I have a little sneak on my hands

After school yesterday I let Orion play outdoors while I finished cleaning my bedroom. He's old enough now that he can be allowed out of my sight, he knows what to do if a stranger approaches or anything, plus he can be seen out the windows at any given time so I don't worry. I generally just peek out the window periodically to make sure he's not getting into too much trouble.

After I finished cleaning up my room I grabbed the car keys and we drove down to the Family Pet Center which just so happens also is where we get our tank for the grill filled. Orion loves going there because they have all kinds of animals, cats, dogs, chickens, geese, ducks, etc. It's almost like a mini zoo I swear. While I get the tank filled Orion usually bee-lines for the kitten cages to see if they have any he can pet and love on. We came home and he was just way too well behaved, I figured he was trying to be good so that maybe we could go back and get that cute kitten he had seen...it looked EXACTLY like our kitty Cartman who passed away in March...and I do mean EXACTLY! It was like de ja vu looking at this kitten! Orion misses Cartman very much and even though we have 4 others, it's just not the same.

Fast forward an hour or so, Orion is still behaving but he's volunteering to go downstairs with me to do laundry. Now you have to understand...Orion likes to put laundry away after it has come upstairs from the basement, he does not like sorting or dealing with the dirty stuff in any way possible...this was my first clue that he was up to something. He kept saying he heard noises but I didn't hear them and besides the basement could have anything in it....seriously! We have a cat door for the outdoor cat to come and go if he needs shelter and he often brings things in that aren't really dead yet to play with but then they get away and get comfortable for awhile. I had heard some rustling in some boxes but figured it was just a mouse or something and the cat would take care of it next time he came home.

A couple hours later hubby comes home for a quick dinner and shower before he has to go take his recertification tests for his work. Orion is immediately telling daddy that he heard meowing in the basement where mom does laundry and would he come help look for it please. This was my second clue that Orion was definately up to something. Steve told Orion there wasn't a cat in the basement or maybe he had heard Rex down there, Orion tried every convincing tactic possible but daddy did not go into the basement....besides he really did have limited time.

Later on in the evening, I get Orion to bed, hubby comes back home from his test and we go down to the basement because I have 1 load of laundry that needs to come up and one that needs to go into the dryer. Hubby just came along for what I call "moron support" He comes down just to keep me company, he doesn't actually help (moron is the term we used to use in my high school for someone who was pretty much there but useless and unhelpful....someone like my hubby when it comes to housework lol) As we walk in the door something scurries over hubby's foot, he jumps and starts like a girl lol (it was really pretty funny)

This is what we found in our basement

Well we went upstairs and got Orion and asked him if he knew anything about this...here is our conversation

Dad: "Orion do you know how this kitten got into our basement?"

Orion: "No Dad'

Dad: "Are you sure?"

Orion: "Maybe she snuck in through the cat door because she was hungry. She looks hungry, maybe we should feed her."

Dad: "Are you telling me the truth Orion? Are you sure you don't know anything about this?"

Orion: "OK I guess I'm going to have to confess."

PAUSE...he's taking deep breaths looking exceptionally nervous and guilty at this point

Orion: "I found her outside while I was playing, she was so scared looking and I didn't want her to be so I stuffed her in the cat door while Mom was in the house and I'm really really sorry but she was crying!"

PAUSE...Dad is looking at the ceiling probably trying not to do what I was trying not to do...LAUGH! OMG he was so darn cute, so pathetic looking standing there in his jammies holding this little kitten. It's that face that I can't say no to, and apparently Steve can't either!

Orion: "Dad you know how mature I've been with the other kitties, please can't we keep her??"

Insert big puppy dog eyes here!

Dad: "Ok but you're going to have to name her and take care of her!"

And so she got a bowl of milk

and this morning first thing Orion is in the basement giving her love trying to figure out a name

We're keeping her in the basement until she can be vet checked, get shots and a flea dip. And in the time it took me to type this out he's decided her name will be "Clawdia" named after the grey/black kitten in the Charlie Bone books who saved Billy Raven from the evil De Grey family. If you have kids who like magic and mystery type books, check out the Charlie Bone series, it's kind of like Harry Potter for kids just beginning to read chapter books. Orion LOVES them!