Goodbye Boo

A week and a half ago our little family had a terrible loss. Our sweet hamster Boo passed away and we were devastated. I know that this might sound funny because she was "just a hamster" but I felt extremely sad about it. When the kids and I got home after the bus route I went over to see Boo just like I do everyday when I get home and was surprised to see the cage door open. I started looking for Boo in her shavings (her favorite place to be) but had no luck. Starting to feel desperate to find her quickly I called the kids in (BIG MISTAKE) to help me start looking everywhere for our tiny little hamster. Before we even left the cage we had found her. Boo got out of her cage and fell behind it between the stand and the wall. It was a tragic death to say the least. I most definitely wasn't prepared for it.

I have never been a big pet person which is surprising considering how many pet loving people are in my family. When I was a kid I had a wonderful hamster named Stormy. I loved Stormy. I had saved up my own money and done quite a bit of convincing with my parents to get this sweet little one. I loved this hamster so much that when my sisters hamster took several chunks out of him and it looked like the end my parents actually paid a bit of money for the vet to do surgery on him. He lived a while longer but as all hamsters do, he passed away. Don't get me wrong. I have liked family pet since then, I even have a sentimental attachment to my moms dog, but I have never LOVED a pet that much until Boo. Boo was the very best pet ever. She didn't stink, she never bit, and she was practically trained. She would hear us standing near her (even from the kitchen) and she would climb up the side of the cage and hang there until we would get her out. She also knew when we were feeding her and was ready, same time every day. She would run around in her ball and follow me around the kitchen while I was making dinner. She would fall asleep in my hands. She was my baby! I was not ready for her to go.

It was a very sad evening and we even went to 2 pet stores looking at hamsters to see if we wanted another one right away. The kids warmed right up to the idea but I had a hard time. At the second store they had the same kind of winter white hamster as Boo was and I felt excited until I saw one in the corner that was almost identical to Boo. Then I felt like throwing up.

I want a baby. I always want babies. I have for my whole life, but especially since Kalia was born. I think I spoiled Boo all the time because she was my baby. My deepest want is of course an actual baby to join our family but I guess having a pet helped ease that pain just a little. This brings me to the next big event in our family. We got a baby today! No, its not exactly the kind that I dreamt all my life I would be having dozens of but instead it is a 7 week old beagle. Don't get me wrong. This new puppy in no way cures my need to have more children but he is really cute.

Silas and I got the puppy without telling the kids. We left early this morning to go on a "date" and were back a couple hours later. I had told the kids last night that if they helped me get the downstairs all vacuumed and swept and the toys picked up that mom and dad would bring back a surprise for everyone to play with. They immediately assumed it would be a wii game as that's something we all do together. The downstairs was cleaned and that's what I needed to be ready for the big day. When Silas and I got home we opened the door and let the puppy in to surprise them but nobody was even there. We found Kaden playing his computer game and just walked in talking to him. As he was talking the puppy climbed under his chair and right in between Kadens legs. Kaden looked down and had the initial jump reaction and then just had the most perfect look on his face when he realized exactly what was moving down there and an even better face when he realized it must be ours. Hugs went to both Mom and Dad and then he ran up to tell the girls that we were back with their surprise. As they walked in the both stopped on the stairs with questioning and excited looks on their faces and then the ran down to play! We are in love. This sweet little puppy is so cuddly and fun! His ears are so darling! and he has the cutest paws. We babied him all day and he went to bed in the crate really easily tonight. I wonder how much sleep we will get tonight? I'm gonna start trying now though. We took lots of cute picture of our new puppy but I am far to sleepy to put them on tonight. I will put some up after church tomorrow so check back!