Pepper Poppy’s House
The June SnapShop wrapped up on Sunday. However, I am working through offering feedback on photos that students submitted. So for a little bit each day I am looking at photos by others with scrutiny – much more than I ever look at photos with on a regular day. So, with that in mind, I struggled looking through the pictures for today’s post. They are all photos I like, but several of them could be improved so many ways. Prior to teaching SnapShops I wasn’t so mindful of my own photos when I posted them. I still post lots that have ‘mistakes’ and could use improvement, I often wonder what past SnapShop students notice. I hope they see my mistakes, see ways I can improve my photos and also see that a captured memory is more important to me than a technically great photo.
Anyway….total change of subject. We have a cat.
She is probably around 6 months old and weighs 4lbs. I found her in our flower bed. Honestly, I thought she was dead. I am allergic to cats (at least cat hair inside), so me and cats have never really got along. This cat has lived in our flower bed – barely moving. I was worried about disease or sickness – so I stayed away and tried to figure out what to do. My more merciful and compassionate husband and kids decided to leave food out for the cat. It stayed in hiding, was very scared of us, and looked rough. After weeks of leaving out food, one day she emerged and decided we were her family.
She’s got her shots. Has some minor health issues we are working through, but the sick little stray now has a family and is getting healthy. Last week she was chasing birds – such a far cry from the cat we first met who could barely move. The boys named her Pepper Poppy Campbell. Pepper because she is black and that is Ironman’s assistant’s name. Poppy because she was found in our flower bed.
I’m up first every morning. She is always waiting at the back door. Don’t judge my dirty door. There is more to life than a clean back door (at least that is what I told myself when I saw this picture and realized how dirty the door is!).
Since the cat is not coming in our house, the boys built her a home out of cardboard. Well, one good rain later I knew that had to be fixed. I asked my grandpa if he would help the boys build a cat house. I don’t know if there is such a thing as cat houses…but my kids wanted her to have a home and I want to breathe so we had to build something. I remember building with my dad and grandpa growing up. Those were some of my favorite memories. You can tell by these pictures, my grandpa is a great teacher.
My mom gave FireCracker some new shoes. She calls them her “running shoes” – her little legs looks so cute and athletic in them. She’s outgrown her cowgirl boots..Little One gets those next.
She wasn’t too interested in building.
All these pictures of my oldest make me smile. He is so intent in all he does. He soaks it all in and only begins when he knows he can do something correctly. It drives me crazy at times because I just want him to try things instead of worrying about doing them right. It drives me crazy because he gets that trait from me….he and I are so, so much alike.
This is one of my all-time favorite pictures.
Thank you Grandpa for helping the boys build the cat house, for finishing it when they got distracted and for loving my kids – all 5 of them.
Then there is this kid who is getting goofy with each passing day. He is not quite so intent or focused.
He easily distracted himself with spinning the board holder and stopping it with his chin. He is more like his daddy.
Pepper’s house is not finished. I caulked it. I caulked a house for a cat – what is going on?! Next the boys need to paint it. Regardless, Pepper likes her new home. I always thought our first family pet would be a cute puppy. The kids would open a box and it would have a bow on it’s head. It would be healthy and ‘perfect’. Our first pet is a lonely, very sick, very rough looking stray cat. And yet, somehow when I walk into the kitchen and begin fixing my coffee, the morning is a little brighter seeing her scraggly face peeking in at me.
