Crystal Pets

I don't know if they still do this in elementary schools, but back when I was a kid, one magical day every December, the music room was transformed into "Santa's Secret Shop."  I don't know who stocked this little store, but it was every kid's dream.  It was full of fabulous (read: painfully useless) trinkets that we'd buy to grace our family's stockings.  

I'm ashamed to admit that I don't really remember any of the gifts that I bought, but I do remember buying myself several sets of "Crystal Pets" - small animals crafted of clear (plastic) "crystal".  I can only imagine that it was a wave of nostalgia that compelled me (a complete teetotaller) to buy these cocktail creatures from Target's Dollar Spot:

Aren't the colors great?  

There's a giraffe, a monkey, a long-horn steer, a mermaid, a donkey, a camel, and an elephant.
 
I think I like the monkeys best.

I call this "Election 2008: Crystal Pets Edition."

Who says they have to grace a martini glass?  I think they'd significantly cheer up a plain old glass of water.

A Cat and her Family

The other week, Bella got to hang out with her cousins.  She was really excited to see them.  Most of them are older than she is, and the fact that her older, cooler cousins give her the time of day really boosts her ego.
Here's Bella with her oldest cousin, Katherine.

Here's Katherine at Little Bohemia, where we went shopping for beads.  Bella dreams of someday going to Little Bohemia.

Here Katherine is contemplating her takeover of Grand Rapids.

Here's Bella's cousin John.  It's hard to get a picture of him.  He moves pretty fast.

He'll usually slow down for a computer, though.  Or Legos.  He's a Lego master.  Bella could learn a lot from him.

Here's Margaret.  She moves fast, too.  She's a jump rope enthusiast - here she is jumping.  Bella wishes she could jump rope.  Actually, she could.  She's just too lazy.

Also, Margaret's a horse enthusiast.  Here she is doing her best to look like a shifty-eyed horse thief.

And last but not least, Lizzie (and me).  She's four.

Don't tell Lizzie, but four-year-olds make Bella nervous.  I got the distinct impression that she was wishing she had a shell in which to retreat right about this time.  I think if she retracted her head any further, she'd displace her lungs.  She was pretty much a ball of nerves the entire visit.
 
Later on, we were telling Aunt Deb and Katherine about our visit with Bella.
Lizzie:  She tried to run under the bed, but Aunt Sue and I catched her.
Katherine:  You mean, "caught her."
Lizzie:  Well, you weren't there, so we catched her.
Here's Bella being combed by her Aunt Anne.

Bella loves to be combed.

We miss you family!

Mother's Day

I want to take this opportunity to wish a Happy Mother's Day to my
talented,

(she made my couch cushions.  She can make pretty much anything)

kind,

(when I was little, a real cat attacked and maimed this toy cat of mine.  She dried my tears and carefully stitched up my little stuffed animal for me)

cat-loving,

(she instilled in me a deep love for the feline species)

Chocolate-loving,

(also a love for things originating from the cocoa bean)

God-loving,

(more importantly, she instilled in me a love for God and His word)

all-around Fabulous Mom!

Happy Mother's Day, Mother!  I love you!