Yep, we got cats.

Make sure you see the end of this post - for the contest part. With prizes!

It's been a good long while since the evil Desdemona passed on, long enough that Sage never met her. The closest she came to her own cats were the two kitties who did me the honor of inflicting me with toxoplasmosis while I was pregnant and thus were summarily returned to the pushy vet.

(Wow, death, evil, feline abandonment and disfiguring prenatal diseases all in one opening paragraph. There's some holiday cheer for you!)

In any case, Nate's constant whining finally wore me down. And seeing these sweet little 7 month-old rescue kitties in the window playing gently with my kids, while Thalia bent down and whispered to one, I'm Thalia. I'm your friend, don't be afraid. I will take great care of you--well that pretty much shrunk my heart three sizes last night.

(Quick PSA: Adopt a Cat through Animal Haven - they rock.)

But now the one thing we're missing--besides a scratching post and a life's supply of those lint roller thingies--are names.

Well, we do have a few options per Thalia:

Cookie and Train
Grey One and Other Grey One
Dippy and Flippy
Tan and Ban
Cat and Cat
Drinks Water Cat and Don't Drinks Water Cat [sic]

In other words, we need your help. I mean, if you think you're better than a 3 year-old at naming animals and all.

They're both girls, one is grey tiger stripes and the other is browner stripes with a little orange around the neck.

If you name our kitties or inspire the names you will win a Look What is Unopened in My Closet package including a Fisher Space Pen (WRITES EVEN UPSIDE DOWN!), an autographed copy of Sleep is for the Weak, a bottle of M Mariah Carey's Luscious Pink Eau de Parfum Spray, and something out of the kids' stockings which may or may not have been in their mouths.

Photos of the kitties to come when they come out from under the couch.

Thalia wears her cat dress and cat ears and tail today so the kitties "know we are friendly."