The Chase Is On. (A Video)

Remember this video from a couple of years ago? I have a new one in the same vein. Unfortunately, I cut off the end somehow, but this is how it goes every night lately around these parts.

These are my boys:

Here’s another one:

Rest assured, Murray still gets to chase Em around as well. No one here will ever forget about Murray even if Murray wants us to forget about Murray. He’s a VERY popular kitty cat these days.

Tuesdays With Murray (Chapter 129) Murray Scares Emory. A Video.

Emory and Murray have become even closer, something I didn’t think was possible. Yet. Here we are. I am often too late at filming their interactions because I’m usually too busy enjoying them to run for the camera—I don’t want to miss anything! But I’m trying to have it more handy. We’ll see!

Anyway, here’s a short video that might give you an idea of how much Murray actually plays with Emory—toys with him. I hope you enjoy it!

I love how nonchalant Murray is at first. And then he hides as if he’s scared and then BAM! It’s an all out run! Every time Emory watches this back he cackles.

Kids + animals = world of awesome.

Tuesdays With Murray (Chapter 128) A New Diet.

We got a new Kodak HD Zi8 so I decided to give it a try today. In typical Michele fashion, I haven’t read the directions and probably won’t. But I reckon I’ll figure out how to use it eventually. Anyway, here’s a short (uneventful) video of how Emory often feeds Murray (and others) at dinner time. Bon appetite!

In other news, forgive me for not updating YET AGAIN I got bitten by the inspiration bee recently and have been busying myself to try and get this new adventure up and running. Rest assured, once it’s complete (any day now!) mihow.com will be the first to know. Yay, projects! Yay, inspiration! Boo, lack of updates. Boo, me. More soon! I promise!

Tuesdays With Murray: Chapter 119 (A Video)

I watched this video today and realized that from an outsider’s point of view, it’s a little sad. Hell, it even makes me a little sad and I know the truth, which is that 9 times out of 10, Emory wants Murray to do something and Murray does it and everyone is happy.

But then I started to imagine a grown up (and slightly sarcastic) Emory watching this and saying, “Oh, great. The only friend I had when I was little was a cat and even he wouldn’t play with me. Thanks, guys.” But I picture my younger brother’s voice in this imaginary conversation because my brother Ryan is the king of sarcasm and would totally say something like that to my mother. This is the same brother who recently taught my 2-year-old to say, “Oh my. Life is so hard.” And my son says this so full of lament, you’d have guessed him to be an old man who has spent his entire life working in a coal mine, supporting a family of five living in a Brooklyn, three-floor walk-up right near the sewage treatment plant. (There are coal mines in Brooklyn, right?)

Actually, that’s what he’s going to say to us whenever he’s older and watches this video: “Oh my. Life is so hard.”

Life can be hard sometimes, Emory. But it’s so worth it.

Also: Don’t believe anything Uncle Ryan tells you.

Wanna See My Kid Eat Dirt?

Friends of ours visited last weekend. We met them for brunch and then we hit the playground because that’s what all the cool kids do after brunch. While there, something came over my son. I’m not sure if he was trying to show off for Gayla or what. But he started to imitate Cookie Monster. Here’s the video.

He’s done this before, just not with dirt.

Thoughts on ways to let him know that eating dirt isn’t how you pick up girls?

Paper Towels! (Tuesdays With Murray ch:104)

Murray has a thing for paper towels. We have no idea why.

It’s a mighty good thing it’s adorable otherwise we might stop him more often. But we can’t. I have decided that he does this because it comforts him, like maybe they used paper towels in his cage when he was a kitten? I have no idea. It’s the same thing every time. He hops up onto the counter, rummages around for a bit and creates a little nest using his front paws. Adorable, right? Totally.

Unfortunately, I haven’t caught him in the act on video yet, but I did get the aftermath last night. Here’s a video of what usually ends up happening after he makes himself a bed on the countertop.

This is just one more thing that makes Murray awesome and adorable.

What Lies Below (TWM 103)

We’re away for the week, trying to get our heads in a better place. My brother and his girlfriend are staying at our place in Brooklyn so they have been tasked with taking care of our fatties.

The road to feeling normal again is proving to be a slow and rather hilly one. I go hours and hours where everything is fine and then BAM! something completely random triggers the anxiety or sorrow and I’m  a mess all over again. But I am healing. I went a whole three days without crying, which is pretty amazing for me.

On one particularly difficult day, I missed Murray something fierce. So I wrote to my brother and told him I needed to see the little guy as soon as possible. We received a video within hours. And even though I never actually got to see Murray, the video cheered me up. This is a regular occurrence at our house.

I hope you enjoy it too!

Emory On So You Think You Can Dance.

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post called Please Don’t Blush about how Emory had become self-conscious and stopped dancing. I have good news! My boy is back.

The video below was taken yesterday while showing my mother a few dance numbers from Wednesday’s So You Think You Can Dance. One of the numbers was a hip hop routine and it turned Emory into a dancing machine. (His second favorite was the Bollywood routine.)

Unfortunately, I was too busy smiling from ear-to-ear, basking in the joy of my son’s return to dance to film his first attempt. But he wanted more! So I got it the second time around. He’s a little tired in this one, but it’s still awesome. And I am so happy my son is dancing again.

http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377

A few things to note: He’s watching this routine. And he was really trying to emulate their moves. For example, when he comes at me, he’s acting out what the dancers are doing. And whenever he grabs the sides of his head, the dancers are messing with headphones. For those of you who may have seen this, you’ll probably (albeit loosely) follow his smooth moves. :]

The baseball bat? Entirely his own addition.

A Video Of My Son Singing.

A few things about this video:

  1. Yes, he’s playing with Q-tips. I don’t have an excuse to give you for that. 
  2. “Mumu” is Pookum, which is funny because if she could, she would definitely wear a mumu.
  3. The song he’s singing is “The Goodbye Song” they sing at school. He loves it. 

(Do people like this sort of thing? Or does it border on that-one-annoying-coworker-that-sends-out-too-many-emailed-pictures-around-of-their-kids?)