A New Addition!

Now before any of you get the wrong idea, it's not THAT kind of addition.  With one working parent and 3 boys that can already out eat me if they decide to, another addition of that kind, while cute and cuddly, would not be .... well let's just put that thought out of our heads!

The addition that I am talking about is a little bit smaller, a little bit wigglier, a whole lot quieter, and very useful in the garden -- WORMS!  We now have a whole pound of red wigglers (about 1000 worms) hanging out in our house.  We give them our kitchen scraps and they give us amazingly rich soil, which will be put into our soon-to-be vegetable garden, which will produce more kitchen scraps for our new friends.  Oh, the connected-ness of it all is so exciting -- yes, I am saying that worms are exciting.

Making up their new home

Happy worms

This is the next baby step toward our own little homestead, so a great big welcome to Walter, William, Willa, Wyatt, Wade, Wanda, Waldo, Willow, Wilson, Winston, Woody, Wesley, Wendy ...

Fish

Guess what we did today.  No, we didn't go fishing (but we watched some fishing) and we didn't have fish for supper (that would have been mean under the circumstances and not very filling), we got a pet fish!  The boys would prefer something a little more interactive, but given that our house to people ratio keeps shrinking, bigger pets will have to wait until we get a bigger house.

We started by getting a book from the library.  I know, "how hard can it be to look after a goldfish?", but I wanted this to be a "project" and ... think about who we are talking about.  Also reading it in a book meant that these weren't just rules that I was making up -- me?  I never do that!  Anyway, we spent a few days talking about fish in general and how to care for pet fish (no, you cannot sleep with it, or feed it your broccoli or take it for a walk -- would I really make up such rules?).

 

This, by the way, was the first time that Owen has ever written his own name!  Yes, that is really a "W", can't you tell?

So, off we went to the pet store today, full of knowledge about how to pick out the best goldfish.  After walking past all the puppies, kittens, birds, reptiles, hamsters, ferrets, etc. and having to stop at each cage to check them all out -- going to the pet store is a complete adventure in itself! -- we found the fish.  I was amazed that not once did I have to say "no, we cannot get a (insert animal here)".  After picking out a cute little fish (and ignoring the book's advice on not picking from a tank with floaters -- we didn't have much choice), the guy bagged him up and we were on our way. 

Then the debate was on as to what we should name the little fella.  Owen suggested "Santa Claus" (not sure what about the fish brought to mind a plump, jolly guy), but was overruled.  In the end they decided on "Nemo".  Not very original, I know, but given their track record of naming things, the fish is lucky his name is not "Fish".  Seriously, they are not very original name pickers -- their stuffed animals are named brown bear, yellow bear, big dog ... you get the idea!).  Oddly enough, "Nemo" is Owen spelled upside and backwards -- interesting.

Nemo is adjusting to life in the Winter house and is now accepting visitors.  Cross your fingers that he lives for more than a day or two.  I suppose it would then turn into a lesson on the cycle of life!