Rat Update #47867

Okay I just punched some numbers in but seriously doesn't it seem like that? I'd swear I talk about the rats every other post. So here is what the most recent story is. Wed. night Diego escaped from her cage (she had been doing that recently...) and apparently walked right in front of Quincy (Thom's dog). Now if she had walked in front of Autumn or Belle it wouldn't have mattered because they have accepted her as a fellow pet. As it is Quincy has tried his hardest to kill the rats since they entered the domain so of course he sees Diego, snatches her up and snaps her back. Okay so we are speculating that this is what happened as Thom, the only person in the room at the time, didn't hear a sound, just turned around to see a dead rat and a dog expecting kudos (if still somewhat high strung...it's Quincy he's perpetually high strung). I was a bit upset as I was really fond of Diego - she had a great personality. Really easy going and great with the girls, both who loved to hold her and she was okay with that. Honestly how many animals that size are okay with the style of love a 16 month and 3 year old give out?
As it stood Diego was dead which left us once again in the dilemma of having one rat. So today we ran to Petco and picked up another rat. Things seemed to be going smoothly until I get down to the rat cage and see Parsnip dead at the bottom of the cage. Seriously? Yeah it was unbelievable. I'm left single-rat after going to buy one. I'm taking it as a sign to let the rats go for the time. I'm taking the new rat back to the pet store as soon as I get a baby-sitter. I don't think the girls would be okay with it at this point.
On the bright side the rat stories should cease for a couple of months...

Exciting News!

I didn't want to say anything until I knew for sure but about a week ago I put an application to be on the creative team of one of my favorite designers. Basically I would make scrapbook pages with her products. It is the first time I've tried anything of the like and was really hoping I'd make it. Today I found out for sure I was chosen for Andrea Gold's creative team. I am so excited. I love her stuff and use it in just about everything I create digitally. Not to mention now I won't have as much free time on my hands (ha ha ha) seriously it will be great to have a deadline to create - for some reason that really helps me get more done.

And on that Note...

After the other exciting news I thought that I had better go ahead and share the other news in my life - not so amazing but still very fun. I'm pregnant. That's right I'm expecting baby number three in about 30 weeks. That would be mid September for all of you who can't quickly calculate 30 weeks into the future (mostly known as normal people). Who knows what state we will be in by that point but we are very excited in any case. With any luck it will probably be in the South - that would make us at three births in three different states. (I know don't you all wish you had goals like mine ;) ) You are of course more than welcome to leave ideas on what you think we should name the little one...as long as you won't be offended if we completely ignore it.

Liberty being Hilarious

Liberty (well both of my girls really but this story is about my second born so...) is hilarious. She was a little grumpy when she got up from her nap today and was just not satisfied with anything I did while we were cuddling and watching a show. A little into the show Bonnie got up to get some peach pie. From the moment she got up Liberty was pointing at her and whining and wanting something in the direction Bonnie went. At first I didn't think much about it, until Bonnie super sweet thing that she is brought me a piece (seriously...super sweet thing) At which point Liberty got really insistent about the pie. Fine with me I don't mind sharing. So I tried sharing mine with her but that was a no go. Finally I realized that she wanted her own piece, so of course we got her a little slice. I go to get her tucked into a kitchen chair and she looks at me like I'm nuts. She walks into the living room and stands in front of my mom, pointing and grunting. I had already figured that she wanted to eat in the living room with the rest of us but it still took me a couple of minutes to realize that she wanted to sit in 'her' chair which her Nana was currently occupying. So we all rearrange so that Liberty can sit in her chair to eat her pie just like the rest of us. What a big girl she wants to be.

Busy...

I can't believe that it has been a week since I posted last. I've been super busy (of course...) but not with exciting things to tell you all about. Just a lot of school and a little packing. I have been catching up on my English class - I've read so many mountaineering stories this week that I'm starting to have dreams focused on entirely on climbing stuff - not a good thing. Hopefully I can get a head a some point so I don't have to read so much at one time. Then of course there's packing. I bought boxes a week ago to start packing and have managed to fill one so far (Thursday night...) not as much as I would have liked to get done. That with the endless organizing (everything - including sock...again!) I'm going a little nuts. So this afternoon I just listen to my audio book and played around in photoshop. Of course I was constantly wondering what Emmuska was up to but not enough to actually get myself out from under a sleeping Liberty to get up and find out so my afternoon was actually pretty nice. Now I'll just read a little Anthropology and catch a few hours before tomorrow (today) actually starts. I know you are all jealous but it's okay.

Some Pictures I thought You might like...

Emmuska giving out her valentines - she was so proud of them!

Emmuska rolling dough.

The girls helping me make cookies - as you can see they wanted to be as involved as possible.

Cutting the cookies out.

Watching Signing Time.

Happy Valentines Day!

What a fun holiday! We have really gotten into it this year. I decided it would be much more fun to make all our Valentines so I rummaged through my (seemingly endless) scrapbooking stuff and found some great little white hearts. Then Emmuska and I sat down and colored and stickered them. I did end up buying some foam conversation heart stickers - there were just to awesome to pass up. Emmuska had a ball. Everyday she would ask if she could make more 'hearts'. Of course that was fine by me as I tons of the little suckers and it kept her busy and happy. I found it a good time to try and encourage portion control (only four stickers to a heart). In the end she made at least two for every child in her preschool class, many for family and some that still ended up in the trash (Liberty would occasionally help by pulling stickers off...) We had such a ball. I hope that she wants to make her own every year. It was just so great to watch the pure magic and enjoyment in making them and in giving them away.
Aside from making a bunch of Valentines we also make a bunch of cookies. Call me crazy but I have really been into baking lately. So a batch of sugar cookies was in order. Naturally I had two wonderful kitchen helpers every step of the process. It doesn't matter what else is going on as soon as I start to work in the kitchen they are there - especially when I'm baking. They seem to know that there is going to be yummy food as an outcome. So they helped me mix, roll and cut the cookies. Then Emmuska helped me decorate them. Of course she threw herself into the project with all the serious intent and joy of the Valentines, telling me who each one was for. It was fun to watch her 'style' evolve. At first every type of sprinkle went on the cookie. After a little bit she got to be more discerning and careful until one of the last ones she did looked very similar to one I had made earlier. Kids are amazing. After all that we took some to a couple of people. It's fun to get out - I know the girls enjoyed it as did I. There's nothing like sharing a treat to make a holiday as much fun as it can be.

Parent Day

As most of you probably know Emmuska started taking dance and tumbling in the beginning of January. She absolutely loves it and Liberty can't wait for her turn - she want to be in there with her so badly! Well last week they had Parent's Day so we could see what they are learning. It was a lot of fun to watch - especially seeing how much Emmuska has learned in about a month. It was a great chance to be able to take some pictures - and she is such a right that there is no lack of great pictures. Enjoy these.

Things don't really end

Rutabaga and Diego - Rutabaga is the smaller one.

I've finally uploaded the pictures of Rutabaga (I still have to take pictures of Parsnip...) just in time to tell you of her sad passing. That is right - one week after re-catching her she has died. She looked like she was having a little hard time adjusting to life back in her cage, but overall seemed to be okay and it looked like everything might be alright. Emmuska was certainly warming to the two smaller rats, enjoying them (oftentimes much to my surprise and apprehension). One day in the middle of the week I go downstairs to see that Emmuska is holding both Rutabaga and Parsnip. I almost peed my pants, worried that Rutabaga would run away and we'd have to catch her again. As I was putting her in her cage she made a run for it, but thankfully ran into a corner that only allowed her to escape into my hands and then into the cage. Well we'd had a couple of moments like that this week, including going downstairs to find both of the small rats completely soaked. Apparently Emmuska had decided to give them baths (I don't know how she did it unscathed...she must be part rat-charmer). After each incident I told her how important it was to leave the rats in the cage unless I was there to watch. Well today while I was at a meeting she decided to hold the rats. I come home to find that one of the little ones is dead, turns out to be Rutabaga. Emmuska had decided to get them out and hold them, a little too tightly (she didn't want them to run away I'm assuming or she just doesn't know). Parsnip survived the love but Rutabaga didn't. Truth be told I don't think that Rutabaga was kind of on the edge anyway from what she had been through in the last couple of weeks and it was just the last straw for her. I don't know if Emmuska completely understands what happened and the implication of her actions, though she was quite sad at one point so I hope on some level it is getting through to her. I'm hoping that this time she will heed the admonition to leave the rats in their cage unless I'm there watching.

In any case here's to Rutabaga

How it all ends...

We now have three rats...in one cage. Yes we finally managed to catch little Rutabaga. Sunday afternoon right before Mycal and I were supposed to head to a meeting I heard rat scuttlings (again...I'd been hearing them off and on over the day) I got Mycal to help me round her up if at all possible. Turns out by the time we got downstairs to do so she had hopped into a box all we had to do was quickly (very quickly) close the box, take it to a secure place, like the bathtub and then try to coax her into something we could carry to the the cage. She had gotten kind of wild in the couple of days out on her own, not really being used to people yet anyway so it took some effort but we eventually managed. She is actually adjusting pretty well. The pet store said it will probably take a couple days for her to calm back down to a more domestic level. Until then I'm a little wary of holding her because she is one fast little sucker and I don't want her getting away from me and having to catch her again. Still she has to be held to help calm her and make her okay with people so it's a little bit of a conundrum. Anyhow they are all safe and well.