Yesterday, I was out doing lawn care stuff, when a stray (presumably) cat popped up and attached itself to my legs, meowing at me and purring. I actually had to avoid stepping on it once or twice, so I went to the back porch (it following) and rapped on the window. Cats cause Anne to swell up like a balloon and she gave me a concerned quizzical look (and a warning that “we’re not keeping it”), but I managed to get her to give me a can of tuna on the plate for the cat (who, as it turns out, has been residing on a neighbor’s three-season porch). The cat ate the entire can and licked the plate completely clean.

Meanwhile, the girls were peering out the window. Claire, who loves anything that moves, kept asking Anne to let the cat inside. Madeline was severely concerned that this might occur, and kept pointing, yelling “puppy” and generally voicing her unhappiness. (No surprise - she gets the crying shudders anytime a dog gets too close.)

However, after I came inside and the cat left (and I thoroughly washed my hands), Madeline begain walking around and peering out various windows, and saying in quite a sad-sounding voice “Where puppy?” This went on for ten minutes, her wandering from window to window, asking the same thing. Finally, Anne said “Kitty went to home to see his daddy,” which (since Maddy is in a Daddy period right now) seemed to satisfy her.

Very adorable.

-j.