NUBBIN

On a very sad note, we just lost our sweet girl, Nubbin this last weekend (Nov. 13, 2010). She had been with me for 14 years. I had her before I was even engaged. So she shared all of the big events of my life with me (marriage, kids, moving, new pets, etc..). She was a pit bull/english bulldog mix, and was deaf from birth. Lots of people would shy away from her because she resembled a pit bull more than anything else, but Nubbin was anything but scary! She was one of the sweetest dogs you could meet. The most dangerous thing about her was her breath! She was so tolerant of the girls when they were babies, even though she was not that crazy about babies. And she was such a help with baby animals we brought home from the zoo to care for. We have video of her trying to get an Axis deer fawn to play ball with her. She could have easily hurt him, but that never seemed to cross her mind. As a result of being deaf, she could sleep like nobody's business. This is evident in the pictures below. And nothing made her happier than to be right beside you. There were times I complained because I could not turn around without falling over her because no matter where I went, she was right behind me. But now that she is gone, I miss having her here. Every morning when I get up, I look to make sure I am not going to step on her, only to realize she is not there. We are really going to miss her, and there will never be another one quite like her. Thanks for letting us be your family for so long Nubbin.

Me, Hannah and Nubbin in Gulf Breeze

Nubbin and Leah after our New Year's Celebration

Nubbin

HALLOWEEN 2010

Since the last blog, the girls have almost completed the first half of the school year!! Is time going as fast for everyone else as it is for me? It is already Thanksgiving this week, and that means Christmas is just around the corner. I am not ready yet! It seems like once Halloween arrives, then time just flies from then until the end of the year. It doesn't help that Halloween decorations are on sale in the store right next to the Christmas decorations. And speaking of Halloween, ours was a good one this year. Hannah and Amelia were both witches, as was Chloe, my "adopted" daughter from next door. They had planned to go as the 3 Blind Mice, but somewhere along the way, plans changed. I didn't care as long as I didn't have to make a costume! They looked cute and got sooo much candy. Hannah wanted to carry a pillowcase for her candy. Nobody needs that much candy. As it is, they are still eating on it tonight as I type. I think dentist are behind the whole Halloween candy thing. It has to really be good for business. Anyway, here are a few pictures from the night, in case you have not seen them already on Facebook.

Hannah

Chloe and Amelia (and friend)

Amelia, Hannah and Chloe

Messed it up....again

I have put these posts on in the reverse order. I have tried and tried to figure out how to swap them so they are in the right order. I obviously am not smarter than the blog.

Our Summer Trip to Alabama

In August we took a trip to Alabama to see my cousin Earlene (in Birmingham) and to visit with my friend Jim in Tuscaloosa. I was so excited to take the girls to Tuscaloosa, and to take them to the campus of the University of Alabama to show them where I went to college. And they seemed excited about going. That was until they actually got there and stepped out of the truck into the heat. Now remember, we live in Tampa, FL. A sub-tropical climate, where the heat and humidity are oppressive on a good day during the summer. Well, you would have thought I had taken them to vacation on the Sun!!! It was "too hot" and they wanted "to just go home" the entire time we were at the university. I managed to drag them around the stadium and do a little bit of sightseeing before they began to melt. I enjoyed my visit in spite of the whiney-hineys I had with me! Jim was a great sport about walking around in the heat, and then he turned into the hero of the day when he suggested we go get ice cream!! We went to a place called "Yogurt Mountain" where you serve yourself and you get to put whatever toppings you want, and as much as you want, on your frozen yogurt. Then when you go to pay, they weigh the cup and charge you by the pound (ok, really by the ounce, but I think Amelia was closer to the pound measurment!). Well, I have to admit, eating a tub of blueberry cheesecake frozen yogurt, in the air conditioning, was a bit more pleasant than melting the soles of our shoes onto the stadium sidewalk!

Amelia and Hannah at Bryant-Denny Stadium

Amelia giving her honest opinion of her visit

Hannah acting like her dad (it is impossible to take a decent picture of either of them)

The next day, I once again insisted we go out into the heat and go to Moundville. It is the site of an ancient Indian civilization. I went there in the fourth grade for a field trip and remember thinking it was a very neat thing to see. I really thought Hannah would enjoy it, even if it was not Amelia's cup of tea. By the end of the day, they both were saying it had been lots of fun. I am glad we went. It is always surprising to me, however, to go back to a place that I have not been to since I was a kid. It always seems so much smaller and less amazing than I remember it. But it was something the kids have never seen, and I am sure they will have memories of it forever, just as I have. Hannah got an arrow head for a souvenier. Luckily we took a picture of it right after she got it, because that was the last time we ever saw it. We stood on the banks of the Black Warrior river and yelled across. This was the first time either of the girls had ever experienced hearing their echo! That was the highlight of the day, no doubt. I am sure the people down below trying to enjoy a quiet afternoon on the river took great pleasure in listening to my kids yell at themselves for about 10 minutes. But that is the price you pay to hang out in such a cool place!

Darn, This is Hard Work!!

I decided it was time to update the blog. That was about an hour ago. I have been trying to change my background with the new, "easy" design tools. I had to call Tracy and get her to get on her computer to try to help me figure this out. I finally gave it up, and went with the only background that I could make work!!

I am surprised every time I get on here and look back at the date of my last update. I cannot believe how fast the time flys by. The girls both finished school with flying colors, and we enjoyed the summer. We did not do many exciting things, but we did have a couple of visits from friends, and we made a trip to Alabama in August. The girls got to spend most of the summer at home this year. The last few years they have gone to visit family for a week or so at a time throughout the summer, hardly spending any time at home between trips. While this has been a necessity for me (to have someone to watch them while I was at work), they have missed just being able to hang out at home and do nothing. And I missed them while they were gone. So this year we got to spend the majority of our time together. They still spent their time with Steve every week. They got a couple of Disney trips in during the summer, and we went to the beach a few times. But before you knew it, summer was over and it was time for school to start again.

The school the girls have been going to, Sanders Memorial Elementary School, was a very old and outdated facility. Although I really liked it (as it reminded me of the school I attended as a kid), the powers that be decided it was time to tear it down and rebuild it bigger and better. So this year, they went to a new school, Connerton Elementary, that is located in the neighborhood just north of ours. It is a brand new school, with all the amenities that Sanders did not have. Their old school will be under construction for the next two years, at which time I think Amelia will go back there, but Hannah will be in Middle school by then so she will be in a different school anyway. (Yikes!) I don't think the girls like it as much as they did the old school, but I am sure once they have been there a while and have made memories there, it will be special to them too. It takes about 5 minutes longer to drive there from our house, and goodness knows, that 5 minutes can make or break you on beating the tardy bell in the mornings. And God Bless Amelia, she is the absolute slowest person in the world when it comes to getting ready for school. We race the clock every day that I take them to school. You would think that I should just wake up earlier, right? I thought the same thing. But it seems this just makes her move slower because she has more time to get ready!!! I feel sorry for her when she has to move out on her own and be responsible for getting herself to work. I truly think she is going to have to work at night if she ever plans to get there on time.

Amelia in the morning.

We spent some time at Tracy's over the summer. Daddy came down for a few days, so we went over there to visit and get in "some hang time" with Daddy Hawk. Sounds funny for a summer activity in Florida, but we went ice skating while we were there. The girls all had fun doing that. Rachel smiled the entire time she was on the ice. They had little "walkers" you could rent to help you stand up on the ice. She had one of those and she just really had a good time going round and round the rink. It made things much easier for Tracy as well! Of course when Amelia saw the walker, there was no question in her mind that she could not skate an inch without one of those to hold on to. I think we ended up with 3 of them, and the girls all took turns using them. For a bunch of kids from Florida, they all ice skate pretty well if I do say so myself!! I thought I would attach a couple of pictures from that outing, but I guess Tracy has all of those on her camera!! Well, trust me... We had a good time! Most of the visit was spent with the girls in the pool at Tracy's house. Thank goodness for that pool. It keeps them busy for hours a day, and they are not complaining about the heat. Aside from them taking turns being grumpy about who was "it" when they were playing "Marco Polo" (which is THE most annoying game ever invented!!!!), they all enjoyed swimming and worked on their diving skills as well. Daddy Hawk never got in the pool He said he would go swimming, but his "bathing suit had a hole in the knee".

Hannah, Allison, Rachel, Leah and Amelia

Rachel and Hannah

Hannah diving

Leah enjoying her turn as "It"

This is a picture of what the little bird I was caring for will grow up to look like. Quite a change from where he is now!!

Baby Bird Update

I am happy to report that the little bird was still alive and chirping this morning. I took him to work with me and was able to finally locate the nest he came from. There were six other little babies there just as "beautiful" as he was!! I put him back and within minutes, the parents were there taking care of their noisy little brood. I hope the little guy makes it and lives a long and happy life. Nobody can take care of a tiny baby bird quite like its own mother!! Good luck "Beaker".

No More "Baby Smiles" for Me

Amelia finally lost one of her top front teeth. She was so excited when she pulled it out that she was actually shaking!! It makes me sad because now she is going to look so much more grown up (which is exactly why she is so excited). I love the little smiles they have when they have all their baby teeth. And also, this means we are one step closer to braces. Aaarrgghh! I don't want to think about that! Next thing you know, they are going to want to have their own lives, and ideas and stuff. I didn't sign on for that! I want my little girls to stay LITTLE!! But, I think I am going to have to accept this growing up thing. I guess I will just have to try to make the best of it. Hannah already complained that I "treat her like a kid, and she is not a kid anymore". I said, "But you are only nine years old!!". I was immediately corrected. She is nine and a half. I don't know what I was thinking....

The Return of Roger

So Roger the ferret has come back home. We gave him to the girls for Christmas four years ago, only to realize that Amelia was too young to safely be around such a small animal. Fortunately for us, a co-worker that was crazy about ferrets agreed to take him for us. She kept him until she moved to California, where ferrets are not allowed, when she in turn gave him to another co-worker. This person kept him for the last couple of years, and now she is moving away. Since Amelia is older and more responsible (I keep saying that out loud, eventually I will convince myself!!) we decided to take him back. I must admit I have sort of missed him. Ferrets are cute little critters, even though they are incredibly nosy and mischievious. Roger didn't skip a beat. He acted as though he had been gone for a weekend. He has made himself right at home. He has even torn the head off of a barbie already!! That was his favorite past time when he was here before. He keeps Otis on his toes, too. Otis must watch every move Roger makes when he is out and about. He is simply exhausted at the end of the evening when Roger goes to bed. Aside from the unavoidable, unmistakeable odor of ferret, we are glad to have him back. Just last weekend, after I spent a great deal of time working in the flower garden, Roger decided it needed a little more work and took it upon himself to do a little landscaping of his own. I have included a quick video of his work. The hole he dug took him all of 2 minutes to dig. At least it tired him out!

Roger after a busy morning (he helped my out during the yard sale).

I Never Seem to Learn...

Here I go again. I can't tell you how many times I have tried to be a good Samaritan and help out the little tiny birds that always seem to appear during the spring. This is a Moorhen chick, and he is my latest project from the zoo. I guess I have a sign over my head, because when it became apparent that he was going to need a little help, everyone immediately looked at me. And what could I say? How could you say no to this cutie? Hard to believe he looks like this now, and will change so much over the next few weeks (hopefully!!). His feathers will be blue and his legs will be yellow, and the red on his beak will be very prominant. Assuming all goes well, of course. Little birds are just sooo hard! And by the way, I am supposed to be a "primate keeper"!!

The post following this one is very interesting and informative. I don't want to get on a soapbox here, but the rainforests and the incredible wildlife that inhabits them are disappearing at an alarming rate. The orangutans are predicted to be extinct in the wild within the next 10 years if dramatic actions are not taken. Having worked with these animals for nearly 20 years, this is particularly sad for me to imagine. There are so many things working against them, but there is hope. Please take the time to watch the video featuring Willie Smits. He is an amazing man doing amazing things. It is only by raising awareness that we can save the orangutans, and ourselves. Thanks for "listening".

Willie Smits restores a rainforest | Video on TED.com

Willie Smits restores a rainforest Video on TED.com

Where Does the Time Go?

Wow, I can't believe I have not updated this since August. I guess I have been otherwise occupied. There have been a few holidays and a birthday or two since the last posting. The girls are almost finished with another year of school! Amelia is in the first grade, and is doing great. She loves her teacher, Mrs. Rodriguez. Hannah is in the fourth grade (taking FCAT tests last week and this week). She is still making great grades and enjoying school. I am so proud of them both. Hannah did so well on her FCAT last year that she has been recommended for an advanced learning program thru Duke University. There are different areas of interest the kids can focus on to do projects they can then submit to the program for recognition. Hannah is especially excited about the possibility of having one of her stories or poems published. I am going to include a couple of pictures from the first day of school. Hopefully I remember how to add them on here...
Looking at these pictures makes me realize how much time has passed. Both of the girls have changed their hairstyles once or twice since these were taken. They look so sweet and innocent in these pictures. I wish they would stop growing up so fast!!

I guess the next big event that took place was Thanksgiving. I was so fortunate as to have to work all day, so for the first time in my life, I spent the holiday alone. Poor me. The girls spent the holiday with Steve and his family. When I got home from work I planned to have a turkey sandwich, but my wonderful neighbors came over as I was coming in the house with a delicious plate of food from their dinner earlier in the day. So I was able to be part of the day after all!

For Christmas this year, the girls and I stayed home. Last year we went to Steve's Dad's and Step-mom's for the holiday. It was our first Christmas without Steve here, so we wanted to do something a little different so that it would not be so hard for us. We had a very good time, and Jill and Steve were so wonderful to us and made us feel so welcome. But this year, we were ready to start our new Christmas traditions here at home. Steve actually came over before work on Christmas morning to see the girls open their gifts, and even took a quick bike ride with them before he had to go. They were thrilled he got to be here, and I was really happy to celebrate at home. They got lots of goodies from Santa, and kept themselves busy for the next couple of days. A few days later the three of us packed up and headed to Jacksonville to visit "Jilly" and "Uncle Pappy". Santa had left some very, very nice (and much hoped for) gifts there for the girls. He even left me some really nice things there, too!! They each got a ZhuZhu pet and they got their very own laptop computer. I think Hannah knows more about how to use a computer than I do now. We had a really nice visit, and I was sad to see it end so soon.

Putting out "Reindeer Food" on Christmas Eve

A few of the gifts left by Santa Claus