unexpected

When I woke up last Thursday, I commenced with all the usual preparations for a homeschool play day: get everyone up and ready so we won't be late, scramble to come up with something to bring for the potluck lunch, make sure the girls have the right clothes to wear and toys and games to bring. I can tell you one thing, it never entered my mind that I might come home with a kitten.

On the way to the play day, our homeschool group coordinator spotted a kitten in the parking lot at Dollar General. He had apparently been dumped there a few days before. She was unwilling to let the poor thing perish there, so she went to great effort to get him from behind the ice machine outside the store. She took him home and bathed him, and brought him back to the play day. The whole group loves animals, but no one could take on another pet.
I don't really know how it happened; he was just so tiny and scared and utterly alone… and before I knew it, he was in the car on the way to our house. I guess I thought, "Well, what's one more??"

Bilbo really didn't expect us to be coming home with a kitten, either. But he has been fairly gracious, and has taken on the task of teaching this young upstart some manners. Maybe someday he'll forgive us.

Since we already have a Bilbo, it was obvious that this one's name should be Frodo. But he's not ready to be 'Bearer of the Ring of Power' anytime soon. He's more like 'Biter of Fingers and Toes' or 'Chaser of Strings' or 'Pouncer of… Everything that Moves.' But he is a sweet one, and is adjusting to life here well, as we are adjusting to him.