Third Star to the Right and Straight Down I-80

Hello, my fellow Halloweenies! This post is dedicated to all of the seasonal activities that have been keeping us busy leading up to Halloween.  Well, for starters we had the CADA Halloween Carnival.  Every year the dental spouses' association puts on a Halloween event in The Sheep Barn at Squire Valleevue and Valley Ridge Farms.  And this year not only did I help the Mommunists to set up, but Nicholas and I attended the event in costume.  I'm sure you're wondering what kind of costumes we wore, so here it is:

You guessed it! Nicholas went as Mary Martin and I went as a schizophrenic who can't properly regulate body temperature and, therefore, wears a nightgown outside in the 35 degree October weather.  Just kidding.  We went as Peter Pan and Wendy.  Nicholas wants me to tell you all that it was his idea.  Oh, he's clever! Oh, the cleverness of him!  Of course, I did nothing...

Nicholas as Mary Martin.  Note comparable breast size.

Nicholas was a big hit with our little neighbor, MaKendree, who followed him around and repeated in awe, "Peter Pan...Peter Pan...Peter?"  Don't worry, I set her straight.  I told her that Peter Pan doesn't really exist and that her parents are also pulling her leg about Santa, the Easter Bunny, and the need to floss.  She took the news well:

Footage Not Found

 Her mom told me that a week later, on their way to their church's Halloween carnival, MaKendree was asking for Peter Pan.  Now that I know how good Nicholas is at establishing rapport with small children, I think it's time for us to start considering some major life changes.  I've even begun to redecorate and rearrange the house accordingly.

Children: The Cleveland Treat

Yesterday we drove back to Pittsburgh to see Nicholas' family and go to the pumpkin patch.  Some people would tell you that the snow and freezing rain detracted from the experience.  I will tell you that it only served to make it better.  I am a liar.
 Here we are at the archway leading into the farm.  The other side was inscribed with the words "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here."

The gateway to a super fun time.  Just ask Dante.

To get to the pumpkin patch we got to take a really damp hayride. Here we are on the hayride with Shea's little girl, Addison.

Addi is really sweet and, with the right seasoning,  savory as well

After we chose our pumpkins, Nicholas, Shea and I took Addi to the Boo Barn.  The Barn held all manner of things designed to scare both the old and the young alike.

Tonight Nicholas and I carved our pumpkins.  I'll give you a preview of what they look like all lit up.

In the Halloween spirit

Aware of Social Worker's long-term earning potential

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYBODY!

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr's Anatomy

We join you now for this post-op addition of--you guessed it--our blog! Yesterday we took Pog to the vet to be spayed.  For those of you not in the know, the spay operation is the process through which the female cat's reproductive organs are surgically removed.  It's a long operation because, unlike the human female, female cats actually have multiple uterine horns.

Uterine horns

The more elusive Unihorn

As you can imagine, Pog was pretty nervous about going under the knife.  She used all of the normal coping mechanisms to deal with her heightened state of anxiety: cat nip, diaphragmatic breathing, and some other old-school  tricks she had up her sleeve.

At any rate we crated Pog and took her to the vet early yesterday morning and some point thereafter, Tolliver finally came out of hiding.

Huge pussy...cat

In case you're biting your nails about how the surgery went, Pog is fine and home with us again (SPOILER ALERT).  And you know, for as much as Pog bothers Tolliver, I really think he was worried about her while she was gone.

Anyway, not much more to say here.  Her recovery process has been pretty standard so far.  She's had no appetite,

pronounced lethargy,

and a really unflattering new haircut.

The only problem is that she cloistered up in the second bedroom again and she and the other cats are having a hard time with the separation.

I'd like to believe that Pog is not behind that door trying to dig her way out to her new friends; but the pieces of wall-to-wall that I keep finding stuck between her toes is pretty damning evidence...

People's exhibit A

That's about all I have to say for now.  Everyone's home together and recovering nicely from own little surgical drama...

...Actually come to think of it, all of this talk of neutering has got Nicholas acting a little strange...

Guarding the Gonads

Tolliver Smolen Lives and Pig in Autumn

Please don't sue me, Armistead Maupin.

So, about that fourth cat we don't have...she is freakin' NUTS.  Back when we were still keeping her isolated in the guest bedroom she was all sweet and loving and then we let her out and she kinda went crazy; but I'll get to that in a second.  Let's start with formal introductions.  Our kitty's name is Pog.  She looks a lot like this:

But exactly like this:

In case you're wondering, I didn't get her at a bad angle...that's just how she looks at me.  To be fair, I'm not the only one who's getting a bad vibe off Pog.  Now that she's been "integrated" into the main part of the house she's developed a hobby: tackling Tolliver.  Tolliver, as it turns out, is not coping well with having another cat around the house who is exactly like him.  For those of you who haven't spent much time around Tolliver, let me give you some insight.

Minion of the Anti-Christ

Okay, this one is just cute

So poor Tolliver has been slinking around the house trying to avoid being tackled to the ground by cat who is less than half his size.
Also, she's a filthy trash bandit

I am a little worried though by how out-numbered Nicholas and I are by the feline contingent in our house.  I mean, they're smart and they're organized...who knows what they do once we go to sleep at night.

Hopefully nothing this queer

The humans have been keeping busy too.  We went back to New Brighton on Saturday for a baby shower and my friend Addison and I gave Nicholas a makeover.

Note the awesome magenta blow dryer

And on Sunday I went to observe Nicholas and in the lab again.  Personally, I think his look could still use a little work.  Note the exposed chest hair and chain:

I finally learned how to use Paintbrush

To me a white t-shirt here would be the difference between "I'm going to fix your teeth" and "I'm going to sell you a used car."

It's gonna be legend-... wait for it... and I hope you're not lactose intolerant because the second half of that word is DAIRY!

That's right folks, another legendary blog entry from the Cleve!  You know how new parents like to impress their friends and families by sharing anecdotes of the new words that their babies are saying?  Well, it's not like we're trying to one-up anyone...

...but I have little story of my own to share.  Nicholas has a new word: mitzvah.  The other day a woman stopped us on the street and asked to use Nicholas' cell phone to call her son.  After placing the call for her and successfully connecting mother and son, Nicholas proudly declared that he had done a mitzvah.  I'm really proud of his recent dedication to doing good works; so much so that I've been thinking of getting him a tzedakah box to keep in the house so that he can make more frequent contributions to the needy.

New tzedakah box

Perhaps the more impressive bit of news--not that my 29 year old learning new words isn't impressive--is that a week ago today we closed on our house.  That's right! We are now home owners.  I'll let the pictures do some of the talking for us.

Just a little taste to encourage each and every one of you to come visit (NOT ALL AT THE SAME TIME!).  We're ecstatic to have finally closed on the house.  We even had all of the other Case families on our street over to the house tonight to celebrate.  In case in you were wondering why the dining room table looked like it was listing under the weight of too much food in the photo...that's why.  Also, if you've ever wondered how you keep four children under the age of three entertained in a house with no toys, I now have the answer:

Oh my goodness! You guys will never believe the adorable thing Nicholas just did!

See?  I mean, does it get any cuter?

And in closing, I just want to say: remember how Nicholas and I always had four cats?  Yeah, well that's still true.