Pumpkins

The forecast says 78 with no rain for Thursday!  Ahh!!  I realize that it's only Monday so there is plenty of time for the forecast to change, like a lot, but for now, I'm definitely thinking about painting the kitchen... again.  😅

Laurelin was extremely happy to get this broccoli and decided that she absolutely needed all of it.  However, as you can see in the last picture, it didn't quite all fit in her cheek, but she didn't seem to mind.  😂 

Tarmund liked the broccoli too, but he also seemed pretty interested in the pumpkins.  I'm fairly certain he bit one of them before I was done taking pictures.

Fili and Kili were not interested in the broccoli so I had a difficult time getting them to sit still enough to get some pictures.  They enjoyed exploring every little crevice they could fit into.

Brown Blanket

The older I get, the more I want to find balance between planing and spontaneity.  By nature, I am a planner, and Joe helps me be more spontaneous.  This weekend was a great reminder that some things are better with a bit more planning.  Thanks to painting on a whim, I've accidentally turned our kitchen into a Smurf's hideout.  I said I always wanted a blue kitchen, and I now definitely have a BLUE kitchen.  😅  Ah well.  We'll change it eventually.  😁

Laurelin is such a sweetheart, and I am SO happy I still have her!  I truly didn't expect her to live this long, but I'm so glad she's doing so well for her age.  I didn't think I'd have her around for another Halloween, but it looks like I could be wrong!  So I guess it's time to consider a costume or two for her.  Any suggestions??

Ah Tarmund.  He'll always be my stereotypical grumpy old dwarf hamster, but I love him!  Whenever I see pictures from when I first brought him home, I'm shocked at how grey he got.  He still spends a lot of time awake during the day which I think is so cute since all the other hams only get up during the day for a quick drink of water. 

I'm admittedly a bit obsessed with these two.  I think the main two reasons for my obsession are that they are the smallest hamsters I have and that whenever I hold them, I have two little faces to kiss.  Also, I refer to them as "the boys" so much that I've caught Joe calling them that too, which makes me happy.  😊

White Pumpkins

I'm excited that it's gonna be a bit warmer again this week!  I'm hoping to be able to make one last good push to get some of the yard work and various projects done before it gets too cold again.  I also am trying to enjoy the zoo as much as possible for the rest of this month until it closes for the season.  I've been pretty good this past summer at keeping my wildlife blog up to date, but I am definitely falling behind on it now.  I also haven't been sharing any of my pictures on social media except for my hamsters, so I probably should focus on sharing my other work again too.  😁  I don't want y'all to get the idea that I haven't been working this year, because I have been!  My specialty is babies, but I do plenty of other work too.  It's not too late to book a fall session while the weather is still beautiful and the trees are changing colors.  😊

I bought some fall decorations, but I wanted to keep it simple and make sure it blended in well with the decorations I already have.  These white pumpkins add the perfect touch of fall to my table.  Doesn't Laurelin look so pretty with them?!  😍

Tarmund was not interested in getting his picture taken, so unfortunately this was the best one I got.  There was a treat sitting there, but he grabbed it before I got a picture and then he was gone.  😂

Fili and Kili are just so precious together!  I barely can tell them apart, but Fili is slightly smaller than Kili, he is a bit more skittish than Kili, and he is generally less interested in food than Kili is.  Can I point out that when I first got them, Fili was much bigger and obsessed with food (trust me, I remembered who was who because I said Fili was Fat 😂), but at some point that apparently changed as Kili became bigger than Fili, which has made it even harder to tell them apart.  Now I remember by saying Kili is Kind.  😁

Grey Blanket

This colder, rainy day has me wanting to curl up under my huge, soft grey blanket.  But instead, it's been a busy and productive morning which transitioned into a slower and contemplative afternoon.  Now as my evening is starting, I'm quickly finishing up numerous tasks that were started earlier so that I can finally check off these items from my to do list and get to relaxing under this nice, warm blanket.  Tomorrow the cycle will start over.  Sometimes I try to fight against this ebb and flow, but today, I'm embracing it and reflecting on how the changing seasons also mirror a constant cycle of change.  I might not always like change, but it generally seems helpful.

Laurelin really appreciated the chance to enjoy her favorite treat in such a cozy blanket.  Doesn't she look so happy?!  

Tarmund didn't want to just sit and enjoy his snack in this serene environment I created for him.  Instead he pouched the treat and wanted to explore.

I believe that Kili is the one on the right side of the picture who was thrilled to savor this yummy treat.  Fili took a much different approach.  He pouched his and then immediately tried to steal the treat from his brother.  😂

Sand bath

There's a lot of misinformation about pet care, and unfortunately, most of this comes from peoples' assumption that the products sold at pet stores are all safe for pets.  Sadly, this is NOT the case.  I don't generally spend much time talking about pet care because I know that while I have learned a lot over the years and made appropriate changes, I'm sure that I still have plenty to learn, so I don't want to come across as a "know-it-all" or expert.  I also know that there many issues that are matters of opinion, not fact.  I definitely don't want to shame anyone who is trying their best to provide for their pets, just because their best might not look the same as my best.  All that to say, I will stand my ground on the issue of the All Living Things Tiny Tales habitats for small animals.  I want to be abundantly clear that there is absolutely NO argument that can be made that these cages are actually suitable habitats for small animals, especially the dinosaur one.  They are DANGEROUS!  Please join me in signing this petition: https://www.change.org/p/petsmart-make-petsmart-develop-humane-safe-cages-for-small-animals

Laurelin LOVES her sand bath!  She likes to dig in it and she uses it as her potty which I love because it's so easy to clean and replace the sand.  This helps her bedding stay cleaner for longer which is great!

I don't think Tarmund really likes having sand all that much, so he usually doesn't have any or if he does, I don't put a lot in.  He's plenty happy with this glass tray to roll around in and pretend to dig, even if it's empty.  😂

Fili and Kili both love sand and have two sand baths.  One they mostly just use as a potty, but the other is actually their favorite spot to sit together and eat.  It's super cute!  

Tea Party

Sorting through my possessions to decide what gets to continue having a place in my life and what will no longer be kept is a regular occurrence for me.  I do NOT like clutter or mess.  I don't like holding on to things that will forever be tucked away in a box, rarely to be seen or used.  I'm not very sentimental with my possessions.  Most of the things that I do hold dear to me are out on display.  Of course this creates a higher risk of those items breaking, and plenty have over the years.  But I'd rather daily enjoy an item until it's inevitable doom than try to protect it by keeping it safely wrapped up in a box out of sight.  I balance this risk by taking pictures of the things I want to remember.  In this case, I want to remember these cups and saucers, mugs, and cream and sugar containers.  These are part of the set of dishes we got after Joe's grandma passed away.  The plates and bowls get regularly use (so far none of those have broken, though I'm sure it is only a matter of time), but these items were never touched.  So in an effort to clear the clutter, I took some pictures of them, and then I am going to donate them.

I put Laurelin in the biggest item, and she still barely fits!  She sat really still, but I think it was more because she couldn't move much, and less because she was comfortable.  So I got these pictures and then freed her.  😁

Tarmund seemed interested in the little creamer jug, but I think it was mostly because he could smell that Laurelin had just been sitting there.  So one of the reasons for this set-up is because I thought it would be fun to Photoshop all the hamsters into one picture.  Maybe I'll try that today.  😊

I truly believe that Fili and Kili actually enjoy being crammed together like they are in that little cup.  Every night after I feed them, they always sit as close together as possible to eat.  I'm glad they like each other so much!  I've said it before, but just for the record, I am absolutely prepared to immediately separate them at the first sign of them not getting along.  I have also already decided that if by the time either Laurelin or Tarmund passes and Fili and Kili are still together, I will separate them at that point.  Although that is honestly more so that my three shelves with bins doesn't have an open spot that might tempt me to get another hamster.  😆

Mexican Box

Finding balance and maintaining that balance in life is a constant chore.  I think I have finally settled on a new schedule that will work for me.  As frustrated as I can get sometimes about so much constantly changing, I do appreciate that I get so many opportunities to take a step back and reevaluate my priorities as I work out a schedule that I will at least attempt to follow.  😄  That being said, the holiday today is totally throwing off my schedule for the week, but I'm choosing now to be okay with that.  😁

How precious does Laurelin look in this box our friend brought back from Mexico??!?  She barely fits, but I made it work.  😂

Tarmund didn't really have any interest in sitting in this box.  He did seem to appreciate the view it gave him.  It's not easy being such a small guy!

I clearly couldn't narrow down the pictures of these two!  I couldn't stop laughing at Kili on the right who was calming eating his treat while Fili kept watch.  They both fit in there so perfectly that they couldn't really move around, so they actually sat still.  It was amazing!  😂