Gosh darn.
The important things we forget to blog about.
Fortunately, I recently remembered what I forgot to tell you.
Since mid-June I’ve been a grandma!
Here’s the scoop.
Please meet Baby Kinder
My daughter called in early June and said, “Mom, guess what? We’re going to adopt a kitten.”
“Really?” inquired I. “A kitten?”
“Yes,” she replied earnestly, “but don’t tell anyone yet.”
She continued enthusiastically about the kitten of her desire, a sweetie of a black-haired cat she discovered on the Internet.
“Remember,” she said, “don’t tell anyone.”
Baby Kinder asleep on a laptop computer
I hung up the phone and thought about the cats with whom we’d shared our Little House in the Big Woods over the years. First, there was a gray cat named Mango. Followed by Mitch or Mittens (depending on who called the cat) and the Final Three: Hunter, the Spiritual Cat, Lancelot The Pisser, and Daisy the long-haired scaredy-cat with fleas.
OK, forgive all the explanatory nicknames, especially the one of poor Lancelot, bless his soul. They were all complex amazing creatures whom we loved. Whom we got irritated with. With whom we shared our lives for years and years as they shed their kitty hair and behaved in proper and improper ways. I could write six blogs telling you all about them, but no, this is about my grand-kitties.
After Daughter hung up the phone with my lips sealed until her command, the phone rang again. It was our #1 Son.
Please meet Baby Mango
“Hi, Mom!” he said. “Guess what? Seunghye and I are going to get a kitten!”
(I thought: this can’t be happening. The kids had not even talked about this together. They BOTH called independently within twenty-four hours of each other with the SAME news? And my lips were sealed. I couldn’t even point him in the direction of his kitty-adopting sister. Figures.)
Mango and a mouse
“That is great!” enthused the lip-sealed mama.
My grand-babies (or kitties, if you must get specific) arrived later in June.
Then came the reports. Sometimes daily reports.
Our sweet black Kinder
Daughter’s kitten was named Kinder. This, as you may know, is the German word for “child”.
Son’s kitten was named Mango, in honor of son’s first kitty when he was a wee sprite in the Northwoods.
Our sweet Mango
We had suggested they adopt female short-haired cats. I was assured they both complied, until Daughter’s vet announced that their lovely girl-cat was unexpectedly…a boy.
Son and daughter-in-law adopted a kitten found in a trap. She’s a short-haired female, a bit of a scaredy-cat, becoming more confident daily.
Chris recently reported that Mango has learned to dismantle all of the blinds and shades, pulling out every pushpin from his bulletin boards, and being a general nuisance. But she also enjoys sleeping on his lap while he works or reads.
Adorable Mango
Kinder is a fearless independent spirit. He loves to explore new areas like the hallway and the bathtub and to meet new friends (like the dogs he met at the vet).
Grandma gets the updates all the time. They both received good grades at their vet appointment this week, aren’t we all happy?!
I’ve not yet become one of those grandmas who show their offspring to the world…OK, until now. Pretty soon I’ll flash dozens of photos and share with all my friends like any doting grandma.
Want to know one more weird thing that happened when Daughter visited? She was talking about Kinder this and Kinder that and Kinder this and Kinder that. We pulled into a gas station (right before our kayak ride) and I looked over at a young man catapulting from his car. Guess what his t-shirt said?
It’s the Chinese Year of the Cat. We’re sure.
“Kinder.”
I kid you not.
“Ein herz fur Kinder,” read his t-shirt. One Heart for Children. It’s actually a German group that helps children.
“It’s a dream,” I said to my daughter. “We’re in a dream. It’s all a dream…”
(And in my dream I now have adorable grandcats!)
Hope you enjoyed the introduction to my fur grand-babies. Daughter has suggested I write regular posts about the kitties…
Lake Superior Spirit 
Love this post!!! I love cats and I had to chuckle when I read about the guy wearing the t-shirt that mentioned “Kinder”. Definitely Karma at work there, I think.
cute pictures – who can resist a kitten?
Oh my gosh, what are the chances of those two kids, on two different coasts, getting two different kittens, at the SAME time without having talked about it with each other?! Now THAT’S pretty darned cool!!
Adorable photos – keep ’em coming!
Oh, your new grand-kitties are adorable! I love the stories about them — how they were adopted and the synchronicity. Love hearing about your kitties of the past, too. I’m so glad you shared pictures today, Grandma, and congratulations! Wonderful!
Aww, Congratulations Grama Kathy 🙂 What a sweet surprise that both your kids on opposites sides of the states have adopted 2 new kitty cats ♥ I love the pictures! They look so sweet ♥
Felicitations all around! Kitties are the best thing ever 😀
Kathy, reading your post brought to mind a dream I had a couple of days ago. I saw tiny little kittens! Lots of them! And you know how I think everything must be symbolic of course, so I immediately looked up the symbolism of kittens, and I quote : “To see a kitten in your dream represents a transitional phase toward independence. You are ready to explore new things that life has to offer. Alternatively, the dream symbolizes innocence and purity.”
(Indeed, I am looking for independence!)
And if it’s all a dream, dream on I say! 😀
You are hilarious! Hugs
Love that last image best of the black kitty on the red floor. Stunning.
That is amazing that they both got kittens at the same time. I look forward to hearing more about their antics.
As I type this, Charlotte is curled on my lap. I always have to be ready to move quickly, as she gets too darn relaxed and slides off occasionally.
It’s practice, teee heee. And you get to make life-altering decisions, like which version of the term Grandmother do you want: Nana, Nanny, Grama (which someone mentioned,) Grams, Granny, Grandma, Oma, Grandmere, and there are probably other options. This decision process could keep you busy until the kittens grow up, LOL!
Sweet. Adorable. And you are SUCH a great storyteller!
Delightful!
Fountainpen
cannot wait for the post when you have human grandbabies–if you are this good with cats, you must be fantastic with humans
Oh what adorable grandkittens! And what marvelous synchronicity in their adoption stories! You are lucky, Kathy, my grandchildren are a fish and a rat, but I’ve grown to love them and appreciate their personalities, too. 🙂
Aww, they’ve saved the kitties and you’re a grandma 🙂
Now, if we could just get to the bottom of why a laptop – even a cold one – is so cozy to a cat…
Ow, your grandkitties are adorable. Congrats grandma.
Congrats on your new title! I had actually just been thinking about a post regarding my bothersome, errrr, adorable cats (who happened to be the largest nuisances yesterday while I tried to work!) — what would we do without them? Your grand-kitties are adorable.
P.S. Kathy, I will pass on a plug for my favorite local and environmentally friendly cat toy and cat bed supplier just in case you ever need something new to spoil the grandbabes with — Marvelous Melissa http://www.etsy.com/shop/MarvelousMelissa or of course on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/darnsocks (uses recycled wool socks or sweaters to make our cats favorite catnip “mice” — that of course our cat, E, loves to carry around yowling at midnight or so!).
How cute that you have 2 new grandkitties. Did Kiah and Chris find it funny when they realized they had both adopted new members of the family?
Oddly enough, my good friend Kathy also has two fur grand-kitties, just like you! The similarities between you two are really astonishing! Anyway, congratulations, ‘Grandma’. Kinder & Mango are adorable!
I once had two grandpuppies. Each boy had to give their dog away after a year or so and I was more disappointed than they were! It seemed those pups might be my only shot at being a grandma for a long time. Now I’m bitter and devoid of hope. Not going to get hopful or excited until one of them at least gets married. Silly boys!
Oh how adorable. Kittens are so delightful, says the lady with three house cats.
Congratulations on the additions to your family.
If I was not gone so much during the school months, I would have a dog (a German son 😉 .. I love German Shepherds). My friend suggested a kitten as they do not mind being alone .. however, my house would be a cat heaven for getting into trouble (lots of log railings, columns, rafters, etc… ). For now, I will just admire your grand kitties and my brother’s Shepherd. Sometimes being a distance relative has its perks …
Those furry children and grandchildren that give so much pleasure while often being so vexing! The spice of life. I have one furry grandchild, the Korean girl kitty my son named Juan Carlos – I said it should be Won Carlos, if you must give a girl a distinctly male name. I will not be surprised at all if Kat does not adopt a Korean kitty once she has settled in Sacheon this fall. Congrats, grandma!
Enjoyed your sharing of the kittens and their photo’s enormously Kathy, they give such love to melt anyone’s heart, and how can you resist them? Kinder and Mango, I hope we hear lots about them and their;’doings’ from now on. I’m sitting here with a missive smile on my face. and what a coincidence your two children getting kittens at the same time? A lovely coincidence I might add. So Congrats to you lovely friend. xPenx
Ha! Cute. You fooled me. I thought you forgot to tell us that a grandchild was on the way, let alone already a grandma. That photo of Kinder, the black one on the floor, almost looks like a cut-out. Cool.
Personally, I always enjoy blogs about the antics of kittens (grand or otherwise)!
Still laughing at Lancelot the Pisser….
Fun story, when we’re not out paddling or bicycling, etc. our two cats, Love Bug and Molly, are great companions.
So the real question is are grandbaby kitties enough or do you suddenly feel compelled to have another one of your own? Adorable!
Kathy:
The photos of our children’s kitten’s are cute.
I still have the kitten that I received for Christmas in 1969 when I was12 years. Her name is Kate-oh, by the way, she is a stuffed kitten but I still consider her as my pet.
Nancy
Congrats on becoming a Grandma. The grand fur babies are very cute. Remember, the best thing is, you can visit with them, and then give them back! Just like human babies. Hehe!
My Mom had grandcats too, back in the 80’s when I had two cats…George and Oscar. She had their pictures on her desk at work to compensate, I’m sure, for not having grandkids. Kittens are so cute! But I could tell you stories…well. You know.
Drats I lost a nice comment. This will be short. Love this post and the pics of your grandkits. Keep posting about them. This post is so cute and has made my day.
Ah such fun! We can’t keep cats in our teacher house, but we do have one guinea pig and a bird. Very cute!
Oh well done on becoming a Grandmother – simultaneously – to two cats on separate coasts! That is quite an achievement! Now, of course, we all wait with bated breath: is an abandoned little forest-kitten going to march into Kathy and Barry’s life in the big dark wood?
What a lovely story, you’ve made me go smiling into the day.
Oh they are so sweet, but I will admit my first reaction when reading the intro was ‘How on earth can you forget you are a grandma! heehee, I should have known better 😀
Can’t wait to hear more
What lovely grandchildren you have! I have a short-haired black grandson too who just turned a year old–picture at: http://artofnaturalliving.com/2013/06/23/theres-no-cat-in-catfish-sandwich-with-lemon-caper-sauce/
Kathy – I was late in seeing this blog and LOVED it. Even shared it with my kitty Rosie. It truly was a wonder that your grandkittens would be spoken for within a day of each other. Don’t you wish they could meet and settle into the larger family. I will be looking forward to more photos and stories about your babies.
Thanks for all your kind comments about my grand-kitties. I am sure hoping to meet them in person one of these days… Wishing you all the best this weekend!
Aww, they’re so cute! 🙂 Congratulations, Grandma Kathy!
These little ones just melt my heart ❤
Congratulations on the new arrivals, Grandma Kathy! They are both so cute! I’d be very pleased to see the occasional blog post to keep us up with their progress. 🙂
I had to go back and look at the date because my youngest son and daughter-in-law recently had a kitten adopt them. It’s black, looks a bit like Kinder except he has longer hair.
Congratulations, Grandma! Your grandkittens are very cute. 🙂
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All these lovely kitties! What a lucky family. 🙂
Our neighbour’s young cat comes to our garden nearly every day to visit with my husband who is totally clueless about cats – but this cat is certainly not clueless about him. He professes not to like cats, but this one adores him and knows the feeling is mutual. 🙂
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