Down The Bumpy Road Together on Thankful Thursday

This week was a little bumpy in every sense of the word for our little family. The weather hit hard, I came down hard at Netball, my daughter learned some hard lessons about friendship, poor hubby was pulled in every direction, and my son and our fur babies have been pushing boundaries. Even though, I feel there is much to be thankful for this week. 

• I have been injured and getting back on my feet this week, and although it is a slow process, I know I am making progress.
• The weekend brought some chilly weather, and a batch of snow which always brings delight to our household.
  

•   My daughter had a sleepover with her bestie. This was something they had been planning for a long time, but quite a bit has happened between them in the meantime. Miss 10 has learned quite a bit about friendship, the games that can be played, and about staying true to yourself in the process. They remain friends and she had a good time at the sleepover, but I think it has been quite a big growth period for her.
• Not only did hubby attend to his poor, injured wife in her time of need and ongoing disability, he also has been rounding up the children, attending to the family animals, keeping our home tidy and our bellies fed, AND responding in less than ideal conditions to calls of distress from the community in regard to the heavy rainfall, winds and flooding in the area. On top of this, he has understandably has come down with a cold of his own!
• Not to be outdone, Mr 6 is the usual ball of energy. He seems torn at the moment, after his recent Parent/Teacher/Student meeting and School Report, between wanting to move forward with his reading and writing, and not wanting to knuckle down to do the work required. Ho hum ..... how many more years of school left?
• Our dogs which you can meet here and here, have been having a ball in the backyard together, shredding the grass, getting muddy and generally enjoying life by making a mess in the rain as only dogs can. The guinea pigs seem quite oblivious to the rain, given there raised homes, but they have been consistent to letting anyone in earshot know, no matter which side of the fence they be on, that they love their food and are always happy for more. 

 Always eventful, but always full of lesson and laughter!

Introducing Some Cuteness

I have been keeping something from you. We have been enjoying and getting to know a special little lady, and she has been getting a lot of attention at our house. The guilt of keeping her to ourselves has been overwhelming though, and I thought it only fair to share the cuteness with you all.

Her name is Pippa and she is a German Short Haired Pointer. We have had her just over a month, which makes her 5 months old now. She will be a great companion for Gypsy.

Pippa belongs to Master 6, and they have been getting along well. They are probably on par with their cheekiness.

Pippa on her first day with us

  

 

 

Lucky they are both so cute!

Linking up for Wordless Wednesday with

Erica Price Designs



 

My Dog, My Sister

When my daughter was two we bought her a puppy. To say that they are close is an understatement. They have grown together, played together and comforted each other. They have a connection. My daughter says they are sisters.

Gypsy is a Golden Labrador.

Labradors are known historically as Duck Hunting dogs. She has been known to catch a few unsuspecting birds in our yard. Her love of the water is insatiable.

For the past 7 years, Gypsy has been solely a yard dog.

Hubby, always a keen hunter, has recently started taking Gypsy out to the Bush with him for walks. She instantly loved the space and the scents it offered. Even though she had never hunted before, she roused a wallaby out on her first run.

Hubby had never considered taking her hunting before.

Gypsy had a history of wanting to go wherever her nose took her, and was not the most disciplined at coming when called.

Hubby also worried that she may be gun shy, in which case she may run at the sound, leaving him searching the bush for hours.

Miss 9 is an animal lover by nature.

When hubby told her that he and Gypsy were going hunting, she jumped up and said she was going too.

Surprised, hubby asked why she would want to go when she hated seeing animals hurt.

Her response was quick and honest.

"I only want to make sure Gypsy doesn't get hurt."

The connection these two have is so gorgeous.

 

Wordless Wednesday - I have style and wheels

So cute and going places ... don't you think?

Linking up with Trish 

Ready, Set, It's my day off!

Today is my official one day off. When I say that, it means that I don't go to my place of employment. It sure as hell doesn't mean a day of leisurely pamper appointments and day time TV.

Today, for example:
Up for the morning madness. Organising lunches, breakfast, encouraging children through morning routines, checking school bags, ready and out the door. School drop-off.

Ventured 30kms with Miss 7 to buy her third guinea pig in a month.

Applied Nit solution to Miss 7's hair, waited, rinsed, painstakingly dragged a double-row nit comb through her long, thick hair. This took a good few hours!

Searched through freezer for inspiration for tonights dinner.

Searched online for a better Car Insurance Premium. Then called my current Insurer, who changed my address, and got me a better premium while still holding onto my Rating 1. Who knew that a change of address could save over $100?

Grabbed a bite to eat.

I called Family Assistance next, to check the current SchoolKids bonus. As it turns out, even though Master 4 is attending an education institute 3 days a week, where he is required to wear a uniform, and go on excursions, etc, we are not entitled to the bonus for him, as Kindergarten is not part of Primary School. I think there will be a few parents jumping up and down about the governments interpretation of "a child at school ".

Some basic housework

Before you know it, Master 4 is ready to be collected from Kindergarten.

A visit with Nan and Pop to wish Pop a Happy Birthday and have a well earned coffee. Is this the first one today?

Configure and register Nan's new iPad - so jealous!

Home again to whip up a dinner to keep everyone happy.

7pm - Netball

Thank God I only have Tuesdays off!

Little claws, little teeth and fur

There has been a great deal of excitement in our house. We were blessed with two new additions to our family - both boys. The weekend was busy with readying their living quarters, and on Tuesday ... they moved in.

We picked up the brother guinea pigs before school started from Miss 8's teacher, who breeds guinea pigs, and had picked out two for our family. We had to wait until they were ready to leave their Mum, so they are still small and timid.

After a little commotion as each child presented their new pets to their classmates, hubby and I took them home to get settled in their new environment and take it all in. I am thinking this time to themselves was a good thing. As soon as school got out, the kids were busting to see them.

We brought them inside and each child spent a little one-on-one time with their pet.

Miss 8 was super-gentle with hers, which she has names Sparkes. She is old enough to understand that they are still babies, and they need to be held carefully.

Master 4, on the other hand had to be supervised closely. He finds it a little harder to contain his excitement and keeps thinking of new places and things his pet needs to see in the house.

The guinea pigs have different markings which is great to tell them apart. Bless Miss 8's teacher for being so considerate in her choice.

Tug of war - children and animals

As a parent, I try really hard to remember what it was like as a child. It can be so easy to just dictate and lay down the rules, and say "And that's that." With a little step back and some consideration, it helps me to empathise with the children and communicate better.

We are having a little tug of war within the family at the moment. We have our trusty female Labrador Gypsy who has been with us for 6 years now, since she was a pup. Miss 8 and Master 4 love animals. Miss 8 in particular has had her eyes opened to the world of pets lately, with her teacher breeding Guinea Pigs and kindly bringing them in to the class every couple of weeks. It is great for the kids, as they have free contact with some animals they can handle and learn about. On the downside, each time the Guinea Pigs come to visit, it renews Miss 8's pleas for another pet.

Personally, I am not against having another pet in the family. Before making any additions though, we need to consider the dynamics of our house and family. I like to think these things through to consider all the pros and cons. Hubby, on the other hand likes a pet to be useful and sees any addition as only more work for us.

Miss 8 has been pleading her case with great enthusiasm, and has hit the subject from several angles. Once she gets an idea in her head, she is quite adamant. Miss 8 is a romantic at heart though, and tends to see the cute fluffy side of things, and not so much of the yucky, problematic side.

So, with an open mind, I said we should sit down and discuss this.

M8: I can buy a Guinea Pig from my teacher for only $10. Can I pleeaase have a Guinea Pig.
Mum: It may be only $10, but then it needs a home, needs looking after and feeding ....
M8: Yeah, but Mum it can live in my room and I will look after it.
Dad: I don't think a Guinea Pig is a good idea. Who will look after it when we go on holiday or away for the weekend?
M8:Well if I can't have a Guinea Pig I want a Parrot.
Mum:Hang on, we need to consider the mess that a bird makes. They may not need as much attention as other pets, but birds do tend to like to flick their food around a bit. It definitely can't live in your room, so where could we put it?
Dad: They are messy.
Mum:Could it live under the carport?
Dad: We need to remember how cold it gets here.
Mum:We also need to consider that we have a dog, and they may not mix.

The conversation lasted quite a while, and took many different turns and twists.
We tried to explain that there were many things to consider before getting another pet. We live in a small house, Master 4 is very full on, and hands on. We already have a dog. We go away quite a bit through the year. We need to consider all aspects of the pets' needs and the affect on the family.

All Miss 8 could hear was "No." Which is not what we were saying at all.

Miss 8 is not just a romantic at heart, but an emotional child too.

In the end I explained that we needed to consider the matter a little longer. I want her to be happy, and I believe that pets are great. I had several as a child, but there were no huge attachments.  Miss 8 is a completely different person and bonds with animals quickly. We also wanted to consider the rest of the family, because we are a team - we don't please one person to the detriment of everyone else. I also explained to Miss 8 that it would mean adding to her chores, of which she is already committed to cleaning her room once a week and helping to feed Gypsy through the week. She is like most children and forgets or tries to avoid her chores on occasion.

so, our dilemma continues.

I can see the joy she would get out of another pet.

The housing of the pet and tending to it's needs are an issue.

I will continue to look at options ... she will continue to beg, plead and cry to win her case.

Do you have any suggestions? I would love to hear your point of view? 
Do you have any positive or negative stories on pets?