Meems

..... Oh Mia ... affectionately called Meems by most of us ... Mia, our sweet guinea pig, properly called a Cavy. Mia passed away Wednesday morning between 3 am and 7 am.

..... We'd only had her about nine months. Officially, I suppose, she was Trinity's pet. However, I was the driving force behind getting her and I loved her and shared in her care.

..... We knew something was wrong Tuesday afternoon. She didn't look right and was sluggish and when we realized she wasn't really eating, that sealed it. We got her in at the vet at the last minute that afternoon. I had a hard time falling asleep; kept going in to check on her.

..... Before Mark left for work I asked him to go check on her. When he came back and said she didn't make it, I bawled. He stayed home from work. I broke the news to Trinity. She cried and cried and I cried right along with her.

..... Will was concerned that perhaps we were wrong. Part of his processing it was to actually look and touch her. He wanted to make her move.

..... We let Trinity take the lead on how she wanted to deal with things. A shoebox with a pink lid was appropriate she thought. Her daddy dug a nice hole in the back yard. The kids helped fill it back in.

..... All day we were subject to tearing up. We decided we would wait a couple of weeks before entertaining the possibility of a new small pet. I mean, Mia was so cool! For real ... a cool rodent. She had personality. She oinked ... when she heard one of us in the kitchen. She came to the door of her cage when we opened it and stood up if she wanted to be held. She also, and most adorably so, would hold her chin up high in the air and let you scratch and rub under her chin. (See picture at left.) Her nostrils were two different colors; one dark, one pink. And the whiskers on each side were corresponding colors; light and dark. She was no ordinary rodent.

..... Thursday the kids and I were so sad. Her cage was still there with her tiny carrot and spinach left. It stood empty and frankly, it was hard to bare. So, we went to look at rats. Yes, rats. My thinking was that if Trinity wanted one that might just work. I would in no way get attached, so I wouldn't have to worry about letting go of another pet. Well, as it turns out, doggone rats have a much shorter life expectancy that guinea pigs. Argh!

..... Petsmart let Trinity hold a rat. She just didn't seem comfortable. Then we got the lifespan data. That idea was a dud. We decided to go to the pet store we'd gotten Mia at. We thought surely they would have a baby we could hold and love on ... ya know, tangible therapy of sorts.

..... They had babies. One 8 week old little angel with crazy hair. Another 5 week old little angel who was white with pink eyes. Oh, we loved on them and loved on them and it was so good for us. So, we left.

..... Then, we pulled over and called Daddy. Most of this information was exchanged. Yes, we found one. Is is too soon, is it okay? By the way, we didn't just find one. We found two. We can't choose between them. And, oh yeah, one is a girl and one is a boy.

..... By the time the call was over we could go back and get one. And Daddy was apparently in shock. (Two? They want two? And a pair no less?) So anyway, a crazy haired little fellow came home with us that afternoon. He is an Abyssinian piggie. His name is Jasper. He is so soft and pretty mellow. He is primarily Trinity's pet.

..... After much conversation and having a night to sleep on it, Mark decided if we really wanted a second one, well, we could indeed have her!!! I was floored. So, we went on Friday and picked up Joy. She was destined to be Alice (Alice and Jasper from Twilight) but it just didn't fit her. Joy worked. She is a Teddy Bear piggie with funny hair. She is very gentle but still pretty scared of us. She's so tiny and just as precious as can be. An added twist with Joy is that she is primarily William's pet. Hmmm .... After we got her home and started looking at her, we realized she had one dark ear and one pink ear. And even more cool, one dark nostril and one pink nostril ... just like our Mia. At left is a picture of Bella checking out Joy. She licks them ... and wags her tail. I think she is hoping we'll put one down so she can chase them.

..... And what do you do with two guinea pigs?? Well, let's just say that come July or August, our family may grow just little. That's right. We are actually planning on having wittle cavies (piglets) at our house!

..... Here's the pair of new members of our family. They are so cool and we're enjoying them already. They really have eased the pain of losing Mia. She was special. They won't replace her. But they sure have made their own places in our hearts!

25 Random Things About Me

So this is a repeat of a Note I posted on my facebook page. If you read that one, don't waste your time, as this is exactly the same!

1. I detest potluck meals. All those weird things that people probably licked their fingers making with kids helping themselves and sneezing in dishes. Uck. I'll pass, thanks.

2. Don't touch my pillow. Don't put my pillow on the floor, by penalty of death. Don't lay on my pillow, by penalty of painful death. Thank you.

3. I do not like for my food to touch other food on my plate. I avoid juicy things so the juice doesn't touch the non-juicy things.

4. I love Christian romance fiction with an Amish element. Reading novels such as these has encouraged my next random thing.

5. I am in the process of learning to quilt. At 35 I thought I would be the youngest student but I'm actually not. I love it. It is an expensive hobby. I'm enjoying although the kids haven't eaten in a month and have no college in their future.

6. I am a Girl Scout troop leader. I love it so much that sometimes I think I would want to keep being a leader even if my daughter no longer wanted to be in scouts.

7. I have more friends in Grand Junction, CO, in two years than I had in Deer Park, TX, in six. I don't know why, I'm just sayin'.

8. I miss Rosie O'Donnell's magazine and TV Show. (I don't miss her on The View so much.) Her magazine was my most favorite and her TV show rocked.

9. I hate vegetables. I'd rather chew on grass. I can't help it. They gag me.

10. I would absoultely love an Amish pen pal.

11. I manage to get my house cleaner for guests that are here for a few hours than I do for my family that are here 24/7. I don't pretend to understand that.

12. Simon actually likes me on Wii American Idol.

13. I spent an hour playing Skee Ball at Chuck E. Cheese (during a weekday) for my last birthday.

14. My 11 year old Peek-a-Poo is going to live forever. She just is.

15. I want to go to Hawaii some day. Badly.

16. I really hate the idea of walking in or out of the church auditorium while worship is ongoing. I would rather not go at all if we are going to be late or wet my pants than to get up. It would be especially dreadful if I had to wrestle a 4 year old in the aisle while he's screaming, "I don't want a spanking,". How embarrassing would that be??????????

17. I hate the noise our humidifiers make. It is not comforting or soothing. It grates on my nerves.

18. The only way I like to be awake at 6 am is if I have stayed up that late from the night before.

19. I love putting together computerized jigsaw puzzles.

20. I love paint by number puzzles (a.k.a. nonograms, paint doku)

21. I want to go camping ... in our pop up camper ... with my laptop ... and dvd's. Rustic, I know.

22. I enjoy fishing although I prefer my bait not be moving. I wish we fished more often.

23. I'm still surprised people look different from the last time I saw them on facebook. It truly surprises me when they don't look like they did 15 or 20 years ago when I last saw them in middle or high school.

24. It amazes me how often I still think of my Granny and wish she could have met my husband and children. I would love to see the approval that was never absent from her eyes. 18 years have gone by since she passed on to glory ... still wish I could talk to her once more.

25. I will most likely be in line with all of the teeny boppers in Grand Junction on March 21 to get the Twilight dvd.

Breakfast with William

I could have missed it. I could have walked away. I could have dropped him off at day care. I could have missed it; breakfast with William. We had the best talk; he over his Cinnamon Toast Crunch and I with my heart healthy oatmeal.

“Our tummies are in the middle of us, right Mom?” he asked.

“Right Will,” I answered.

“I have a wittle tummy now but someday I’ll have a big tummy like you,” he stated. (I winced.)

“Then I’ll be a grown up.”

“That’s right Will,” I assured him.

“Then I’ll have to go to work won’t I?” he questioned.

“Yes, you probably will angel man.”

“How will I get there? Will I go with Daddy?” he quizzed me further.

“Well, you might work with Daddy but you’ll probably have a job somewhere else. Soon you’ll start learning more in school and someday you’ll go to college. That is probably when you’ll decide what kind of job you’d like to have,” I suggested.

“Or maybe I’ll just get in love,” William stated.

“Well, I suppose that’s a possibility. You’ll probably still want a job though,” I told him.

“I might marry, uh, her, the one with the Thomas train,” he said.

“Who was that?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” he said.

I could have missed it. Thank God for little jewels like that hidden in the busy-ness of my life. And thanks to my dear husband who not only encourages me daily but works so hard so I can not miss those precious moments.

Angels Unaware

A week ago I was in great distress. Will, our 4 yo, really flipped out. His behavior was just awful. Obedience? Non-existent. I was at my wit's end. I didn't want to take him anywhere.

Angel #1 - The lady at church who confessed her second child, a son, blew her mind. She too had a daughter first who gave her no trouble at all. Then, when number two came along, she no longer felt she knew anything about being a parent. This was after church and I started tearing up as she told me about her experience. Bless you, Jill!!

Angel #2 - The man at Barnes and Noble last Tuesday ... Will held the door open for you and you said, "What a nice young man!"

I said, "We're sure trying."

"Looks like you're doing a great job," the man replied.

I felt kind of bad for hoping he left before Will had a chance to throw a fit.

Bless you, Mr. Man.

Angel #3 - A friend who recently asked if she and her husband could come by a visit with us about parenting and homeschooling. They are planning to adopt soon and want to pick our brain ... get tips from the "experts". How amazing does that feel to have someone love your kids enough to think you are a good parent? Bless you, my dear.

As I started writing this, Will got mad because I wouldn't let him have a cookie before he eats his lunch. He is now banished to his room after screaming, a spanking, and kicking at me. I'm trying to focus on the good days and know that this won't last forever. I do grow weary though and feel constantly as if I'm failing William somehow.

Dogless Days of November

Yesterday all three dogs were at the vet all day long for surgeries. Macy and Simba, our seniors as the vet called them, had their teeth cleaned and a couple pulled. Baby Bella Blue got spayed. It was so very weird around our house with them gone! I definitely need to always have at least one, two are better, pooches around me.

When they got home Macy was business as usual. The other two, not so much. Simba was literally walking around the yard wailing. I let him in and slept by my bed until late last night. Bella was miserable too. It was as if someone had burst her proverbial bubble. They were absolutely pitiful.

Things look better this morning. Everyone has eaten a little and mommy has distributed all the appropriate medications. Glad my canine babies are back with me!

Puppy's First Haircut

Regarding my last blog, I guess if you are going to go out on a limb, you might as well go all by yourself so the limb doesn't break. Maybe I'll be quoted on that some day.

Anyway, Madame Bella got groomed for the first time yesterday. She hated every minute of it but she looks really cute if I do say so myself ... but you be the judge!

She's doing pretty well on house breaking. She even scratches on the door often to go out. She loves Macy and Simba and has totally rejuvenated Macy Moose. She gets her running and playing and wrestling. It is fun to watch. Anyway, don't OD on cuteness.

Passing Comment?

I commented today on a remark made by a friend of mine on her facebook page. Her name is Deana and she lives in Arkansas, but don't hold that against her. She's a transplant, a native Texan in fact.

Deana stated she had the safety of the Obama family in her prayers. I so got that but others didn't. I can't help but wonder why.

My comment was as follows: "There's a special kind of crazy that racists and white supremacists possess. A scary kind of crazy, to me anyway. Any kind of hate that motivates grown men to wear hoods and dance around a fire together while burning the symbol of our Lord's most precious sacrifice is indicative of a scary, special kind of crazy. And even if they don't do that, their are many levels of nutjobs out there. But Deana may be thinking something else ..."

I mean, I'm in no way the most educated of persons. I do read though and I own a television and I am aware that these people exist. They are organized and their hate is spread through generations and they are capable of great evil. I think it is very reasonable to worry about the safety of our President elect.

I think Barack Obama has the challenge of uniting our country, restoring our reputation and replenishing our hope. I happen to believe he has the wisdom and ability to do just that. He can "use his words" as most of us were taught in Kindergarten to solve problems. Oh, I am so excited of what the future holds!

I know that older generations will have a hard time with this. They were taught differently. I don't blame them and I don't exactly blame the generation before them. But as Maya Angelou said, "When you know better, you do better." I know better. Hopefully my kids will know even better than I do. My generation is breaking the mold on hatred, be it based on ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or skin color. Break, break, break.

I am also well aware that there are plenty of people my age and younger who still perpetuate the hate. They writhed in their seats at the thought of a black President. They were thrilled to see the slander pour into their inboxes (and more than happy to pass it on) that gave them so called justification for their choice at the polls. And let's be clear here ... they weren't so much choosing John McCain as they were allowing themselves to hate Barack Obama.

Bill Maher said, "23% of Texans still think Barack Obama is a Muslim," just a few days before the election. Two things are sad about that. One, that they thought it was true and that fact allowed them to hate him and not vote for him. And two, they allowed that to be a reason to hate him. How embarrassing on both counts ... and on soooo many levels.

(My favorite haters are the ones who had double hate. They hated him because they thought he was a Muslim and then they hated him because of Reverend Wright. So a Muslim sat in a Christian church and listened to Rev. Wright week after week. Sure. WhatNever. Perhaps you should have to pass a minimal IQ test to be allowed to register to vote.)

I realize that many Republicans suffered a disappointing blow with the direction this campaign went. However, I appreciate so much the ones who have since adjusted their mind set enough to offer support to our new Commander in Chief; who have realized what an amazing accomplishment Barack Obama's election is for our country; and those who have not started down a hateful, bitter, racist path to hope for nothing but the demise of our new leader.

To those wallowing in their own hate and bitterness, step up.

You Can SO Force Potty Training

William is potty trained. He warmed up to it after I got him some boxers. He didn't appreciate the positioning or the close quarters that briefs caused. So, tiny little boxers invaded my weekly laundry and now he goes back and forth between boxers and briefs. He's still sleeping in a diaper or pull up but we're in undies all day.

It is a new chapter ... and it feels weird to not have a "baby" in diapers anymore. That's not exactly a complaint, it is just weird.