Not One of Those Days!!!

My baby’s getting older:

:0(

It makes me sad.  She gets so tired these days and Paisley doesn’t help with that at all.  Her knees are hurting and I just get an all around bad feeling some days.

I want her to live forever, my loves.  I can’t imagine my life without her there and it’s all I can do not to think about the fact she’s 12 years old and I have no control over when it’s her time.

I made her promise she’ll never leave me– She said she’d try really hard and then fell asleep.  I believe her.

Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeasssssseee

GIVE US DE MUFFINS!!!

Since I started working at the daycare and having to get up as early as I do everyday,  my stomach has decided, that although eating breakfast after 8am, usually means I feel like I’m going to die, not eating anything around 6:30am, also means I’m going to die.  My stomach puts up a racket and will not stop until I put something into it.

I’m not really a fan, since I usually prefer to sleep as late as I can before I become late for work and that typically means I have no time to eat.  Sometimes, if we have them, I’ll grab some Mini Muffins to stave off the bubbling attack of doom my tummy will thrust upon everyone else in the area, but if we don’t, I’m out of luck.  So my latest tradition has been stopping by McDonald’s on Thursday mornings to get the Egg McMuffin of deliciousness and perhaps a few extra Sausage McMuffins of deliciousness for two fuzzy faces we all know and love.

I know, I know– You’re all thinking, “But, Jaina– It’s Wednesday, are you so befuddled you can’t even remember what day it is?”

To which I would reply, yes– I am.  However, tomorrow, I have a buttload of things to do and I’m not entirely sure I’d have time to stop and get it and eat it and let them eat theirs.  So, rather than pull my hair out over figuring it out and live with two pairs of eyes burning holes into me because I didn’t do it.

We did it today.

That was an unnecessarily long explanation, wasn’t it?  I’m doing it again.

Anyway.  Just so you know, this is a sometimes food.  I know all the experts are crying and shaking their fists at me because I’m clogging my dog’s arteries.  So let me stop them now and say– Trust me, whatever arteries I’m clogging with some Sausage McMuffins are already halfway to hardened with all the crap they manage to find and eat without me knowing until it’s too late.  Let me reward them for being good for ONCE, once a week.  It makes them happy and they burn off enough energy during the day that I think it’ll be fine.  They’re in better shape than I will ever be.

*Off the soapbox*

So, this was supposed to be a short post.

That didn’t happen.

Sorry.

Until Then,

Jaina

One of these Things is not Like the Other…

So– Remember how I adopted two rabbits, back in May?  From PetCo– The supposed experts?  And remember how they were both boys? Baxter staying Baxter (a boy), Duke becoming Watson (also a boy).  And how Duke, now Watson, had come in with his sister, but didn’t get a home right away because no one wants almost full-grown rabbits and especially not full-grown rabbits that are boys?

Remember the part where they were both BOYS?!

Well, since living under that assumption for the past several months– I thought it would be nice to see if Baxter and Watson could live with one another.  They’ve lived side by side with one another, simply divided by thick chicken wire and thus far it has been successful.  Male rabbits can be just as aggressive as anything else can, and I’ve had experience with female bunnies not even giving each other the chance to say hi before trying to maul each other (I have the scar to prove it).  But I’ve seen how they try to talk to one another and it hasn’t been malicious.

I’ve also felt a little guilty that they have a limited amount of space because of the divider and lately I’ve been dreaming of getting them big, two bunny hutches.  One for outdoors and one for our basement where they stay for the winter.  The outdoor hutch will have to wait until I can gather the funds for that one, but the smaller, indoor hutch, I could probably get in the next few months.  It’s a double-decker, and has lots of hopping room for the both of them.

Because bunnies can get bent out of shape when introduced to one another, it is very important to do it slowly and carefully so no one gets hurt.  We’ve been reading up on strategies other people have used to help their rabbits bond.  Some of them seemed a little harsh and scary for rabbits.  I’ve been trying to do it as slowly as possible.  I try bringing them up together when I take them outside and for the last couple of days I’ve tried letting them hop around our living room for a while.  Last night, they didn’t even look at each other.  Baxter found a place under the piano to chill at and Watson decided to keep close to me.

Tonight?  Whoa.  Not the same.

Baxter went to his usual spot, Watson was trying to get onto my lap again and then all of a sudden they spotted each other and I held my breath, waiting for something to happen.  However– I did not expect what happened.

Baxter pulled a Romeo.

It did not go well.

Watson was traumatized, obviously.  I can’t unsee what I saw.  And it got the cogs turning that something was amiss.

After some searching and finding of photos.  We have decided that Watson.

Is a girl.

I don’t even know what to think right now– Other than…

Fabulous.

It’s hard to sex rabbits, but after putting poor Watson through as microscopic of an examination as I could do, not being a veterinarian I’m 97% sure he’s a she.

This puts a crimp in my plans to put them together, obviously– Since I don’t want any mini Waxters or Baxsons, that will have to wait until I can take someone in to have the bits necessary to do so, you know, removed.  It’s sounding like Baxter, who I am sure is a boy (Don’t ask me how I’m sure) will need to be neutered if I want them to live together.

It might not be a bad thing, if we can get it taken care of and everyone makes it through surgery ok.  Which is a whole can of worms on it’s own, since the last two times I’ve taken rabbits to the small animal expert around here, they’ve either been diagnosed with a terminal illness or died (paranoia?).  I am very much in love with Baxter and Watson, I don’t think I could deal with another loss like that.  So I have to make a decision of what to do.  But as I was saying, it might not be so bad if we get through that stressful bit– If Watson really is a girl and Baxter is neutered, then perhaps they can be bonded and Watson will be a Bunwife and Baxter a Husbun.

Who knows, I have limited experience in this, but it could be a good thing.

Anyway, I have to figure that out.  But first:

SURPRISE!

That’s how I feel too.  Despite that, here are some really horrible quality cell phone photos of my new baby bo–girl?

Iz hiding in ur shirtz!

Booooo!

Eyyyyyyye seez you.

Iz too coot for you!

I’ll try to keep you all updated on what happens– I don’t know what to do just yet, but hopefully whatever I decide will be the right decision!

Until then,

Jaina & Baxter & Watson (Jane Watson)

Paisley Pumpkin and Faithy Dinosaur

Typically I try to avoid Halloween as best I can.  It’s never been a holiday I’ve been interested in and frankly, I think it stopped being a holiday the minute Snickers bars became the traditional meal.  I don’t like the underlying macabre, deathly tones, I hate haunted mazes and houses, I don’t like that it gives people permission to try and scare other people.

I do like seeing the little kiddies dressed up in their costumes, if I’m going to like anything about Halloween it’s that.  But, in the last couple of years, my family, meaning my Mom, has really gotten into it, at least in the realm of decorating.

We live on a particularly short street (it takes about two minutes to walk it and five seconds to drive it), which is occupied by a lot of people who can’t be bothered to at least hand out candy.  Except for our lovely neighbors to the left of us– This means, of course, there are only two lights on, Halloween night and therefore the kidlets know the candy swag they may get is going to be limited.  Which is sad.  I remember most years there being enough people to count on one hand.  So, now that Mom’s gotten into decorating, we stand a better chance of getting more trick or treaters and now that Halloween is on Sunday, I should be home for prime candy giving time.

We have fog machines. That alone should be epic.

Anyway– I thought, even though I don’t really care for Halloween, it wouldn’t hurt to have a little fun, even if it’s just with the family.  And because I spend enough money on them, they can just suffer:

Someone's going to be a pumpkin...

And now she won't talk to me...

I guess today was a better day to be a pumpkin...

Yup-- Still a pumpkin.

We have lots of costumes at my work– Originally Paisley was going to be a bat, it had a adorable little wings and was poofy, but I realized it also had the ears and I think Paisley would have chewed her own foot off if it meant not having to wear a costume with a head piece.  Plus her ears are already bat-like.  So– pumpkin it was.

Faith was going to be a dinosaur from the beginning.  It was purple, had a tail and it’s adorable on her.  Duh.

Her ears are too floppy to keep the head piece up on it's own-- Time for safety pins!

Does I wook beautomous Momma?!

Tail! Wait... Tail? Tail?

AHHHH!!! DINOSAUR!!! RAWWWRRR!!!

You may now howld de paw.

I love that Faith likes to dress up.  Whenever she gets a new collar she races through the house to show everyone and if it’s sparkly, even better.  She always did like to dress up, so maybe she won’t hate me too much for making her wear it.  She’ll get extra cookies for that.

Ah yes, the natural order of things-- A Pumpkin chasing a Dinosaur.

Can we have dinner now?

Yeah, I know Paisley is probably going to hate me for making her put it on again on Halloween and for much longer than this photo shoot took.  But guess what, you only live once.  If you wanna dress your dog up like a pumpkin, do it.  She’ll get over it when cookies are involved.  Though, I might have a problem– I saw a photo of a Guinea Pig in a costume and now I really want to get one for Buddha.  As if I don’t have enough animals that aren’t going to like me in a few days.  Maybe Etsy has something I can get here really fast…  Hmmm.

Anyway, Happy Halloween all– even if it is a little early.  I will definitely post pictures of the event.

Until then,

Jaina