Crazy Clark

So we got a cat.

Actually, he is a 3 month old kitten. Jeanne convinced me to get him using all her power of persuasion and manipulation! 

Just kidding. We found more mouse droppings in the garage, and the drowned mouse in the back yard, and Pat has seen something scurrying about in the garden. The icing on the cake was when I found yet another deer tick on Sebastian. According to an expert Pat heard, those small rodents are the main culprit for lymes disease, so we got this cat to help take care of that!  (Many thanks to Jeanne who made it possible and helped me in many and innumerable ways!!!)

So, you see, this is a WORKING ANIMAL.

Behold how hard he works!

We named him Clark, after one of the streets that Wrigley Field is on. (Notice a theme in our animal-names? There is one other street Wrigley is on, so that means I can convince Pat to get one more animal. Of course, his name will be Addison, after Addison Street). It is OK for a working animal to be named after a road. After all, Pat knows someone who named his two kids after the streets Wrigley field is on! So you should be thankful, Clark!

Working hard yet again:

As aunt Betty says, "What could possibly go wrong?"

Kateri and Sebastian certainly work hard to test Clark's patience. He has been thrown, sat on, held, hugged, dragged around, pulled by the tail, and generally manhandled (we are working on this! kids are somewhat learning and getting better) and has never once scratched. I almost wish he would!

I even once found them in the downstairs holding him under the running sink-faucet covered in hand soap.

Halfway through the drying process

They accomplished that in about 30 seconds. (Giant face-palm)

They definitely deserved a good scratch! But he never gave them one.

Somehow, this cat still really really likes us, and even seems to like the kids. He doesn't even go running ever time he sees them. In fact, he is incredibly affectionate. If I'm reading a book to the kids, he climbs up on my shoulder, purring like mad. 

He prefers to have your undivided attention.

Me, trying to read a book:

Even though he will be an outdoor cat (hopefully soon!!), I think we will have to let him come inside so that he can have plenty of "people-time". 

And, on a completely and entirely different note, I highly recommend this book if you are looking for something to read. It is especially insightful if you read it after reading "With God in Russia".