Scribbles and Scrambles - 1 Week of Lessons

We've had our pokeballs for a week.

Things I've learned about hedgehogs! (Many of these comments could be applied to people as well. just saying) 

They are as cute as can be. The disappearing and appearing ears, eyes and forehead action is just adores.

At least 2 of the worlds' beagle population are VERY leery of hedgehogs. Tonight is the first time they are sharing the same section of the room.

Hedgehogs poop when they walk or crawl around on humans. Or in the wheels or balls. It only lasts the first 10 minutes or so but poo is involved. Then there may be a warm dribble....insult to injury. Hedgie diapers....hmmm wouldn't need pins!

Hedgehogs are surprisingly cuddly. They don't mind being petted on their quills and it's not at all unpleasant as long as you don't go against the grain. They love to curl up and really like the buddy bags I made. Dark and cozy corners.

Quills are not barbed. But they are sharp. Hedgies who are startled, cranky or loners are very good at getting that across. They roll up and the quills extend. The texture is a combination of wire brush, dried out Christmas tree and dryer ball. 

Touching a puffed hedgie is touchy ( ha-ha ). You have to scoop up under their soft belly. They puff and huff sometimes while you are attempting that. And it's a scary thing to see. 

One more thing. This caught me by surprise. Daffodil chomped me. She was agitated. And I hadn't washed my hands before picking her up. Just one bite. But it was sharp and she didn't let go right away. Later, when I researched I found a few key things. 1) they are visually impaired. 2) in the wild they eat worms and small snakes. 3) food or perfume on your hands can grab their interest and make them think you are edible.
I did learn that I handled it well. I didn't put her down, scream, or toss her. Don't want that experience again but I learned from it. Win. And best of all, no scar. 

Scribbles and Scrambles - Presto Chango

You know we roll with change. Like other than the learning curve of immediate grandparents of three. Zero to three in 12.5 hours. 

Or our penchant for pet doubles. Change is kinda fun. 

This year we have been learning lots as Rob figures out life without a knee and I figure out how to be supportive and the bag and box hauler. That one hasn't been a favorite. I'm praying and hoping for next week's blood test showing he can have a new knee. 

Today I found out I get to interview for my job position as our clinic has decided to be absorbed by a bigger entity. Twenty years there, whew, this is going to be interesting. And I thought it was just a normal Tuesday when I got out of bed this morning. 

Scribbles and Scrambles - Well, Technology Can Be Awesome

From the safety of my car while waiting for the severe thunderstorm to pass I was able to check my email, creep on Facebook, begin a blog post and communicate with my daughters to make sure they were pocketed safely away with the children.  Yay, smart phone. I could also have tracked the weather down to the second, but I generally just use my senses for that. Which explains my occasional coatless days in January because the "sun is shining" moments. 

From my conversations with the girls I was reminded of two things. A) My older daughter's faith is strong. She was totally unaware of tornado warnings just a dozen miles away and they were just doing life and chilling after school. B) My youngest daughter has followed in the cliche "you marry your father" Her husband stood outside and filmed the wall cloud while she braved the tornado shelter in their apartment complex. It flooded, she had to navigate around spiders, broken glass and a condom wrapper floating downstream while carrying her 7 month old, 22+ pounder around. 

At least her hubby had a good time.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ No Words Needed....

Scribbles and Scrambles - Life Decisions

When we were debating getting one puppy. let alone two, I mentioned our insane thinking to my violin teacher. He listened politely and nodded several times, told me to keep him posted. When I texted him about our choice to go big he LOL'd and said, "you make the best life decisions."

Not true. Not true at all. But our decisions have made for a very interesting (to us ) life. For that I'm glad. I mean without our early life plans to buy a chunk of land and live off of it would we still be longing for that same but morphing different experience? Without Lily and Lola would we have played it safe and only taken Gladys and named her Charlene? Without the years of hamsters, guinea pigs, rats, lizards, cats while we raised our kids would we ever have considered hedge hogs?

Rob's knee issues have kept him in documentaries and quirky television shows a few days a week. I've always been enamored of hedgehogs since I read the book Miss Jaster's Garden as a child. But I didn't think I'd ever own one.

My husband announced one day a few weeks ago, "I want a hedge hog." Then over the next weeks he began researching and sharing hedgie facts, info from local breeders and then added the idea of a second hog.

One local breeder does a spring sale amounting to almost a BOGO of a deal. And she had two sisters looking for a home. The kids and grandkids wondered if Rob would like one as a gift. They gave him an early Fathers Day card with enough cash to buy one and 1/2...how could I not buy the other 1/2 for him? Today Daisy and Daffodil joined our family. Gertrude and Gladys are bemused but accepting.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Ramblings That Make Sense Very Early In The Morning...

Did you know that pets can help bring emotional and physical healing? Duh. Of course you knew that, it's not a newsflash or anything. Hence the therapy dogs. etc. But it's really early in the morning and I was awakened by a dog and just couldn't go back to sleep so I thought I'd ramble about love and commitment and feel-feels. 

Put your seatbelt on, this is going to get very rambley. Now the above thought I threw out about pets actually makes me laugh a little. There are few things better than a pet who will curl up with you and snuggle when you are down. Healing indeed. However, there is a flip side that you can guess if you've ever potty trained a pet, or cleaned up after one in the middle of the night when the hoarking sound awakens you from a dead sleep. Or when my pups who might have a sour tummy want to go out at 3:00 a.m. to eat grass. This has happened to me. It's real. I don't know if it's a named syndrome or not, it probably should be. 

Anyhoo, regardless of the frustrating things that go along with pup parenting, pets add love, joy, peace and snuggles to my life. And that's worth the occasional dirty work or sleepless night. Kind of like marriage, or parenting, or friendship. When we put ourselves out there, stand behind our commitments and just do the hard work in those relationships we get the dividends in return. Not necessarily the way we expect, but blessings come in very unique packages. 

A person once told me that she didn't cry, ever. That she had used up all her lifetime's supply of tears years before during a rough patch in life. What I noticed as I observed her interactions was that she indeed didn't cry. But she also didn't seem to feel joy, either, or even notice the beauty in the crazy things. Oh, she politely oohed and ahhed or she seemed to love objects that were beautiful. But there was a disconnect when others in the room were near tears over cuteness or the sweetness of moments. Almost like she refused to feel anything beyond the very expected basic surface emotions that make society run properly. (ha, ha) 

I'm sure this works for her. Because if she's locked that door she doesn't go in and lament the decision she's made, there are so many ways to deaden our feelings. Another gal won't get a pet because in 10 years you will have to bury it. She doesn't want to get attached. I get that, I really do. But what is the hidden price you pay for the 10 years you live without the benefits of loving something or someone that much. My daughters, as they navigate this parenting thing, are understanding loving so much it aches. I'm right there with them. The act of living, really living, is full of opportunities to experience the multi spectrum light and color show of love. As much as I want the yellows and bright oranges and brilliant greens of the emotional plane, I also need the indigos and bruised purples to fully appreciate the gift of the yellows. 

Even fuzzy-headed (literally and figuratively, I was rudely awakened after all)I know the wisdom of loving and choose to experience the good, the sad, the bad and the divine in the moments gifted to me. There are so many creatures in my life to love til it hurts. 

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Laugh With Me...

Oh those KIDS! and funny parents, too. My aunt used to scribble funny comments her kids made on the inside of her kitchen cabinets. That cabinet door was papered with sticky notes. And oddly, those two boys are pretty stinking funny adults. So maybe there was something to her crazy word keeping skills. 

I wasn't that organized. I don't remember most of what I say, and my kids, well, either I was too busy laughing or comforting them because I laughed "at" them to write it down. My kids, all three, are very clever and witty as well. Whew!  Dodged that bullet. 

Now, as a grandma, I should tweet things like these clever folks. But I don't have to since some other folks do it so well, right?  


http://www.boredpanda.com/25-funny-parenting-tweets/


http://www.boredpanda.com/funny-dad-tweets-parenting-james-breakwell-exploding-unicorn/