night time and kittens

i just went into the kids rooms to check on them before I go to bed.  I walked into Clara's dark bedroom and my heart kind of skipped a beat as i looked at her bed and saw this long dark figure stretched out on it.  i almost felt like calling out, "who's there" - wondering who had snuck into my little girls room when i wasn't looking.  But as i got closer i realized it was my little girl.  just that she's not so little anymore.  i felt like i needed to touch her soft cheek and check her bare little toes just to make sure she really was mine.  that that really was clara.  how can a person i'm so familiar with possibly change and grow faster than i even have time to notice? I'm not just being sentimental - this really did happen. and it made me want to laugh at myself and cry in the very same minute.

then i went in to check on the boys.  grady was hanging off his bed from the waist down and graham was hanging off his bed from the neck up.  silly boys.

and....on a side note.  we got baby kitty's last night.  currently named lightening and velvet.  I think Grady and Clara feel like life has finally begun:)  I hope i never forget that look on Grady's face when he walked back to the car after having picked out his little gray cat.  It was like having that little baby animal in his arms made him complete.  even more grady than he was before he picked it up.   Seeing my kids (even Leah!) haul those little kitty's around tonight made me so happy i kinda wanted to cry. cause that's just how i roll these days:)

These are out door, mice catching, garage living cats. period.  but sometimes, if they promise to stay in the mudroom, I let them bring them in.  just for a minute...