7:34 am

It's a pain when they get up this early, but I think this picture says more than my words could.

A few pics

Damn Woodpecker

Those  who have heard me complain about all of the things that seem to be going wrong with the new house will not be surprised to see what was making the loud knocking sound in our living room.

I give up!

A Pile of Critters

The neighborhood block party

Yeah, we got to meet a bunch of our new neighbors, but the firetruck was really the highlight of the event!

Daddy/Daughter Date Night

Bobbie Jo and Max went to the fair, so Lily and I hit Steak and Shake.

More trouble

Just what we needed, a third troublemaker in the house.

Lando

We (mostly I) weren't able to make it very long without a cat in the house. Today Max and I took a drive out to Allendale to pick up our newest addition, "Lando" (or 'wowow, as Lily calls him).

He's already clawed and bitten his way into our hearts.

Things seem a little empty tonight

Neo was our favorite cat, and outlived both Emma and Rizzo. I have owned a cat for the last 15 or 16 years. Bobbie Jo and I have never been together without a cat in our lives. Today we had to make the difficult decision to put Neo to sleep.

Neo was the most friendly of our cats. He would always hop up on our laps, couch, or bed when called. He was full of energy, even to the very end. Not many cats will let you cuddle with them-Neo did. If I was napping on the couch, he would lay beside me and let me hold him.

He will be greatly missed, but I have a feeling that I'm not going to be able to go for long without a cat here.

Monkey Bars:1, Max:0

I was in a meeting on Wednesday when a call came in from a number I didn't recognize; I sent it to voicemail. A few minutes later I thought about the babysitter who was watching Max and Lily, she was planning on taking them to the library and perhaps the park. I glanced at the phone's transcription of the message that was left.

While the majority of the transcription was crap, I did see "park", "monkey bars", and "broke".

Three hours later (after a few good laughs at Max on painkillers), we had a fracture, a splint, and a followup appointment in a week. They are pretty sure that it won't need surgery but are expecting him to be in a cast for 4-6 weeks. He was a trooper at the hospital, very brave, but I don't think the gravity of the situation has settled in yet.

I have to go, Max is making me snap together his Lego. He tells me where they go, and I put them together. Its going to be a long 6 weeks.