Cursed Hamster

About 3 years ago, Gracen went on kick rally begging spree for a hamster. She did research on the internet and determined what kind she wanted and found out that they are actually social animals and one should buy two whenever possible. After trying for weeks to persuade her that one is a perfectly acceptable number and that she could provide the necessary social interaction (who knew?) for the critter, we trekked to the pet store where she bought (with her own money--how is that she can save for critters that make my skin crawl but wants to spend every other dime as quickly as it hits her hot little hand?) two of the cutest, ahem, little hamsters.

They were Merry and Pippen. Pippen lasted almost 2 years before we found her dead in the cage, with Merry looking suspiciously guilty. Merry lasted another year or so before she, too, was found less than alive.

I thought, surely, we were done with this experiment in animal husbandry. I was wrong.

She began wanting more hamsters to replace Merry and Pippen. Her reasons were sound. We already had the cage, bedding, food, etc. She would pay for them, please Momma, please??

I took her to the pet store. She chose 2 hamsters that could have been identical twins. They were kind of cute, I guess. They were brought home 2 months ago and quickly christened Cookie and Brownie, though none of us actually knew which one was which.

Yesterday, Sunday--the day for rest and all things holy--except for the minor fact that I'm pretty sure Sunday morning is the devil's dance hall. Something will be in plain sight, usually on the kitchen cabinet, until Sunday morning. Someone's hair will be picture perfect all week and Sunday morning is the time when it morphs into something Medusa would be afraid of. We can get up extra early and somehow the clock runs faster on Sunday morning. Marriages of steel crumple on Sunday morning only to rise, Phoenix style, by noon.

So, we are getting ready for church yesterday morning. Just so happens that, for the first time, Gracen and her dad were scheduled to sing a duet. She had surprised us both by asking if they could sing "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" together sometime. Serious practice ensued.

From the playroom, aka the hamster room, we hear, "Daaaadddyyy!" And, even though I was standing in the closet trying to find something to wear (another Sunday morning plague), I knew. And right there in my closet on Sunday morning, I cursed either Cookie or Brownie, who by this point had been reduced to Dessert 1 or Dessert 2.

Sure enough, one of the critters--we're still not totally sure which--had met a less than timely demise. And standing in my closet, I determined to try to be sympathetic while still trying to help Gracen hold on to the fact that she has to sing in about an hour. There were tears (from her, not me--just to be clear) but not as many as had been shed over Merry and Pippen after all Dessert #1 or #2 hadn't been with us as long!

While sitting in church, I held my breath as Gracen and Jeff began their song. As they sang, I was so thankful that she had wanted to sing this song with her dad. The hymn's words are rich and comforting. When she came back to sit beside me and I put my arm around her and felt her deeply exhale, I knew that she had been listening to the words as well as singing them. It wasn't just the sigh of completion. It was more than that.

And that was what her dad and I had been praying for.

Come Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing thy grace,
Streams of mercy never ceasing call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above.
Here's the mount I'm fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.

Here I raise my Ebenezer, here by Thy great help I've come.
And I hope by Thy good pleasure safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger wandering from the fold of God.
He to rescue me from danger interposed His precious blood.

O the day when freed from sinning I shall see Thy lovely face
Clothed in linen, blood washed linen,
How I'll sing Thy sovereign grace.
Come my Lord no longer tarry, take my ransomed soul away.
Send Thine angles now to carry me to realms of endless grace.

O, to grace how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to the Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord I feel it.
Prone to leave the God I love.
Here's my heart, Lord take and seal it,
Seal it for thy courts above.

My Companion

This is one of my faithful companions during the day while Gracen is in school.



And this is what she does until Gracen comes home.

Then life is better and there's someone new to throw the ball for her.

She has an extremely rough life.

Hello, Stranger

I am back from the unintentional blogging break that blogger so graciously gave me!

Every single time I had a few minutes to blog, blogger refused to publish--and blogging minutes have been rare this week!

This week really seemed to usher in the full back to school schedule.

Gracen was very excited that one thing is back on our schedule--riding. I thought she was truly going to have a spell before we got to the barn. She was so excited to how the animals had grown, to see the new kitty additions, and to see Barley the horse.



The face of a very excited girl!



One of the kittens was polite enough to pose for a picture!






The other kitty spent time trying to get away from Huck Finn.

I love how you can almost see fear on the kitten's expression in the picture above.

But he looked quite content a few steps later!

Meet the Fish

Meet Ferdinand the Fish. He spends most of his day floating, occasionally he will move just to reassure us that he isn't dead. He is the most low maintenance member of our current menagerie.

I like Ferdinand.



Some evening pictures--for relaxation purposes.

I'm thinking of gluing some to the duck's box so she/he will be a little less demanding--especially at 5:30 a.m.!

Recent Pictures

I didn't intend to be away for a week. Being in the midst of homeschooling and having a leg made has made time a little tight around here!

The new leg is almost finished. There are a few more kinks to work out but it looks really cool and, most importantly, fits better. I thought that the goopy cast making process was my least favorite part of the whole process but I have been reminded of my real least favorite part. There is a period of about 4-6 weeks after first getting a new leg that it feels like just a new leg. It hasn't become part of me yet. That probably doesn't make a lot of sense but the leg does eventually become a comfortable part of me.

It hasn't happened yet but once the kinks are worked out and I can actually wear it every day it will!

I have snapped a few pictures and thought I would share them.

Biscuit and Gracen curled up together.
Gracen completed her study of the Oregon Trail and made this covered wagon to go along with it.

This brought back sweet memories for me. I remember having to have a literature project when I was in elementary school. My grandmother helped me make a covered wagon (I'm guessing we were using the Little House books as inspiration but I don't know for sure).

She had some old fabric that looked like the material of the covered wagon and we glued that to half of an oatmeal box. She even drew oxen to attach to the front. There was an old wooden spool from her sewing box for the water container on the side of the wagon. I think we glued toothpicks on for the spokes of the wheels.

This is my dishwasher after Gracen had loaded it and put in Dawn dish soap!! Bubbles came out everywhere. It was easily fixed and I was so appreciative of her willingness to help without being asked.
And this, well, this was yummy! I made 4 loaves and put them in the freezer.

Action!

I've been playing with the action mode on the camera.   Last night, while Jeff was throwing the tennis ball to Biscuit, I decided to see what kind of shots I could get.  

I discovered that catching action shots is not easy and I need more practice!

This picture (below) just makes me laugh.  
It's so much easier when she's still!

Funny Friday

They can't even look at the camera.  Poor things.

Having a Crabby Good Time

(This is a guest post-- as written by Gracen!)

these are my crabs mattie and mike. they are land hermit crabs. they are also nocturnal wich means they are active at night. they eat carrots, lettuce, apples,and land hermit crab food. they live in a cage with rocks or sand. they need growing into shells and something to climb on and a cave and drinking water and bathing water (havaing crabs can get complecated).

My dog molly tried to eat my crabs (that just gose to show you dogs and crabs don't get along)

and thank you auntie kluck for bring them to me.

(Editor's note: Auntie Kluck is a dear friend of ours who has known Gracen since she was born. Gracen has always called her "auntie kluck"!)