But, we know all good things must come to an end...

Yes, you read that correctly. This will be the last post on Whiskers on Kittens.

Now, surely you aren't thinking that the whiskery kittens family is giving up blogging! What a thought!

Goodness no! We are simply starting anew.

Our new blog is www.kudzugrows.blogspot.com

Please, go take a look. :D

The Boy likes Opera!!

See, here is proof.

I was watching a video of some opera singers when I looked down at Noah who was not only watching the video intently, but smiling with one of the broadest smiles I've ever seen.

TSJr. took the camera for a reenactment, and Noah smiled again! Proof that the boy loves opera! I knew we were raising him right ~wink~

~Flibby

M.P.R.Q...9/7/07

Dear Readers, I am changing the name of this series from "Question Of The Day"or "Q.O.T.D." to Miss Poppins' Random Question" or "M.P.R.Q.". Because I am obviously not posting them every day (actually I haven't posted one for several months!). So here I begin:

Miss Poppins' Random Question!

Today's question: What colors are you wearing right now?

Lady Why: "Purple and blue"

Flibby: "Bright red and navy blue"

Miss Poppins: "Fushia and green"

Karate Kid: "Gray and blue"

Hannah Banana: "Yellow and pink"

Cindy Lou Who: "Pink and yellow with a neon green headband"

Noah: "Baby blue (of course!)

You're next! Please leave your answer in the comment section!

Works for me Wednesday!

It's the Brand Loyal Edition of Works for me Wednesday and I just couldn't resist. I've been rather preoccupied with a certain irresistible young man recently and so I haven't been very diligent in my Works for me Wednesday posts... or any posts for that matter! But, I was drawn back in with the enticement of the Brand Loyal Edition Wednesday!

I have several brand name items that I buy and that I would consider the crème de la crème of the product world! Would you like me to share? I'll be happy to...

First of all, my favorite line of children's clothing is Gymboree. There are several reasons why. The quality of the clothing cannot be matched! My six year old daughter is wearing some of the dresses I originally bought second hand for my now 17 year old daughter! So, originally second hand and going through the beating of four daughters, the dresses are still like new! The colors don't fade, the fabrics don't stretch and the snaps and buttons stay tighter and intact more than any other I have seen! Plus, you can resell them and nearly recover your entire cost... especially if you buy them second hand! Win, win situation all around!

Another love affair I have is with the best sweet tea in all the world... Milo's Tea! If you don't have Milo's Tea in your area of the country, I am truly sorry. It's probably best that you don't know what you are missing. Milo's Tea cannot be duplicated. I don't know how they do it, but there are certain times of my life... especially at certain stages of pregnancy ;-) ... that I would be willing to sell the tires off my car for a tall icy glass of Milo's Tea. What more can I say?

Next on my list is my dishwashing detergent. I will only use Cascade. Now it doesn't have to be the special 'Bleach Enhancing' or 'Super Duper Advanced Formula'... just simple Cascade. But, nothing gets dishes cleaner than Cascade. Ask me how I know!

Ahhh, what can I say about Dreft? I adore Dreft detergent and it is a 'must have' for every new baby in our family! Is it outrageously expensive? Yes! Would another dye-free, fragrance-free detergent be just as safe and effective on our tiny baby clothes? Probably. Is there anything in the world that smells as good as Dreft detergent on my baby clothes? No way! I admit, it's the smell that gets me. There is nothing that welcomes a new baby into our home better than all his things wafting in the intoxicating smell of Dreft detergent!

Continuing on with baby products, Johnson's Baby Cream is another required purchase for our babies. I have used this cream since my oldest daughter, now 17 years old, was born. It is the best remedy I have ever found for diaper rash. I use it on my babies after every bath and I rarely, if ever, have to deal with diaper rash or any of the usual newborn scaly skin issues. Plus it smells divine! I love those baby smells! They used to market it in cute little lidded jars like cold cream but now it comes in a tall pink squeezable tube. It is the best of the best!

Well, that's all that I can think of right now. I am generally not brand loyal and I tend to always buy generic or what's on sale with these few exceptions. But, when I find something that works, I stick with it!

I won't mention my love of Blue Bell Fudge Bars right now because I want my gentle readers to continue on with the illusion that I always eat sooo healthy. Yes, you just keep thinking that! Suffice it to say that no one knows fudge bars like Blue Bell. Accept no substitute! (...and that's all I have to say on that matter.)

For other great tips on brand name products, visit Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer!

The Little Boy Thou Gavest Me

Dear Lord, I bring to Thee my son

Whose tender years have scarce begun.

In this wee frame I know full well

A living soul has come to dwell

Who needs Thee now at childhood's gate,

Ere he shall grow to man's estate.

I covenant through hours apart

To pray for him with fervent heart,

To teach Thy Word with winsome voice

By day and night until his choice

Be but Thy blood for sin's deep stain,

And my small son is born again.

Then onward shall I pray the more

And teach Thy precepts o'er and o'er,

That he may grow, each boyhood hour,

By Thine indwelling risen power,

Lord, some small boys with none to care

Will never hear a mother's prayer;

Prepare my son with love aflame

To reach them with Thy saving name.

And make him, Lord, a polished tool,

A learner in Thy highest school.

A mother's part seems, oh, so frail!

But Thy strong arm can never fail.

To teach, to pray, to stand are mine;

Expectantly I yield to Thee

The little boy Thou gavest me.

~Louise B. Eavey

Hebrews 12:1

As I continue to pirate wonderful words of wisdom from other bloggers, Crystal at Biblical Womanhood pointed me toward this fabulous post! Homemakerang has some profound words to share with 'busy' moms. It's all about a subject near and dear to my heart... the better thing!

I'll share an excerpt...

"Even things that seem "good" like church activities are still distractions to us. I am saying that your family (hubby and sweet babies) is your first mission for Jesus, not your Bible Study, not your sewing class, not blogging (speaking to me here!) not the Internet, not your choir, not your church meetings, not your group you lead and find so much fulfillment in.... Family first! Your mission field is your family first, then others. If one of these things is becoming bigger than your family mission you should really consider opting out of it after asking God what He would have you do."

This article is worth reading in its entirety! You can find it at Homemakerang.

I used to be one of those mothers that attended a local megachurch and found myself through those doors every time they were open. I was on multiple committees, was director of this and that, taught Sunday School, attended every class and even volunteered up there on my "free" days helping the office staff with copying, filing and such. What was I thinking? My family suffered for it. How did they suffer from a mom that was so committed to her church? We ate lots of fast food, my house was in a perpetual state of disorder, I was too exhausted to play, too exhausted to do a very good job homeschooling, and I had nothing left to offer them of myself.

I remember when the Lord convicted me, revealing to me that my church work was not for Him, it was for me. I loved the friends and social time that I had when I was at church. I loved the challenge of teaching. I loved helping and the recognition that comes from being in charge and doing a good job at something that is helpful to so many people. I loved it all. It wasn't as "exciting" to stay home with preschoolers all day and homeschool. It wasn't as "exciting" to cook and clean and serve my husband well. Those things were OK, but didn't carry the same "WOW factor".

Once I left all those responsibilities behind and turned my eyes to the mission field where the Lord has truly called me, I realized that all my "church work" was nothing more than wood, hay and stubble. My true mission field is my family! Nothing in service to anything else - other than what the Lord has given me - brings me any deeper fulfillment, any truer joy, or any more meaningful accolades. I want to hear the Lord's praise for my service, not man's praise. It was very freeing and my family has been the welcome recipients of a wife and mother that is focused on them... my life's work which the Lord has given to me. My relationships with my husband and children are deeply close, incredibly strong, and bring me so much joy! I want the same to be true of my grandchildren and my great-grandchildren should the Lord be pleased to grant me that long of a life on earth! I will take no other responsibility, engage in no recreation, and focus on nothing outside the Lord Himself until I have formed and nurtured those relationships with my husband, children, grandchildren and so on. What work is more important than that? None!

I so enjoyed this post and I am hear to vouch for its truth because I have been there and back again. I'm so thankful to the Lord that He showed me what was most important early on. I would not want to trade this inheritance for any of the world's mess of pottage!

Baby Firsts!

I've been lax in updating on several momentous occasions in our home lately. First, our sweet baby boy began smiling real smiles - not those beautiful little sleep induced smiles that all babies do right from the start. No, these are real smiles! Noah has dimples!! Forgive the less-than-perfect pictures of his smiles. Being some of his first, (he actually smiled his first real smile at 3 weeks of age... yes, he must certainly be a child prodigy!) they are few and far between so catching them at just the right unpredictable moment with the camera is a challenge. These pictures show the beginning of a smile, which then radiated into a huge ear to ear grin complete with dimples. But, alas the camera was setting up for the next snap... which captured the tail end of that great smile. So, it was really bigger and better than the pictures portray. Just use your imagination! As they get more frequent and more predictable, we'll post some terrific pictures of our smiley boy!Also, right after Noah's umbilical cord fell off, he had the "pleasure" of his first bath in his new duckie tub. You would think that would be a joyful thing for a boy, wouldn't you? Not so! He wasn't completely upset with me the whole time... but, even when he wasn't turning purple from screaming, he certainly did not find it a fun activity!First bath and first smiles... ahhh, the joys of newborn babies are endless!