Here Kitty Kitty (Chandler's Big Adventure)

www.nolanpchak.blogspot.com This is how our Sunday was supposed to go: The kids would wake up around 8:30a, we'd get them dressed and loaded up and meet friends at Bar Symon for brunch before a marathon 24 hours at Kalahari Waterpark. Here's how the day really went. (Because you know things just can't go the right way for us, right?) Around 8:30am the kids start to wake up, Bill announces that he hasn't seen Chandler all morning. In fact, he wasn't in bed when Bill got up (highly unusual) and he didn't come when breakfast was served (even more unusal.) Chandler is a cat that has never missed a meal! Bill starts looking for him while I get the kids up and dressed. We are hoping he just fell asleep somewhere warm and comfy and doesn't hear us calling him. He is 15 years old, afterall. 9am The kids are outside shaking cans of Cheerio's, calling Chandler to come for a treat. Thank goodness I packed *most* of our stuff the night before, because we are all searching the neighborhood and not thinking about Kalahari anymore. 9:30a Call friends and cancel brunch plans. Talk about me going ahead with the kids while Bill continues to look for our oldest "boy." 10a Drop kids at my mom's so they can eat breakfast and I can focus on helping Bill search. Also, I can't take the kids heartbreaking cries as we drive around. "Where's Chandler? He's our best friend!" "Oh no! Chandler's missing!" I couldn't have seen him if he would have jumped in front of the car holding a sign, I was crying so hard. We were not even sure if he was outside or in. We can't pinpoint how/when he would have gotten out, but he is also old so maybe he just went somewhere and curled up and passed away. 10:45a When I pulled back in the driveway after riding around the neighborhood again, I see our neighbors dog going crazy in the backyard. Barking, sniffing around the shed in her backyard. I walk over to the fence and ask her if she found Chandler. She comes over to the fence, gives me a bark and goes back to the shed. Sure enough. There was our boy. Hackles up and not wanting to come out. It didn't take much coaxing, a few shakes of the treat bag and a poke from a broomstick and he was in Bill's arms. 11am Our earless wonder, minus one life, home safe and sound.