Vladi's Turf

 Vladi is back defending HIS sleeping bag on HIS couch.

V-man may be tiny, but he's a total toughie.

Re-building Fluff

 Uschi lost a bit of weight last week when he wasn't feeling well.

It takes a regimented schedule of eating and sleeping (repeat)

to get back the gloriously plush layer of white belly fluff.

Usch has what it takes to get the job done.

Tanji's Territory

Tanji doesn't have a lot of places in the house that are just his,

but he definitely "owns" the fleece blankets on the bed.

 

The new comforter may be getting a tad too spread out

over T's territory.

Tanji's stare is getting the point across, he needs his space.

Good Enough for V

If the sleeping bag is good enough for Vladi,

Uschi has decided it must be even better for him.

Lap Radar

Vladi is completely asleep and I try sneaking onto the couch...

But within five minutes the little lap piggie has found his target.

Mine!

Most mornings Uschi and I play the same game:

I try to get my purse and computer bag ready to go,

and Uschi tries to keep the Vera Bradleys to himself.

Glitter Balls

I kept hearing noises from the kitchen.

Uschi was curled up in the basket by me...

 And Tanji and Vladi were looking innocent.

But somehow every time I checked the kitchen,

another of Tanji's glitter balls had appeared in the food bowl.

Uschi's Shadow

Uschi is on high alert, he thinks someone may be following him...

Usch looks to the right and the left, and no one is there.

But if you look far down the trail, U does have a shadow.

Vladi trails at a safe distance, not so close that Usch

gets upset, not so far that Usch gets away.

When Uschi stops for a rest...

Vladi sits and waits at a proper distance.

I know you're back there!

Vladi lies down too, showing he isn't any threat at all.

But as soon as Uschi starts moving, his shadow will go with him.

Sleep, Sun, and Stars

Finally after almost a week of throwing up, getting better, and then getting sick again, Uschi rallied today.  By 2 a.m. he was drinking water and nibbling on a variety of foods, so we all got a long, quiet, breezy sleep until almost 3 p.m. (!).  After some leisurely snacking and stretching, we headed out to enjoy the sunshine.  The boys were still a little sleepy, so I took the opportunity to take photos of some of my gorgeous stars...

This adorable mouse (thank-you Danielle!) reminds me of somebody...

 Yep, its Vladi!  He's resting here after his sand bath.

I love how the stars are as pretty in the back as the front.

 Here's the front of a big neon orange star...

 ...and the gorgeous Celtic knot on the back.

 Front...

 Back!

 The necklaces are amazing too, this one just glows.

The sunlight is dancing all over this star.

 

While I've been admiring the sparkly glitter stars...

 ...the boys haven't gone very far.

Yesterday may have been the first day of Autumn,

but today still feels like summer.
 

It takes a good half hour before T and V start sprinting

up and down the trails, plenty of star-watching time.

Uschi went home early to a special appetizer treat and nap,

and I spent an extra hour cat-walking the spots in the sun.

Pure bliss!

Sea Bass & Shrimp

 For fun, we bought a Sea Bass & Shrimp Fancy Feast Appetizer

a while back (it was on sale).  Our boys usually just eat "bird,"

but Uschi needs to eat something, so it was worth a try...

 

Vladi and Tanji are shocked, they both head outside to the kennel

before their dishes even hit the floor.

Uschi decides to give it a try.  The shrimp needed to be cut up

into smaller pieces, and then seemed to magically disappear.

U likes shrimp...who knew?

Uschi is a Trooper

Uschi is a bit better, eating a little and sleeping a lot.
He's still not cleaning up much or slurping down the water,

but Usch is trying to stick with some routines...

 Light scratching on the box...

 ...and a slow stretch on the post.

Even a proud smile after peeing in the bowl
(still too concentrated, I've got water dishes everywhere).


 Uschi isn't up for playing with his toys right now.

And his brothers seem to get this, with gentle checks all week.

Hopefully with a lot of hugs and rest this weekend,

Usch will be back to 100% soon.

Baby Food to the Rescue

This morning Uschi ate a little food, so no trip to the V-E-T,

When I got home from school U showed off a bit on the wheel,

but still wouldn't eat much food.

 

Mark had remembered that the boys' Aunt Kelli had told us

about using small amounts of baby food to excite the appetite,

so I picked up turkey flavor on the way home.

 

 Tanji adores baby food, the second the lid pops off, T appears.

 Vladi hears all the excitement and shows up too.

 Oh baby, that smells good.  Uschi is getting out-competed.

 Spoon-feeding is out of the question, its time for separate plates.

 Three happy boys.

Uschi is a slow eater, so U and T need a little encouragement

to stay on their own plates.

 For dessert, a little cat grass.

U-boo is getting sleepy...

Everyone is settling in for a post-treat nap.