Ballerinas and Escape Artists

Boo Radley with the grace of a dancer

Like any family, we all have our own individual talents. Mr Findingmoxie has skill with numbers and likes being called a mathematician. I can read 100 pages in an hour and have a photographic memory, more or less (English 45C Final at Berkeley, I couldn't remember the name of the W.B. Yeats poem and referenced it by the page number in the anthology. Yes, that's how geeky I can be).

Boo Radley, as you've seen, is a ballerina. Scout is an indefatigable sportsman. Dill is the fastest draw in the west when it comes to leaping out of the pen--escape artist or ninja, I don't even know. What I do know is that she takes a stunning photo. Kid's a natural.

Dill, born to pose

Calpurnia is a devotee of the string. Wherever there is a string, she will give up everything for worship of it. Even conkers (yeah, they love conkers. Why do we have conkers? God, I so wanted to type 'honkers' all because I am twelve years old. Because spiders fear them and we fear spiders). Anywho. The kittens adore knocking around our conkers.

Sensei Atticus

Atticus surely must have the sharpest claws as he sharpens them all day long, but he is also wise, because he knows that with great power, comes great responsibility and has never scratched me. It's like he's a Sensei in training: our own Mr Miagi. Jem, well, Jem is the beauty queen. Jem has cheekbones to die for and lovely slanted eyes--and he knows it. He languishes about (when he's not tearing it up at playtime) and regally tilts his head, to hold his chiseled cheek up for a genteel rub. Not much of a cuddler otherwise, but preens when you make a fuss about his bone structure.

Atticus and Dill facing off

To catch you all up, we've been experimenting with all lot more playtime outside of the pen. I know, we were advised that they might not be ready. But I don't think they got the memo. Every single time, I open their pen for feeding or cleaning, one of them is out like a shot--usually Dill. What's most galling is that they seem to be sharper than me in the morning. I stumble out of the bedroom, thinking they're just helpless and hungry, and they're like little meerkats, all upright and eyeing me up for their moment of escape. Yesterday morning, I must have been especially tired because three, count 'em, three got past me. I'm not a morning person and the little darlings have already scented this weakness. So, rather than fight a losing battle, I'm going with it. Besides, it gives the OCD in me opportunity to hoover out their pen while they run themselves ragged.

Boo Radley giving me the finger

I'll be honest; on the occasions they surprised me, I had neglected to shut the bedroom door and being super cunning, they made a beeline for the bedroom. Now, I had promised Mr Findingmoxie that we would keep the little allergen-shedding rascals from the bedroom and this caused me some serious panic. The first time, I chased Atticus around the bed a few times, muttering, 'oh no, oh no, oh no, ' which quickly turned to tiny shrieks when he jumped and ran across BOTH OF OUR PILLOWS. Not anywhere else on the bed. Not across the foot, but right across both pillows where we like to rest our faces. Our clean, freshly washed faces. Now, sadly, I had to confess this to Mr Findingmoxie and measures were taken.

Our fancy box

Dill on his obstacle course

Last night, however, had to be the most comical and simply ridiculous position in which I have EVER found myself--which if you know me, is saying something! It was late and I was finishing up feeding the kittens. Mr Findingmoxie had already retired to his rest. Reaching into the pen to put their clean litter tray in, three kittens jumped out simultaneously. Cue 'Ack.' Naturally, it was a kitty beeline for the bedroom, where Mr Findingmoxie laid his pretty little head. I dashed after them into the bedroom, to see Mr Findingmoxie, deep asleep (phew) with his eye-mask on and oblivious to it all. By all, I refer to the 2 kittens gamboling around our bedroom. I had to tread carefully--literally. Picture me chasing kittens around the bedroom on tiptoe, all the while keeping an eye on the door to avoid any more kittens coming in and trying to refrain from cursing. It was the quietest chase scene in the entire world. Needless to say, I was fully cognizant of the absolute hilarity of the whole scene and on top of it all, had to keep from laughing. Wish you were all there. Although, not sure if Mr Findingmoxie would have found it all that amusing.

It's Conker TIME!

Conclusion: the kittens are definitely developing personalities and are getting more and more comfortable. Boo Radley will still not play with me, but will allow me to pet and pick him up. Briefly. He's definitely my troubleshoot. The others are coming along in leaps and bounds. And I'm in love with them all. Curses. Oh and they LOVE foam fingers. Seriously.