Cat!

Its been a long time between posts. Thanksgiving came and went and it was definitely a much needed break for Abbie. She took full advantage of it in terms of catching up on her sleep and gearing up for the final stretch of the semester. 

Since returning from the break, school has been keeping her busy. She signed up for sports photography to satisfy her PE requirement, so at least one night a week she needs to photograph the various sports teams that are playing. She also had a huge math assignment that was due yesterday and kept her busy for the past few weeks. Last weekend, she basically locked herself in her room and started studying for midterm exams, which are coming next week. I think she plans to do the same this coming weekend. Exams make up 15% of her grade for the semester, so it is definitely important that she do her best. 

Despite all the work, she still manages to squeeze some fun in here and there. Yesterday afternoon, she met a couple of girls from her grade at Starbucks so that they could study together. I don't think they accomplished much studying, but at least it was fun to socialize. The other immediate source of entertainment is the stray cat that has shown up around our house lately. We suspect that someone abandoned a litter of kittens because we have been seeing a black cat, an orange cat, and a white cat within a block or so of our house. 

Pumpkin the Cat

 

The white cat is the most friendly and we have finally been able to lure her in with food. The girls have named her Pumpkin and she has started visiting us every day. She likes the food, but she also likes the attention (sort of). She desperately wants her face pet, but is also a little nervous and can get overwhelmed by too much petting. Being an outdoor cat, both her nails and teeth are super tough and sharp, and she doesn't hesitate to use them if she decides that we aren't petting her "correctly."

Attacking Abbie's Arm

She is a goofball, though, and we find her sleeping in the most random spots. One morning, before we had been able to keep her from running away from us, she was sleeping balled up on one of our patio chairs. A couple nights ago, she curled up in a large flower pot. This afternoon, which was rather warm, she just slept in the dirt outside the dining room window.

Having a cat to pet is a good stress reliever at the end of the day. The other source of fun on the horizon is a visit from Abbie's friend Eleanor, who will be staying with us for three nights during the week before Christmas. The girls really haven't been able to see each other since before the pandemic, so I think they are both looking forward to it. If I remember, I'll get some photos of Abbie in which she is actually facing the camera. :)