksgiving at Nicholas's and William's house, had the merriest of times. We have also been swimming, including a family swim night,and to the park. Been busy indoors too, with the aquarium and the science center. We have had lunches just about everywhere, car camping some too, and indoors on benches. Funny how the boys love those impromptu eat wherever lunches. Life is good!
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday Family Night were our swimming days this week. :shock: That's alot of pool time! William went Tuesday and Friday, Nicholas went Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nght. At the risk of being repetitive, what I wrote last week still is true this week:
Nicholas still looks forward to our after swim Friday Night Burger Feast
I know I write this each week, but that is just so fun: burgers and fries, just him and me, with lots of fun stories. He was so happy to see that burger and fries combo show up, just like always. Somehow I think that is part of the magic of Friday night swims: that he gets burgers etc after his swim. :razz: last night was an added bonus, as mom and dad and his brother were there. Burgers for William too. That was awesome! William loved his as much as Nicholas did. He still makes a point of making sure I have packed it all, and asked when I met him at the pool. He also thinks it would be a good idea if I packed a jar of pickles, as it seems there are never enough on his burger. :shock: :lol: Last night he only got 4 pickles on that burger (the record is 12 :lol: ), while William got 6! So unfair..... Since William was a little iffy on the pickles he got WIlliam's too. :lol: :lol: I so need to buy that jar! :lol: GREAT TIME!
and..... no hiking for me this week! Bummer! But the time with the boys was a great offset, and we did make it out alot, so I remain content. :razz: The weather has turned rainy at any rate, with lots of snow now in the mountains. At times the passes have been closed, so.... I guess the hiking season is more or less "over". Oh well, time to focus on lowland stuff. We do have several very nice ones that fit that category. The rains were so ad here on W, TH and FR that we had several areas closed due to flooding, as well as many rivers that were ear flood stage, Crazy weather! Last night we had a COLD front move in that brought lots of snow over night,. :shock: :shock: :shock:
. I woke up to about 3" (alot for us) of white stuff, and it was still coming down. :roll: :lol: Blue skies have since taken over. WOW: it is incredibly beautiful out there! It is suppose to get even colder tonight, I downer if I will wake up to an ice skating rink out there tomorrow morning.
Monday, after Nicholas morning swim, we just stayed at his Grammie Connie's for a while. The weather was awful: winds and rains, so just better to be indoors It has been a while since they have been able to spend time with her. She was able to get William out for a short walk between downpours, which was great! That little boy loves to be out. We played boys things, like cars and trucks and chase and rolling down stairs. Well Nicholas dd most of the rolling. :lol: She has decorated for the holidays, and William is so taken back by the miniature Christmas trees she has. Rather than one big one she has 4 small, 1-2' tall ones throughout the house. He made sure to check them all out several times during our stay there. It was a great afternoon.
Tuesday after Williams's swim ad Nicholas's school we were off to the Science Center. Once again the weather was not our friend, what rains! and winds! and little sun! so........ Nicholas's solution was the Pacific Science Center. SWEET! and an excellent choice. This seems to our rainy day place, we've been every week for over a month now. Science center was alot of fun, both boys got into just about everything, Even William wants to participate. That was fun to see. I think we spent 2 hours there, what time we had, did all we could in such a short time span. Nicholas has gotten very good at knowing the afternoon visits are short ones, and he has to choose what he wants to see. Nicholas likes the place, is getting much better at understanding some of the science behind what he interacts with. William just likes pushing all the buttons turning all those knobs and running from exhibit room to exhibit room. ;-) It's a great place, lots to do, lots for them to learn. Neither boy wanted to leave....It is nice though to see them accept and know that these afternoon trips are short ones, and that they have to be selective in what they see. Both boys did well with that aspect. I love Science Center days.
Wednesday Afternoon, after Nicholas's swim, some time spent with their Grammie Connie, my DMIL, who watched William for me while Nicholas was in the pool, we were off to the Seattle Aquarium, in search of fishies! ALWAYS a favorite of the boys. Nicholas asked to go to the Seattle Aquarium, so off we we went. YAY! We had just been there last week, but they just never tire of it. They sure did have a great time. William is so much more mobile, so it was nice to be able to set him down and let him roam. The joy of discovery on his face was just so awesome! The section that was the biggest hit was the tide pools, where they have so many anemones, starfish, etc. They allow hands (well, your "science finger") in there, so William got to experience his third rounds with the anemones. Loved that, as did he: all smiles. I wrote this last week abut our visit, and it still holds true for this weeks visit:
Wednesday morning was something else... Nicholas will be able to watch an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse prior to any planned activities, as long as it isn't a school day where time just doesn't support it. We start he program, only to hear meows from Lola. Next thing I know she is perched up on the stand for the TV, and is watching it too. She was mesmerized, just kept watching-all the action on the screen. She stayed for the whole program. LOL: Lola had a thing for a mouse. Irony there somehow! :lol: :lol: :lol:
THANKSGIVING!!! We spent the day at Nicholas's and William's. Dinner was fantastic, and I was told that Nicholas helped with most of it. We arrived to his more than welcome greeting, as he ran out to meet us, shouting "You made it!!" over and over again. :lol: It was a great time together as a family. My two other sons also came, Dinner was great, as was dessert. It wouldn't be Thanksgiving if the football game of the night wasn't on, so we watched our Seattle Seahawks play San Francisco. Woot! we won! I am grateful for so many things... my family, my life, and all you here on LL that allow me to continue to post here, and even take the time to read this never sending novel/saga. I am grateful for my furkids who just seem to make life complete. My list is endless.... I woke up that morning thinking about Mannie, his image was just so vivid. Somehow I think he came home for Thanksgiving, for a bit. I spend time that morning watching his Tribute video, his One Year Gone video, just remembering. I miss all that he was, and his role her n LL/. Seems just like yesterday that he was being the force he was in LL. What great times they were! Here's t you Mannie! ThX for spending time with me on Thanksgiving.
Friday was a stay at home day... no Black Friday chaos for me,. :lol: :lol: I did some online holiday shopping, reminiscing about the way things used to be. I grew up in a very small town, where Holiday shopping meant actually getting out to the store, and they were all small locally owned stores, and shop there. What fun it was back then, I knda miss those days, things sure are different nowadays. We also decorated some too, got about 3/4 of the house decor up. Of course Lola had to help. She was into everything! EVERYTHING! I drew the line when it came time to put up the railing garlands, and she just wouldn't leave them alone, all the while walking back and forth ion the railing... :shock: So she was confined to quarters for abit so I could get hat thing up without incident. Once sprung from prison she made a point of inspecting it all, making sure I had done it right. Back and forth she went on that railing, looking at it all. Crazy cats! what a fun morniong, a prelide to all the FUN to eb ahd by the family at the pool that night.
Normalcy in MusketeerVille! The kitties are all doing well. Not too much new with them... Fall move into winter mode is here, they are bunkering down, but still yearning for the great outdoors when the sun is out. Elsa still ventures out, and when out she doesn't stay long. Bug could care less, Lola is ALWAYS grounded, and always wants OUT. :lol: Lola has been trying to be good, and for the most part I'm not yelling LOLA! after whatever it is she did. :lol: :lol: :lol: I can hardly wait for Christmas and all we went through with her last year. I can still see that tree swaying.... :lol: :lol: :lol: We had fun putting up the decor yesterday, a prelude I am sure to the grands adventure of the tree, that will probably happen next weekend. We had snow last night and now the temps are really dropping, so that fluffy stuff is now icy stuff, and the kitties do not want to have anything to doth it. Elsa went out, stayed 1 minute and then back in she was, complaining the whole time. :lol: :lol: last week she has decided lately to nap on my lap, usually in the early morning hours when I am on the 'puter. cool! That has continued this week, sometime in the afternoon too. It is amazing how serene and calm and content she looks when she is sleeping.... Of course this was only after she has these marathon run through the house for close to 30 minutes. Elsa whacks her for even thinking she wants to join. Bug of course did, runs right along with her, stopping now and then to play with a toy instead. :lol: GO KITTIES!! And yes, Nicholas continues to talk about Mannie.... cat_pet_icon
Have a great Caturday everyone. Sorry this post it late today. Sorry too I missed everyone's condos yesterday too. Time this morning, and the days, have gotten away from me, yet again. This morning has been laid back and relaxing, I did make that early morning walk out, just as the snows had stopped falling. it was gorgeous out there, but cold when the winds picked up. I would like to try for a woods walk, but falling the temp just went to 28, and will windchill they say it is closer to 19. BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! So we shall see on that one. I may just end up looking at all the white from my window. it is so pretty now, with the sun shining, illuminating it all. Sparkles out there!
KITTIES! Remember: think BLUE, think GREEN cat_pet_icon
Good Morning LL!!
(Ahhhhhh.... elixir! Thanks Elsa), and Happy Catmint Caturday!LL! It's is I, Elsa, KBP, president and CEO of Coffee Cat! Life is GOOD! GUESS WHAT! Paw Prints Pizza is open and ready for business! They are running a Caturday Catnip special today, in honor of Catmint Caturday - lots of nip in those pies!
They have even used their signature nip cheese. Best order early! OOOOOOOOO! They have perfected their NY Style hot dog pies. MAJOR YUM!!!! Try one, you'll see! Just order the Mannie and Stu Special! so. well. anyways. Coffee time! For today, I proudly offer Elsa's special 10 hour energy coffee, and Double shot espressos, with beans from deep within the mountain slopes of Africa, AND.... for all my Mocha fans: a venti quad peppermint white chocolate mocha, with peppermint infused whip, garnished with peppermint candy chips and white chocolate shavings... It is my bean's fav! SWEET! OH! No worries, a dollop of peppermint and vanilla and chocolate and caramel swirl ice cream, on top of a dollop of fudge, sprinkled with peppermint chips and a chocolate caramel drizzle.... AND (!!!) Since it is the holiday season, we have EGGNOG! Mannie's secret recipe! I found it on my pillow this morning... I wonder how that got there.... Mannie I lUVS you! THX! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh....... mega good! I hope everyone had a great week. ;-) The days with the boys have been good ones! We have been very busy, that part of life has not changed. Will it ever? ;-) NOPE!!
What a BUSY week! The other grandparents are still on vacation, until 12/2, so I have the boys five days a week, short of the Thanksgiving holiday. :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: With the holiday this week it wasn't as hectic. :roll: well, in theory anyways. We spent Thanksgiving at Nicholas's and William's house, had the merriest of times. We have also been swimming, including a family swim night,and to the park. Been busy indoors too, with the aquarium and the science center. We have had lunches just about everywhere, car camping some too, and indoors on benches. Funny how the boys love those impromptu eat wherever lunches. Life is good! Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday Family Night were our swimming days this week. :shock: That's alot of pool time! William went Tuesday and Friday, Nicholas went Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nght. At the risk of being repetitive, what I wrote last week still is true this week:
I continue teach him what I can. He continues to make lots of new friends when he goes. it's fun to see him connect up with kids when he gets there. Last night while we had the whole family there at the Snohomish pool. That was such a BLAST! Nicholas was so excited to be swimming with his dad and mom and brother. He did so many things that I have been telling his mom and dad he can do. How cool that he got to show off. Finally they could see for themselves. We also tackled the big tube slide too. His dad took him down, and after that there was no stopping him. He just loved it! talked his mom into going down too. Such an incredible amount of fun. We all just love pool days, and are grateful that we have the pools and the time to be able to do this. GO NICK! GO WILLIAM!They both are truly water babies. William has taken to it all so well. He never cries when there, always asks for more of whatever he is playing on. He doesn't seem to mind when the water spray features are on. He loves the slides, and wants to climb up the stairs on his own. So we do, slide down together. :shock: :lol: NEW: Friday night he so wanted to do the big big tube slide. Dad took him up, but it seems the crowds yup their and the "chaos" got the better of him. I am continuing to introduce him to being underwater, for short periods at a time. He doesn't seem to mind them, I've even had a few smiles. He's adjusted to back floating, and "swimming" on his front. I have no doubt that he will like this as much as Nicholas does. In fact he never wants to leave when it is time to go. We have a new chant: MORE! :lol:
Nicholas still looks forward to our after swim Friday Night Burger Feast
I know I write this each week, but that is just so fun: burgers and fries, just him and me, with lots of fun stories. He was so happy to see that burger and fries combo show up, just like always. Somehow I think that is part of the magic of Friday night swims: that he gets burgers etc after his swim. :razz: last night was an added bonus, as mom and dad and his brother were there. Burgers for William too. That was awesome! William loved his as much as Nicholas did. He still makes a point of making sure I have packed it all, and asked when I met him at the pool. He also thinks it would be a good idea if I packed a jar of pickles, as it seems there are never enough on his burger. :shock: :lol: Last night he only got 4 pickles on that burger (the record is 12 :lol: ), while William got 6! So unfair..... Since William was a little iffy on the pickles he got WIlliam's too. :lol: :lol: I so need to buy that jar! :lol: GREAT TIME!and..... no hiking for me this week! Bummer! But the time with the boys was a great offset, and we did make it out alot, so I remain content. :razz: The weather has turned rainy at any rate, with lots of snow now in the mountains. At times the passes have been closed, so.... I guess the hiking season is more or less "over". Oh well, time to focus on lowland stuff. We do have several very nice ones that fit that category. The rains were so ad here on W, TH and FR that we had several areas closed due to flooding, as well as many rivers that were ear flood stage, Crazy weather! Last night we had a COLD front move in that brought lots of snow over night,. :shock: :shock: :shock:
. I woke up to about 3" (alot for us) of white stuff, and it was still coming down. :roll: :lol: Blue skies have since taken over. WOW: it is incredibly beautiful out there! It is suppose to get even colder tonight, I downer if I will wake up to an ice skating rink out there tomorrow morning. Monday, after Nicholas morning swim, we just stayed at his Grammie Connie's for a while. The weather was awful: winds and rains, so just better to be indoors It has been a while since they have been able to spend time with her. She was able to get William out for a short walk between downpours, which was great! That little boy loves to be out. We played boys things, like cars and trucks and chase and rolling down stairs. Well Nicholas dd most of the rolling. :lol: She has decorated for the holidays, and William is so taken back by the miniature Christmas trees she has. Rather than one big one she has 4 small, 1-2' tall ones throughout the house. He made sure to check them all out several times during our stay there. It was a great afternoon.
Tuesday after Williams's swim ad Nicholas's school we were off to the Science Center. Once again the weather was not our friend, what rains! and winds! and little sun! so........ Nicholas's solution was the Pacific Science Center. SWEET! and an excellent choice. This seems to our rainy day place, we've been every week for over a month now. Science center was alot of fun, both boys got into just about everything, Even William wants to participate. That was fun to see. I think we spent 2 hours there, what time we had, did all we could in such a short time span. Nicholas has gotten very good at knowing the afternoon visits are short ones, and he has to choose what he wants to see. Nicholas likes the place, is getting much better at understanding some of the science behind what he interacts with. William just likes pushing all the buttons turning all those knobs and running from exhibit room to exhibit room. ;-) It's a great place, lots to do, lots for them to learn. Neither boy wanted to leave....It is nice though to see them accept and know that these afternoon trips are short ones, and that they have to be selective in what they see. Both boys did well with that aspect.
I love Science Center days.Wednesday Afternoon, after Nicholas's swim, some time spent with their Grammie Connie, my DMIL, who watched William for me while Nicholas was in the pool, we were off to the Seattle Aquarium, in search of fishies! ALWAYS a favorite of the boys. Nicholas asked to go to the Seattle Aquarium, so off we we went. YAY! We had just been there last week, but they just never tire of it. They sure did have a great time. William is so much more mobile, so it was nice to be able to set him down and let him roam. The joy of discovery on his face was just so awesome! The section that was the biggest hit was the tide pools, where they have so many anemones, starfish, etc. They allow hands (well, your "science finger") in there, so William got to experience his third rounds with the anemones. Loved that, as did he: all smiles. I wrote this last week abut our visit, and it still holds true for this weeks visit:
It is interesting that Nicholas also enjoys the interactive screens that they have it here. We visit them all, with me reading what they say, him doing what needs to be done to get it all to work. Great leaning tool! William is a HUGE fan of the tropical fish tanks. :razz: :shock:
Wednesday morning was something else... Nicholas will be able to watch an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse prior to any planned activities, as long as it isn't a school day where time just doesn't support it. We start he program, only to hear meows from Lola. Next thing I know she is perched up on the stand for the TV, and is watching it too. She was mesmerized, just kept watching-all the action on the screen. She stayed for the whole program. LOL: Lola had a thing for a mouse. Irony there somehow! :lol: :lol: :lol:
THANKSGIVING!!! We spent the day at Nicholas's and William's. Dinner was fantastic, and I was told that Nicholas helped with most of it. We arrived to his more than welcome greeting, as he ran out to meet us, shouting "You made it!!" over and over again. :lol:
It was a great time together as a family. My two other sons also came, Dinner was great, as was dessert. It wouldn't be Thanksgiving if the football game of the night wasn't on, so we watched our Seattle Seahawks play San Francisco. Woot! we won! I am grateful for so many things... my family, my life, and all you here on LL that allow me to continue to post here, and even take the time to read this never sending novel/saga. I am grateful for my furkids who just seem to make life complete. My list is endless.... I woke up that morning thinking about Mannie, his image was just so vivid. Somehow I think he came home for Thanksgiving, for a bit. I spend time that morning watching his Tribute video, his One Year Gone video, just remembering. I miss all that he was, and his role her n LL/. Seems just like yesterday that he was being the force he was in LL. What great times they were! Here's t you Mannie! ThX for spending time with me on Thanksgiving. Friday was a stay at home day... no Black Friday chaos for me,. :lol: :lol: I did some online holiday shopping, reminiscing about the way things used to be. I grew up in a very small town, where Holiday shopping meant actually getting out to the store, and they were all small locally owned stores, and shop there. What fun it was back then, I knda miss those days, things sure are different nowadays. We also decorated some too, got about 3/4 of the house decor up. Of course Lola had to help. She was into everything! EVERYTHING! I drew the line when it came time to put up the railing garlands, and she just wouldn't leave them alone, all the while walking back and forth ion the railing... :shock: So she was confined to quarters for abit so I could get hat thing up without incident. Once sprung from prison she made a point of inspecting it all, making sure I had done it right. Back and forth she went on that railing, looking at it all. Crazy cats! what a fun morniong, a prelide to all the FUN to eb ahd by the family at the pool that night.
Normalcy in MusketeerVille!
The kitties are all doing well. Not too much new with them... Fall move into winter mode is here, they are bunkering down, but still yearning for the great outdoors when the sun is out. Elsa still ventures out, and when out she doesn't stay long. Bug could care less, Lola is ALWAYS grounded, and always wants OUT. :lol: Lola has been trying to be good, and for the most part I'm not yelling LOLA! after whatever it is she did. :lol: :lol: :lol: I can hardly wait for Christmas and all we went through with her last year. I can still see that tree swaying.... :lol: :lol: :lol: We had fun putting up the decor yesterday, a prelude I am sure to the grands adventure of the tree, that will probably happen next weekend. We had snow last night and now the temps are really dropping, so that fluffy stuff is now icy stuff, and the kitties do not want to have anything to doth it. Elsa went out, stayed 1 minute and then back in she was, complaining the whole time. :lol: :lol: last week she has decided lately to nap on my lap, usually in the early morning hours when I am on the 'puter. cool! That has continued this week, sometime in the afternoon too. It is amazing how serene and calm and content she looks when she is sleeping.... Of course this was only after she has these marathon run through the house for close to 30 minutes. Elsa whacks her for even thinking she wants to join. Bug of course did, runs right along with her, stopping now and then to play with a toy instead. :lol: GO KITTIES!! And yes, Nicholas continues to talk about Mannie.... cat_pet_icon Have a great Caturday everyone. Sorry this post it late today. Sorry too I missed everyone's condos yesterday too. Time this morning, and the days, have gotten away from me, yet again. This morning has been laid back and relaxing, I did make that early morning walk out, just as the snows had stopped falling. it was gorgeous out there, but cold when the winds picked up. I would like to try for a woods walk, but falling the temp just went to 28, and will windchill they say it is closer to 19. BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! So we shall see on that one. I may just end up looking at all the white from my window. it is so pretty now, with the sun shining, illuminating it all. Sparkles out there!
KITTIES! Remember: think BLUE, think GREEN cat_pet_icon
