Connor constructed this rocket for Baxter during his day off from school. He borrowed my folding protractor-ruler to exactly measure the angles he needed for the nose cone/pyramid (so he must be internalizing some of that geometry he’s been learning).
Assembly of the rocket involved my (very cheap) hot glue gun, Elmer’s glue (when we ran out of glue sticks), and gaffer’s tape (when the Elmer’s was taking too long to dry).
I’m still not entirely convinced that Baxter enjoys being rocketed around the house in a box, but I could be wrong.
Baxter is the first cat I’ve known to actually sit in the bathroom sink.
I’ll be curious to see if he does this more frequently in the summer, when it’s warmer… but cats prefer temps hotter than humans do, so maybe it’s not a matter of enjoying the coolness of the sink?
I spent at least an hour yesterday repotting aloes and kalanchoes that Baxter had knocked over. I was proud of the arrangement of heavier pots in stands and supports, and was sure they’d be safe from kitty shenanigans.
As happens so often, I was completely wrong.
After I took the above photo, I went and had a good cry — because, seriously, how the hell am I supposed to make any headway on my general clutter if I keep having to rescue my plants? And not that I’m wishing kitty destruction on my family’s belongings, but I’m feeling a little singled-out here.
(I should note that he also gets up on the bathroom counter where I keep my bookbinding supplies and knocks my brushes onto the floor.)
Baxter doesn’t even spend time in this window; he specifically targeted my aloe plant. I only have so many windows, especially during the winter when the sunroom is too cold for most plants, and this shell game of moving plants from window to window to avoid destruction is getting old quick. He’s already eaten my purple shamrock THREE TIMES, and I’m running out of window options.
(BTW, remind me to tell you all about what happens when one accidentally leaves succulents in an unheated sunroom in February. The aftermath alleviated some of my plant overcrowding issues.)
So, as part of Laundry & Chores Sunday, I get to once again repot my aloe, AND rescue all my baby jade starts that got scattered across the kitchen floor.
EDIT: My Google research tells me that aloe is toxic to cats. Well, that’s just great. Hopefully Baxter just gnawed on the leaves and didn’t actually eat any of it. I’ll feel like a real ass if eating my cherished plants makes my cat barf.
Last weekend, we took a trip to our favorite discount store to use our coupon for 15% off to buy Baxter a cat tree.
Aaron and Connor did not have an easy time puzzling out the assembly instructions, but they made it go in the end. Baxter knew it was for him before they were even done, and kept trying to insert himself into the process.
The cat hammock has become Baxter’s go-to napping spot: fuzzy, comfy, close to scratching surfaces and dangly toys, and with an unobstructed view of both the living room and the outdoors.
