THIEF IN THE PANTRY

For a while now, I have been thinking that Cricket has been sneaking around the house when I'm not looking. I am convinced that she must have found a secret passageway ............. that leads right into the pantry no less. I've looked and looked but can't find the entrance anywhere. Really......what else could it be? For the past while, I can hear her munch on a cookie, and I didn't get one and Mitzi didn't either ! Cricket must have been sneaking a lot of extra cookies because she has been getting fatter and fatter and fatter. Just when I was trying to find a way to tactfully suggest she join Weight Watchers or, at the very least, start using Dads treadmill, Cricket just kind of magically deflated overnight. I'm not fooling. Really ! Overnight ! Auntie Sue came over that night and Auntie Penny was on the phone all evening long too; maybe they had something to do with it. I'm guessing they popped Cricket like a balloon.

Cricket is recovering from her ordeal in the office. I know she's there because I can hear her, but its around the corner and I can't see. For a whole week, she was hiding in there making the strangest squeaky noises. Today, while Cricket was out going potty, Mom carried me in the room. Don't know why she carried me? I have 4 paws, I can walk. Well, LaDeDa ! Cricket has a bed feathered with quilts and gets to recline right under the desk in the office AND she has a bowl of food full of tempting treats and a water bowl too right where she can reach from in the bed without getting up. Talk about a lady of leisure. Then Mom lifted the corner of the quilt.......... WOW!!! Do you know what Cricket has hiding in her bed? Babies! Whole bunches of them. Yup, really! I saw them! Mom would not let me close enough to sniff them or touch them or play with them and I had to leave right away. I only got a peek so all I can tell you is that there are 5 of the little squeakers. Five of them! A black licorice one, a goldy brown toast one, one that looks like a caramel swirl ice cream sundae, a maple fudge one and a whipped cream one. Can you guess I am feeling deprived of treats?

I bet Cricket went and eloped with her Scandinavian boyfriend Quinn and didn't tell anyone about it and now look what happened. Mom says in a couple of weeks the whole family is moving into the dining room and my life will never be the same again. Wonder what she means by that? I don't have time to worry about it though. Winter just blew in with a huge snow storm so that means Christmas is just around the corner. That means its time to start working on my wish list. Whoa? You think we might have 5 extra stockings hanging on the mantle this year? I better write to Santa right away and let him know to bring LOTS of extra presents. Rags