April was a fog of kitten-induced fatigue and worry, a bit of homeschool and the hope of the sunshine… even as we navigated the uncertainty and unspoken weight of fear that came with the arrival of the Coronavirus. At some point… maybe in April but maybe not until May – Brian and I were able to articulate how heavy the stress was that was due to the virus. We were distracted and we were busy and we’re used to being home anyway… but still it affected us. Acknowledging it gave us permission to be gentle with ourselves. Didn’t fix it, but it was something.
Coco was the last surviving kitten of an unfortunate litter at a friend’s house nearby. They bottle fed him to keep him alive for a week and then I took over. After just a few days of being awake at night and struggling with constipation and worrying about his fragile tiny self that always measured a good week or more behind other kitten’s weight at his age…. I was very grateful that kittens don’t take very long to grow up.:
In April, a tiny (premature, probably) kitten joined our family for bottle feeding!
Trying to be a big kitty and stand up.
My best snuggle buddy.
Helping the girls with school!
Sooooooo much baby napping.
Somehow, he managed to get up on TOP of the hot water bottle in a sock…. and passed out happily there.
When Coco was too big to live in his little box, we set him up in the big bathtub. Daniel was (still is) enamored with the kitten. For awhile, he wanted his forearm crutches… because then it was like he had four legs, “just like the kitten!” He’s also fond of saying, “When the kitten bigger, THEN Daniel hold it!?”
Helping me make fun things with leather.
No way he’d fit in there now!
Unusual markings! Pink and black skin (mostly black) with mostly white hair. His tail is dark!
Also this month… Maggie and Carrie did something really creative that was pretty disturbing… they made dummies and left them around the house!
I finished my first leather journal cover! I didn’t stamp it or anything and the fit was too tight… and the stitching – TOOK FOREVER. But, it looked and felt good in my hands!
Daniel’s 7th birthday!!! Happy birthday, big little man!
Daniel helping me cook.
Brian’s quarantine mustache and beard got a little out of control.
A look around the “farm:”
Fruit trees were mulched! Lost a cherry tree and two more cherry trees aren’t doing well, but the plums and apples still look good.
We still have a bunch of chickens!
Getting some early spring sunshine whenever it came and watering the vegetable starts I’d purchased.
Ta-da! Our raised garden.
🙂
Is it any wonder that we chuckle when we see Anna carrying her dog in the doggie front pack?
His favorite place.
Drawin!
A kitten clock that’s plugged in! What could be better?
Lunchtime!
Because we couldn’t get to his orthopedist, we consulted via the internet a couple times to try and make a new plan.
Telehealth appointment
Photos for his orthopedist.
More grooming at the neighbor’s house.
Blueberries look hopeful for a good year! Endless weeding going on.
And I’ll leave off my April photos with the leather coasters I was burning with a cheap woodburning tool. It seemed impossible to keep the temperature stable, but I still liked the effect of the uneven burning. (I also tried with Brian’s soldering iron, which had a slightly more predictable temperature, but wasn’t as hot/dark as the wood burner.)
