Super Bowl & Vacation

Gno the Packer lawn gnome.

We had a few friends over for the Superbowl.  Since we're Wisconsin people, Green Bay making it in was pretty exciting.  This is Gno the impaler, our mascot.  My 4 year old niece wrapped her beads around his head so he'd be more festive.  She also tried to give Wanda some beads but that didn't go over very well.

Mavis hates when we have people over.  HATES.  She hates it so much she runs to the basement and climbs into the rafters and settles into the drop ceiling on the finished half of the basement.  She slowly creeps out when they all leave and is covered in dust and ceiling tile mess.  And since she's black, I feel like I have to clean her off with a towel, which she also hates.  Wanda on the other hand loves having company.  It's almost as if she thinks people are there to see her.  She even does cute little things like this...

Don't be fooled...

Sure, it's cute when she does that. but the minute you try to touch her, she attacks and tries to eat you.  Two of my friends that were over for the big game are not Wanda fans.  It's not that they dislike Wanda, they fear her.  Even the 4 year old knows that Wanda's kind of a jerk and that she should leave her alone.  But not these 2 boys.  One friend spent the evening hiding his feet from Wanda in fear that she would devour them, and the other made fake cat hiss noises at her most of the evening.  I of course, encouraged her to attack by calmly saying "WANDA!  ATTACK!" while she was curled up next to me being super cute.  If my guests would just realize that I have CATS, and not DOGS things would be easier.  Cats don't like to be messed with. 

Mavis doing her "belly rub?" face

Cats also don't like vacations.  I just got back from Texas where I went on a lovely vacation with some of the ladies in my family.  Vacations are always excellent.  Unless you have pets.  Especially cats. Wanda and Mavis hate vacation.  Typically when husband and I go out of town, we have our good friend JP come watch the girls.  She's awesome with them and Mavis even lays on her lap, which is very unusual for her given that she's afraid of everything and everyone.

I've learned that when I'm going on vacation, I cannot put my suitcase out until the night before I'm leaving lest I end up getting a scratched up, cat hair covered bag to take to the airport.  Wanda is the worst.  I know you're surprised.  This time I was smart.  I had all of my clothes in a laundry basket that I kept on top of the hamper so all I had to do was transfer them into my suitcase.  I did that at about 10pm on Tuesday to leave for the airport at 430am on Wednesday.  By 1030pm, Wanda had somehow wedged her kitty paw into the half zipped case and made a nest on top of my clothes.  When my alarm went off in the morning, she jumped off the bed and promptly used my bag as a scratching post.  Also, on my way out the door at 430 in the damn morning, I discovered some cat puke on my kitchen rug.  A little going away present from one of the girls....Since husband didn't come with me on this vacation, I called him everyday to check in and see how he was getting along without me.  He reported that the girls were missing me and sitting in the kitchen staring at the door at times, waiting for me to come home.  Talk about loyalty!!  And from cats!

They were very excited when I got home. They've spent the last few days sleeping, playing and dragging 8 toys up the stairs while we sleep and leaving them on the landing outside our bathroom door.