Welcome to the House of Von Cotton!

We are a small but proud house.

It consists of me
(mom, lady, couch, the food getter, jungle jenn, play toy)...

Abigail Von Cotton
(aka Abby, Monkey, BigBit)...

& Lillian Von Cotton
(aka Lily, Lilypad, Punkin', LilBit).

Here in the House of Von Cotton we lead very interesting lives. We go to work (library), go to school (culinary), we enjoy a good game of fetch, we like to pester our older sister, we enjoy the peace & quiet of the balcony, we find the toilet and trash can fascinating, we lurve Deadliest Catch, and we especially like to cuddle.

Though I would love to introduce the girls first it seems only fitting to start from the beginning. I am Jenn. I'm a Librarian by day and Culinary Student by night. I love to bake, I Hula dance (Hawaiian dance... not the round plastic thing you play with), I am a triathlete, I love my family and my cats. I wish I had more time to read and play and enjoy the world but right now I'm all about learning to bake and own a business which means working hard.

However, this blog isn't really about me... it's about my girls! Meet Abby...

Abby was given to me by a cousin in East Texas. My aunt actually thrust her into my arms and said, "She's a Calico! You HAVE to take her!" I wanted a kitten but I wasn't all that sure. I had two months left in my final semester as a Sophomore in college and I knew that a kitten was a big responsibility... but how do you say no to sweet little ball of fur? So home with me she went. I took her back to college with me and for two months she was "socialized to college life". Poor thing... I had 3 roommates but it might as well have been 7. We lived across from 4 guys who were like brothers to us. Needless to say, we were either always at their apt or they were always at ours. Which also meant Abby hung out with a lot of people. The guys loved her and the girls loved her and she usually traveled between the apts with us. I would come home after class and no one would be found in the apt. Go next door and there is my cat in the middle of the coffee table entertaining an apt full of people.

She traveled well in cars up until shortly after her 1st birthday. She likes visiting my parents in East Texas but hates the ride to get there. Right now she's a little pissy about the newest addition to the family. We are getting there, though. I caught her bathing Lily the other day so I know Lily is growing on her. Abby loves to cuddle, she loves the balcony and would probably prefer to have her own screened in porch. She's fond of ribs and hamburgers and somehow learned to play fetch from my step-father. Corners of the room and boxes are her favorite places for naps and she prefers to drink water from the sink. My best friend named her Abby. I expanded it to Abigail after she proved to love mischief as a kitten. My sister named her Von Cotton because her paws are super white and she tends to have a snooty side to her. She is the original Von Cotton.

Meet Lily. She joined the House of Von Cotton on Tuesday, May 5th, 2009. She came from a large litter of 7 kittens in South Texas. She rode 6 hours from Port Isabel to Austin and was such a trooper about it. That road trip was when I knew I had a "mama's girl" through and through. She slept the whole way back in my arms or on my chest and I was in heaven. Again, I wanted a kitten but was totally unsure of this adventure. Again, it's a big responsibility but when I was emailed a picture of her adorable face I couldn't resist. The moment I was able to drive down to get her I did. It's been non-stop entertainment since!

Lily has a lot of favorites right now. Since day 1 her #1 priority every day is pestering her unsuspecting big sister. She's fascinated with the toilet, toilet paper, and running water. Everything is a toy... cotton balls, bottle lids, peppermint candies in their wrappers, pens, textured spots on the wall only she can see, and the spinning trash can lid. She enjoys playing Wii and watching Deadliest Catch with Mom. She also finds NASCAR and Formula 1 racing mesmerizing. She's prone to mischief and accidents. She's frequently knocking things over or pulling it onto the floor with her. Her tail is always the coolest toy she has. She is by far the best cuddler I know. She was named Lily by my best friend, again. I expanded that to Lillian and because she also has bright white feet she is by default a Von Cotton.

We like boxes, drinking from faucets, and cuddling.
We know what it means to love and be loved.
We are the House of Von Cotton.