And we have names!

There were sooooo many wonderful submissions... 33 suggestions for Little Girl Maples and 77 suggestions for the brothers Maple! Thank you again, one and all, for all the great selections!! We understand now why Laurie and Sue just go ahead and name their bitties! LOL! It was sooooo hard to choose! Of course, we couldn't possibly use all the great submissions and yet we don't want people to feel left out!

So we decided the kittens should have both first and middle names. We selected the first names based on what struck our fancy and, to give everyone a shot, drew from the remaining names to come up with the middles. The silver lining is, as much as we wish there were no unwanted animals, realistically, we'll have plenty of ideas to choose from the next litter.

Let me digress a minute and introduce you to our middle name selector, Melissa. She has been an integral part of our fostering efforts, albeit behind the scenes. In fact, when I first heard about Sonia needing someone to help foster, it went something like this...

[In the hallway at the Institute]

Melissa: Sonia has something to ask you but I don't think she'll do it.
Me: Huh?
Melissa: She's spread really thin right now at the farm and we remembered you fostered Bitty - she's got a new mother with a kitten. I don't think she'll ask you. But I will.
Me: Huh?
Melissa (rolling her eyes heavenward, begging the good Lord for patience with her terminally dense friend): Will you foster them?
Me: Is she crazy? Of course I'll take them!
Melissa: I knew it.

I suspect it was also Melissa who nudged Sonia into asking if Peggy Sue could come, too. (Have I mentioned that, in spite of the fact that she doesn't let us get away with anything, Sonia & I just love this woman????) Anyhow, it just seemed right to have her do the selections. Sonia recorded them and, over the next four days we'll introduce our no longer nameless brood! So here's a peek at the selection proceedings:

Melissa mixes and then selects from the boy and girl piles. Fairness shield was held by Sonia.
Note the snazzy paper towel transport devices... LOL! Just scooped the slips onto a towel, folded them over and toted them into the 'tute!

Sonia records the results as we figure out which name to match with which.

And your sneak peek at the "middles."

Thank heaven for cell phone cameras. If it hadn't been for them, this historic moment would have gone unrecorded! ;-)

And tomorrow we begin the big name reveal!