Ella lost a tooth!

Everyone's different. Milo lost his first tooth when he was just barely 5. Ella's over 6 1/2 and hasn't lost a one. Not until today, that is. Over the past few days, her tooth has gotten looser, looser, and looser still. And Ella got more and more scared. She didn't want it to fall out. She wanted her body to remain whole.

No amount of asking friends what it feels like or reassurance from us or her brother would calm her down. Last night and this morning, I could see that the tooth was holding on by the barest thread. Ella didn't want to eat anything for fear of dislodging it. This was going to require an accident, I could tell. I tried to provide it last night -- I offered to brush her teeth. She declined, thank you.

Today, a minor jostle during Milo's party provided just enough impetus to knock the darned thing free. She spit it out like a champion, and immediately started wailing....

When she finally stopped her cries, she still was shaking, but pretty soon she got back into the swing of the party and enjoyed the rest of it.

Just like Milo, Ella would like to keep her first lost tooth. Sondra worked with her on a note for under her pillow. It reads: "Please leave the tooth." Did she want to sign her name, or say thank you? "No!" We'll see how the Tooth Fairy handles this one.   

Milo's birthday party

Milo had some friends over for a vet birthday party. They played games like "toss the wet sponge at the bad pet owner" and "Pet E.R.". Most striking was the kitty litter cake....

To prepare this, I made a sheet cake, trimmed it to size, and placed it in the bottom of a (brand new, washed) cat litter box. I slathered frosting on top of this chocolate masterpiece, and the real fun began.

First we took some of the extra cake and crumbled it on top of the frosting. Then the kids smashed up an entire package of Vienna Fingers -- to make the cat litter. We sprinkled that on top to cover (most) of the chocolate crumbs. The bits that poked through provided just the right touch of verisimilitude.

Then the crowning touch: Tootsie Rolls. Place those chocolate logs into the microwave for a few seconds and then mold them into appropriate shapes.

The very idea of this cake turned my stomach. I lobbied hard against it. Sondra disagreed, reminding me that such a masterpiece would make the perfect repast for a 10-year-old's birthday. How right she was! How many kids wanted poop-shaped tootsie rolls? All of them!

I served it up with a fresh-from-the-pet-store cat litter scoop.

To my surprise, everyone had a piece. I thought it was quite good, in fact. Scary, huh?  

Wayne Sushak, R. I. P.

The owner of the company that hosts our website passed away yesterday. I didn't know Wayne all that well, but he provided excellent service for his hosting clients. He was a fine fellow, and will be missed. I'm praying for his family.