Riverbend Ramblings

Labels: Pets

Last Friday after school Hope begged to bring the class pet home for the weekend. I was hesitant to agree, but her teacher insisted that there was no way on earth we could possibly kill a betta fish. So, "Gilly" the betta fish spent the weekend at our house.

How hard could it possibly be to take care Gilly? All we had to do was leave him in his bowl on the kitchen counter and feed him three pellets of betta fish food each day. Sounds easy enough, right?

All was well until we got home from church Sunday night. I glanced at Gilly as I passed through the kitchen and noticed that he was perfectly still and floating on top of the water. I don't know much about fish, but I do know that when they are floating on top of the water, it is a very bad thing.

I frantically texted Hope's teacher and informed her that Gilly would not be returning to school. I was worried that maybe Hope's teacher had a sentimental attachment to Gilly, but she wasn't upset, just amazed that we had somehow managed to kill a pet fish in just forty-eight hours. Hope was worried that the kids in her sixth grade class would call her "fish-killer", but her teacher promised to help keep Gilly's demise a secret.

Steven drove to the pet store as soon as it opened this morning and purchased a replacement fish that was as close to Gilly's dark blue with green coloring as he could find. Then he drove to another pet store just to make sure that he had one that looked as much like Gilly as possible. (Isn't he awesome?) He felt pretty good about the fish he had purchased, so he headed to the school to drop off the *new* Gilly. Hope's classmates just thought that Gilly came to school late and didn't notice anything was different.

So, everything turned out fine in the end, though I don't think Hope will be bringing the class pet home again any time soon.

 

Labels: Family Life, Pets, The Kiddos

I spent most of the weekend in bed with a cold. Curl Girl wasn't feeling very good herself this morning, so we've both been taking it easy today. We ate our lunch out at the picnic table and enjoyed the sunshine. Guess what we found in the backyard? Lettuce from last year's seeds! I wish everything in the garden would spring up with so little effort from me. I think we'll plan on salads for lunch tomorrow.These next two pictures are for my Northern friends. Flowers are beginning to bloom here. It's supposed to get cold again in the next couple of days. I hope these blossoms don't die. I felt good enough this afternoon to tackle my messy laundry room. It took me two hours to get it super clean. I have a tendency to let the clean clothes pile up on top of the counter, and the pile grows bigger and bigger. I'm determined to keep that counter cleared off!This little fur-baby makes me smile. He needs a haircut, but he's still adorable.Lord-willing our household will be sniffle-free tomorrow and I'll be able to go into the office for a few hours. I hope you have a wonderful week!

Labels: Daily Life, Keeping the Home, Outdoor Life, Pets

Toby loves getting lots of attention and playing with the kids. But I'm not sure that this is exactly what he bargained for.

Labels: Pets, The Kiddos

This past summer in the midst of our move two of our pets, Dewey the Bulldog and Sassy Cat, passed away. The kids were very sad, but the excitement of the move lessened the pain a little bit. There was so much going on, plus they still had our Schnauzer to run around with. A couple of months ago we started thinking about getting another dog. I had mixed feelings at first, but what's a mom to do when she's so outnumbered? :) We would take family trips to the pet store just to look at all the cute little puppies. The kids would beg to take one of those adorable babies home, but the pet store prices were just unbelievable. We searched the internet to no avail. We also visited the local Humane Society and SPCA adoption centers, but they mostly had large dogs. My hubby and I agreed that a small dog would be better for us this go around, preferably a Shih tzu. Mr. C bought me a Shih tzu right after we got married. He was a wonderful, spoiled dog. ;) We had to find another home for him when Mickey was a baby due to his severe allergies, but we agreed that someday we would like to have another Shih tzu. My husband's searching finally paid off, and just over a month ago the most adorable little buff-colored Shih tzu you've ever seen joined our family. He took to me right away and follows me around the house all day long. We had a hard time coming up with a name for him. All the names that seemed to fit were girl names, but eventually we settled on Toby. He's had his first visit to the groomer, but he still has a lot of hair. At least we can see his eyes now. :) We've already taken him on a couple of trips, and he's doing very well with potty training. I am so glad that we have added this little cutie to our family!

Labels: Family Life, Pets

I caught Sassy Cat lounging under the table in our garden, and she refused to come when I called her. Don't you think she looks a bit smug?

Upon closer inspection, she was guarding a captive. I can't tell you how many times we've seen her sneaking around the last few weeks with a limp green tail hanging out of her mouth. At least it's not a mouse tail! :)

Labels: Pets

Our dogs spent the day at the groomer's. Every time I went outside today and didn't see them I would wonder where they were; then I would remember! Who says that only senior citizens have "senior moments"? :)

Dewey received a nice medicated shampoo bath and had his ears cleaned. Wrinkle care is important for English Bulldogs. Dirt and moisture can build up in those cute wrinkles and lead to a nasty infection. Dewey joined our family almost 4 months ago, and thankfully he hasn't had any skin problems yet. We'll see how he does this summer when it gets really hot. I have a feeling he'll be spending afternoons sprawled out on the family room floor enjoying the air conditioning. In case you're wondering why we don't bathe him ourselves, just remember that he weighs close to 100 pounds and has feet the size of a small cow. Enough said.

Buddy, our mini schnauzer, fares best with a puppy cut. He spends so much time romping in the woods with the kids that it just doesn't make since for him to have a traditional schnauzer cut. He looks so skinny right after a haircut.

When Dewey and Buddy came home this evening the kids ran to them like they hadn't seen them in weeks. It had been, in fact, only six hours. Even a short absence makes the heart grow fonder. Those good-smellin' dogs were smothered with hugs.

Grooming the dogs does cut into our budget a bit, but I think if you're going to have pets then you should take good care of them! Dewey and Buddy are looking and feeling great tonight, but I'm sure that as soon as they head out to play in the morning they'll be looking green again from all of the pollen. So much for that spring cleaning. :)

Labels: Pets

I love "normal" days. Housework. Schoolwork. Training. Laughing. You know, the stuff life's made of. Today was a "normal" day.

This morning Curly Girl got all dolled up to go spend part of the day with Mrs. Betty, one of the widows in our church. They made plans to eat lunch together and go to the store to browse the toy aisles. I'm so glad that my kids have substitute grandmothers who love on them since their grandmas live far away.

Big sister Bookworm loaned Curly Girl a pair of hoop earrings, put her hair up in a ponytail, and dabbed some lip gloss on her lips. Curly Girl only had one handwriting worksheet to complete today, so after we reviewed phonics blends and the five addition family she was ready to head out the door. Can you tell she's happy to have a special date?


Bookworm finished up her study on Sequoyah, the famous Cherokee Indian who developed a written alphabet, as part of her Georgia history class. She even got to practice writing some Cherokee symbols.

This afternoon I baked six dozen cookies for three first-time visiting families we had at church on Sunday. I made Cream Cheese Cookies and The Butler's Chocolate Chip Cookies. This was my first batch using Becky's (actually, her husband's) recipe which I found here. Mr. C said that he prefers The Butler's over my usual chocolate chip cookie. My feelings weren't hurt one bit. I think I've found a new favorite cookie dough. :) Cream Cheese Cookies
The Butler's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Bookworm did a splendid job folding a load of cleaning towels for me. She is such a wonderful helper around the house. She was singing hymns at the top of her voice while she folded. I stood in the next room and smiled to myself while I listened to her. I wish I were always so cheerful when it comes to doing my chores.
After all of the day's lessons had been checked I found a few spare moments to play Frisbee with Buddy. He ran around the yard like a little tornado. I think he'll sleep soundly tonight.
Can you tell from my new blog look that I'm in the mood for spring? I guess I need to get the Valentine's decorations down from the attic. Maybe climbing up and down the stairs will count as my exercise tomorrow. :)

I hope you had a nice, "normal" day, too!

Labels: Daily Life, In the Kitchen, Keeping the Home, Pets, The Kiddos

Labels: Pets

I had so much fun reading all of your guesses about this picture. Some of you thought I was having a really bad day, and some of you thought we were going to get a puppy for Christmas. With six people, a dog, and a cat living in our house, do you really think we need another pet?

Well, apparently my darling husband thought we did. :)

The cute little dog in my last post is not our new dog. But, it looks a lot like the newest member of our family. If it were up to me, we would not have added another pet to our home. However, my hubby's eyes lit up like a little kid on Christmas morning the first time he saw this dog. I think he had tears in his eyes. I have such a wonderful, loving husband; how in the world could I deny him a chance to have the dog of his dreams?

Meet Dewey the Dawg.

He's smiling--really, he is.

Dewey is a 5 year old pure blooded English bulldog. These dogs are expensive around here (you know--the GEORGIA BULLDOGS) and usually sell for $1,000-$2,000. Dewey has been "fixed", and we have adopted him from a doggie foster family. He didn't cost us anything, unless you count the zillion pounds of dog food we had to buy. Did I mention he weighs 90 pounds? I'm not kidding. He's going on a diet!

Dewey is just hilarious! He is very smart and acts like he knows exactly what you're saying to him. When he eats, he sounds like a dinosaur; or at least what I think a dinosaur would sound like. If he hears the word "treat" he comes running to catch it. I think he swallows it whole. And the snoring! I have always been happy that I married a man who doesn't snore. Well, you can hear Dewey snoring all the way across the house!

Although Dewey is house trained, the plan is for him to be an outside dog. We have a large fenced dog run with a big dog house just perfect for him. It's in the 30's here at night right now, so Mr. C wants Dewey to stay inside until the weather warms up. He's actually very well-behaved and loving, so I don't mind him being inside.

Buddy the schnauzer and Sassy the cat are not sure what has invaded their home. Buddy has been barking at Dewey all day, and Sassy just peeks at him from time to time. I think that if we put Buddy and Dewey outside together for a couple of hours Buddy will get over his anxiety. Dewey is very friendly to Buddy and Sassy. Hopefully they'll adjust in the next few days.

Our children, who are still in Florida, don't have a clue about Dewey. They are going to be so surprised when they get home and see him. The family Dewey lived with had several children, and Dewey just loved to snuggle and play with them. I think Dewey is going to fit in just great in our family.

For those of you Florida people who read my blog and will see my kids in the next few days let me warn you: NOT A WORD about Dewey!!! They will be coming home at the end of the week--I can't wait!

And yes, Mom, I know exactly what you're thinking. :)

Labels: Family, Pets

Bookworm is next to a Lamborghini Countach.
Yesterday we wanted to take advantage of the gorgeous weather and do something outdoors. We ended up going to the Atl*nta Z*o. Believe it or not, this was my first visit ever to a zoo! Here are a few pictures from our day.

The kids take a break for a quick pose. Lil' Nut looked too cool in Grandpa's shades.
Lil' Nut wanted to spend the whole day petting the sheep.








After our fun time at the zoo, we went to a really nice mall in Atlanta and had dinner at The Cheesec*ake Fact*ry. I am one spoiled girl. :)

After their grandparents left this morning to head home to Florida, the kids were a little bit disappointed when I announced that we would still be having school today. They were begging to play outside in the cool morning air. I compromised, and we started school a little bit later than usual. I'm learning to relax when it comes to our schedule. There are days we can set the schedule aside and let things just flow naturally.

Sassy Update: Sassy's surgeries were last Tuesday. By Saturday it appeared that she was coming down with an infection. The vet ordered her an antibiotic, and she seems to be doing better each day. She's also adjusted to the newspaper in her litter box. :) Hopefully she'll be jumping around again in a few more days.

Labels: Family Life, Fun Stuff, Homeschool Corner, Pets

Sassy stayed at the vet's office for 24 hours after her surgeries. We brought her home late yesterday, and I was amazed at how well she seemed to be feeling. Today was a different story. Sassy's pain medicine must have worn off because she was in quite a bit of pain. She was content to snooze the day away curled up on my bed. That's fine with me; I'm sure I'd feel the same way.
We've lined her litter box with shreded newspaper since she won't be able to use litter for the next several days. So far she hasn't seemed to "use" the paper but wants to sleep on it instead. Any suggestions??

Labels: Pets

Our day started out at a slower-than-normal pace. Last night Mr. C preached at Landmark Baptist Church, just south of Atlanta. Pastor O'Steen (no relation to the one you're thinking of) and his church folks always make us feel right at home. After the service our family enjoyed sharing a meal with the O'Steens at a Mexican restaurant. The food was delicious, and we enjoyed our time of fellowship together.

Labels: Daily Life, Family Life, Pets

Labels: Family Life, Pets, The Kiddos

Labels: Family Life, Pets, Wordless Wednesday

I think my last post was a little misleading. Just a wee bit. Several of you guessed that my big news has something to do with a baby. Well, it does. :)

Today for Kelli's Show and Tell I wanted to introduce you to the newest member of our family.


This is Sassy. She's an adorable 9-week-old Manx. We had to wait until after our vacation to bring her home with us. We've had her almost 24 hours, and so far she and the litter box are getting along just fine.

The kids can't keep their hands off of Sassy, but she doesn't seem to mind. The only problem is that she doesn't seem to care for our dog at all. She makes the most ferocious hissing noises at Buddy everytime she sees him. I guess they'll get used to each other eventually.

If you've got any tips on how we can help Sassy adjust to her new home, please feel free to share. :)

Labels: Family Life, Pets, Show n Tell

Yesterday Mr. C decided to take the girls (Brother is still vacationing with his grandparents) on a fun outing. I was tempted to stay home and tackle a mountain of ironing but decided that I'd rather have some fun with the family instead.

We went to the home of one of our church families. Mr. C had called ahead of time to see if we could visit Mama Cat Sally and her four little kittens. Bookworm and Curly Girl had both visited the kittens previously and were surprised to see that they have grown quite a bit over the last couple of weeks and are now the most playful little critters.

The two black kittens are males, and the striped kittens are females. They are Manx kittens, so two of them have little stubs instead of tails.

Mama Sally playing with her babies.

No kitten was safe in the arms of Lil' Nut. Poor kittens!

Bookworm got this little one to fall asleep.

Curly Girl would hold a kitten for about 2 seconds, then put it down and find another one to hold for 2 seconds. My impulsive child. :)

The girls had a wonderful time playing with the kittens. All of the kids (especially the girls) have been begging for a kitten for, well, forever. Mr. C really like these Manx cats, and he's had his dibs on one since the litter was born.

The plan, of course, is that the kitten will be the kids' responsibility.

Let me interpret that for you:

MOM will be asking, "Has anyone fed the cat?"

MOM will be breaking up fights between the cat and Buddy, our Schnauzer.

MOM will be pulling her nylons from the claws of cute kitty.

MOM will be brushing cat hair off of every garment she owns.

MOM will be scooping out the litter box.

MOM will be shooing the cat off of the leather couch.

MOM will be saying, "Don't pull the cat's tail!" Oh, I forgot--this cat doesn't have a tail.

So, what do you think? Should I throw up my hands in surrender with a smile on my face? Probably, because...

MOM will..........enjoy seeing the delight on her husband's and children's faces when THIS kitty comes home to live with us.

Labels: Family Life, Pets