All My Children

[myheart]

Sending good vibes for your hus-bun's promotion and all that is good in the world.

ray:

btw... I agree, there is nothing in the world like being needed by somebody whether they have fur or not. Mmmmm .... kitties who sleep on us.... nothing better...

myheart

 

[Edwards_Mommy]

These past few weeks have been very hectic with school (I'm working on my AS in graphic design) as I have 2 classes this 5-week period and have at least 2 projects per class, per week I have to work on...it's busy as anything but very worth it as I'm approaching a 3.7 GPA! ^_^ So I haven't been online much other than to check in on threads in my forums and check my e-mail...

I'm waiting on Charley's new wheel to come in, I ordered a hand-made wheel from someone on my hedgehog forums, and I can't wait to get it. The man who makes them had a back/spinal injury so it'll be a little bit till he catches up on his orders. Everyone raves about them though, so I'm really excited. ^_^ I had to take his original wheel away from him because it had a wire mesh on the running surface and his little toes were slipping through and getting cut up! Now the only one I can find is unfinished wood and it's 30 Euro...like 45 bucks....nah...especially since I just finished spending 70 Euro on a heat setup (heat emitter bulb, thermometer, timer, etc) for him. I think I spend more money on my kids (furry and non) than I do anything else, it makes me smile to know they are healthy and happy and have the best I can give them.

 

[Fancy77]

Hey Katie how is everything going by u??? Still hectic???

 

[Edwards_Mommy]

A little, my two classes I'm currently in are over with this coming Sunday and then I get a few days off before the next round starts up again.

Some big news though, my hubby actually set up a date night for us this coming Saturday! He got a sitter and everything, it's the first real date we've had in at least 18 months! I love my son more than anything, but I can't lie, a few hours of couple time sounds like heaven. Only another 18 months till he gets to go to kindergarden and wear out the other kiddos instead of mommy. ^_^

Also clearing off my plate so I can give more time to the fur-kids and my graphics...I finally quit my job of writing copy for webzines and articles for databases because it seemed a little misguided to devote so much time to something that's not a part of what I want to do for a living.

So lots of good stuff, just busy busy busy.

More photos of the kiddos coming soon!

 

[Fancy77]

OMG the date night sounds fabulous!!!! I love my boys too but yes time alone...AWESOME

What r u going 4 anyhow?? (for a major I mean)

Wow quitting your job is such a bold step, but doesnt it feel like a weight has lifted??

 

[hartleybun]

:bunnydance:definitely does you good to get some time away from kids once in a while.

 

[Edwards_Mommy]

I'm majoring in Graphic Design; it's a pretty general arts-based course with classes teaching the current industry standard software. I'll have my Associates degree in July of 2010, and if we have the funds to support the student loan payments I want to go for my Bachelors degree too. I'm a total nerd. ^_^

When I was working, I might have been getting minimum wage out of the deal and I'm pretty sure one of my bosses was trying to give me an ulcer. The stress was so not worth the money in other words. I love writing, but I'm more suited to the creative sort; I don't have the gene that allows me to flat out lie for the sake of selling something. I'd make a terrible used car salesperson that's for sure.

Since I quit I do feel better; I have so much more free time I don't know what to do with it! I want to get my graphics portfolio updated and start seeking work in that arena once I have a better looking resume. I'm a firm beleiver in having a job you enjoy so you can at least have some fun during your day and still get paid for it. ^_^ I just got sucked into the writing gigs one after another and since they were paying it was easy to tell myself I'd just take one more...

And I wouldn't be so eager to bolt from mom-duty if it weren't for the fact I'm the 24/7/365 caregiver for my little guy, and 40+ months of that with only maybe 7 days total of relief has made me a bit stir-crazy. There are no shortage of those who do dumb things like drink & drive, so my hubby has always been on a 12-14 hour day and needs his rest when he is home...and I'm paranoid as anything about finding a good babysitter asp with all the news stories you see of shaken babies and the like...

Wow, that was a mouthful.

And now to distract you all from my ramblings, cute pictures:

Edward's been a bit camera-shy lately since it's been chilly. We just bought a few space heaters so maybe he'll come out and play more without a blankie. ^_^

 

[Fancy77]

WOW that was a mouthful!!! lol but I am happy to see u have your priorities in order. I give u a lot of props for doing the things u want, and staying true to the family...Kudos

I used to b one of those ppl also that worked for the money and HATED every moment of it. But now I do daycare and Like it. My ideal "job" is to be a professional quilter, with all the stuff I need here at the house. Or b one of those ppl that give seminars on quilting. Pipe dreams tho.

If you need help or have questions on a provider for your child let me know I might b able to help.

OMG they r great pics thx 4 sharing!!!!

 

[myheart]

It is a good thing you don't live in the states... I think I would have to find your house to nab-up this little guy for my very own!!

Since all of your stories about Charlie, I have been asking around about hedge hogs. I was told they are not much more work than taking care of a stuffed teddy bear. Is that true? What does your little guy eat? I really do need to check out the hedgie site you mentioned for more in-depth information before I jump into being a hedgie-mom.

myheart

 

[Edwards_Mommy]

Hedgies are a fairly low-maintenance pet from what I've experienced with Charley. They need at least 3 square feet of cage space, one hedgie to a cage. They love to run, so they need the biggest rodent wheel you can find, a crock of food, and one of water. Add in a place to sleep and a few toys and they'll be happy as clams. Take them out to play of an evening for at least 30 minutes a day and they're set for life.

Since they're little and technically an exotic, you'll need to know about a good vet in case they get sick, but the vet bills are no more than any other pet in case of an emergency.

Charley eats a mix of high-quality cats foods and mealworms as treats. Any commercially mixed hedgie food isn't the ideal diet because it doesn't have enough of the stuff they need (protein mainly, hedgehogs are insectivores in the wild).

And one of most important things to think about as far as their living conditions is heat. Ideal temp is about 72 degrees F. One-time set-up for a ceramic heat emitter lamp, thermometer, etc is about 100 bucks, but then you just set it and check it once a day to make sure it's working.

I've been doing research since I brought my little guy home so I could go on and on. Long story short though they're very quiet, don't really smell any more than any other pet and just need a little lovin'. Alot of people I;ve talked to say that their hedgies like to cuddle in their lap under a blanket while they watch tv, surf the net, etc and they love it.

^_^

I'm off to the store to see if I can find something cute to wear on my date tomorrow night!

 

[hartleybun]

:faint:thanks to you posting such cute hedgie pics i am now unable to focus on my housework - the bathroom will not be cleaned, nor the laundry done. end of civilization as we know it really

know what you mean about being a24/7/365 mum. been there done that! once they start some form of school it gets a bit better! x

 

[Edwards_Mommy]

Just an update for everyone:

Edward is getting his hutch/cage moved closer to a heater tomorrow b/c it got down to -2 degrees outside last night and even with the heat on full blast it still got waaay too cold in the living room for my liking. He did let me take some pictures of him today during play time on the couch, so those should be up soon!

Charley is a happy healthy little pog (pet hedgehog) now that I have made him a few sets of cage liners and accessories. I even made him little pillows and pillow cases to go with his blankies. ^_^ He doesn't like the cold at all (too cool of a temp can cause him to try and hibernate which is fatal to pet hedgies) so he has his cage in my bedroom which is kept at about 70 degrees and he also has a ceramic heat emitter for the night time when it is colder. The bulbs for the heat emitter cost about 30-40 bucks each, but I can tell it really makes a difference for him.

Jack and Shelby are loving the fact that my hubby bought some portable space heaters for our living room and my office; they camp out in front of them when they're on and just bask in the heat and the glow that comes from them while they're active. I feel sorry for Jack and often sneak her into the bedroom after my hubbers is asleep so she can enjoy the comforts of being in the warm room all night (she's almost 10, so I know there are some issues that come with being an older cat). Shelby has a patch on his hind leg that is refusing to heal properly and grow fur back after he licked it raw during a 1 week period while he had what I call a "hot spot" or highly itchy area and I didn't realize what he'd done till I saw blood. I then spent the next week bandaging his leg so he couldn't lick it and I paid for that with some blood of my own as he was very adamant that I not touch that particular spot AT ALL. It's on the mend now, just not healing the way I'd like it to.

About 2 weeks ago I was diagnosed as having Adult ADHD Inattentive Type. This means a whole new world of treatment options and strategies has opened up for me, and about mid-January I will be trying my first ADD medications to find one that will work with me. I've got a delay since I have to get off of a long-term anti-depressant I've been on for a while and I can't quit it cold turkey without some killer withdrawal effects. I'm very excited about the possibility of "curing" some of my problems (mainly not being able to focus, finish big projects aka homework, or remember things) that are common ADD issues. My mother laughed when I told her, and even as much as I'm not on the best terms with my parents, I can see the similarities between myself and my mom, and we've both been labeled as being depressed our whole lives. If only doctors (and parents really) look to those children who weren't hyper little bouncy-balls, but also those that just plain had trouble with school and life and got them tested for ADD too...

My husband has been responding really well to the new treatment regimen he's been on even though his injections were delayed by a school and a series of ranges. He seems happier now, and in much less pain as he plays with the baby much more (wrestling, tickling, etc). I'm ecstatic because it means that he's having a better quality of life and isn't in pain every minute of the day. Now if we could only work out why he can't seem to sleep (is insomnia contagious? lol) we'd be golden.

As for Adreyan, my little bundle of energy might be going for some check-ups in January too to see what I can do to help him prep for Kindergarten (he's 4 next year). I'm starting to see/hear some speech difficulties (almost as though he's not able to hear us enunciate words properly) though that could just as much be the fact that he talks almost too fast to be understood at all. My being diagnosed with ADD makes me want to have him tested (though I know that to a degree all kiddos are hyper, I know I was!) so I can know what methods might work better for him as far as teaching and learning. I will not be putting him on medication unless absolutely necessary for his education, I do not think young children should be drugged offhand simply because they are active. My little brother was almost put on Ritalin (

 

[myheart]

Such a great update Katie. I do start to wonder/worry about folks if I don't see them post in awhile....

Is there something really wrong with your heating system? Is it a building construction fault? Wow, sounds like most of your place is down around fifty degrees!!! That isn't good for any of you! Can you get your hands on any of those electric baseboard heaters? I know people use them around here if the room is an addition without basement and ductwork from the furnace. Brrr.... keep yourselves warm!!!

How are classes going? Did you have finals yet? I know everyone is trying to finish up for the Christmas break and to prepare for winter semester.

Glad you might be getting the right treatments soon. It can't be good for you to have been taking the 'wrong' meds for so long. I do hope that all works out for you.

Please stay warm!! Sending lot's of hugs to help... :hug:

myheart

 

[Edwards_Mommy]

Unfortunately I live in Germany where apparently the concept of Central heat/air conditioning never really caught on, and since I live in a rented apartment off-base, it's like living in an average German home. What I have are radiators, 1 in each room up against the wall, and that's all we have to heat our rooms. In Edward's case, he's all the way across the room from this radiator, so he's getting almost none of the heat. Thankfully he has a nice nest box area to hide in and conserve his heat, and during the day I set up a space heater near him so he can warm up, but I can't leave it going at night for safety reasons, plus I know he has sensitive eyes.

And forget air conditioning...my air conditioning is otherwise known as a window. I'm very thankful it only gets up to the high 70's in the summer on average, or else we'd all expire from the heat...>_>

I get so distracted by life and school that I'll forget I'm even on some of my forums, it's really sad as I know I'd have alot of fun if I could remember to go to them more often.

School is going as well as can be expected...current prof. is quite the douche, but I only have one more week of dealing with him and then I have a week off before the next round of classes begin. I'm slotted to graduate in July of 2010, and after that I'm hoping to get my portfolio in good order and start looking for work. I also want to get my design blog started during this time and get used to updating it on a reliable schedule. I really want to go for my bachelors degree, but I have to consider finances as well as whether or not I want to specialize my field of study since my university also offers more focused programs for web design, product packaging design, etc.

Lots of stuff to think about....The doctor and I are looking to begin finding my ideal ADD medication about mid January...what a birthday present that will be, getting my sanity back! lol ^_^ (My birthday is the 17th of January).

 

[Edwards_Mommy]

Here is the Photo Update I'd promised. ^_^

Charley after a bath:

Edward posing for his glamor shots:

Jack and Shelby enjoying their Christmas presents:

Adreyan posing on the couch:

Some outdoor shots after our first snow of the season:

Opening Christmas gifts:

My Christmas present from my grandmother:

My grandmother can't get out much these days; not only is she getting into her 80's but my grandfather recently went blind and needs her help around the house more than ever. So she sent money and we got to pick out our own gifts this year. It makes more sense than paying outrageous shipping fees to mail stuff over here to us anyway. So I got to take a trip to this huge IKEA store in Mannheim and picked out the shelves and glassware you can see in the photo and made my own mini-bar. Once I get things all done the bottles of alcohol will probably be going between the shelves and the wine rack so they don't have to be on their sides and risk any leaking.

Overall it's been a lovely Christmas and though there were some rough patches, we still had a wonderful holiday. Please send positive thoughts to my hubby who nearly cut his finger half-way off Christmas Eve trying to assemble our son's new bike. He got to the ER and got stitched up fine, but has 7 stitches and is feeling generally crumby due to the pain and the effects of the painkillers they gave him at the hospital.

Hope everyone had a happy holiday!

~Katie

 

[hartleybun]

bunny whisker pics! more cuteness after hedgie pics

my son was a thomas the tank engine addict so you have my sympathies if the theme song is driving you round the bend

its good to read that things are looking up for you - apart from hubby injuring himself assembling a bike that is. i wish you well sorting your meds out - definitely a good start to the new year!

:bunnydance:

 

[Edwards_Mommy]

Luckily he's new to thomas so it's not driving me nutty just yet, though with my luck he'll get nothing but tho,mans things for his b-day in June and I'll be up to my eyeballs in it. ^_^ My little brother was a huge fan back when the trains were made of die-cast metals just like hotwheels cars, and when all of the stuff wasn't so dang pricey. I wish he hadn't lost his trains when my family was evicted from one of our homes a few years back, I would have loved to have had them for my son to play with, the passing along of stuff makes me all sentimental. ^_^

My husband had zip-tied all of the tools he'd need to adjust the bike together and was using a knife to cut the bundle apart when he hurt himself. He had to drive himself to the hospital because I can't drive legally here AND I can't drive a stick-shift, and our relatives over here had already had a few drinks and couldn't drive either. Luckily it was his left hand, but I was still a nervous wreck thinking about him trying to drive 1-handed on these slick roads (it rains constantly here in the winter...>_>). They gave him Percocet for his pain, and it's making him sleep alot more then he's used to, so he feels that junky feeling you get when you sleep too much. Luckily he's off work on leave for 2 more weeks, so he'll have plenty of recovery time before he has to go back to work, and an awesome scar to show off to the other guys...men....lol

I'm half-way through my regimen to get off my anti-depressant, and I find it kinda funny that I find myself feeling better and better the less the stuff is in my system. I just have to remember to keep taking my anti-anxiety meds or I get a little wacky and manic...being awake for 2 days straight and not really missing the sleep is creepy when you're not used to that sort of thing, let me tell you. It's really too bad the way Xanax works, I know a few people in my life who could so use a chill pill *grin*

I'm off to do all my chores I've been ignoring b/c it was Christmas Eve/Day...and then later I get to take my final exam for my web design class and then it's a week off before new courses begin!

Wish me luck! ^_^

~Katie

 

[myheart]

Awe, Katie, your son is so cute!!! You could have him visit me for a bit anytime! I bet he is such a helper-guy for you around the house.

Sorry to hear about hubby's mishap. I know about cutting blades... no matter how dull you think they are, they are still sharp enough to do damage.

Love all of the critter pics. Edward is one handsome guy! I could just snuggle Charlie and all of his cute hedgie charms. Your kitties look so comfy on their new beds. My kitties just sleep on my bed and call it good no matter how many cat-beds I get for them.

The area that you live in looks very nice. Do you have good neighbors? I lucked out when I bought my house... my immediate neighbors are great, but the folks across the street could stay on that side, if you know what I mean.

Have a Happy New Year if I don't see you on-line before then. :toast:

myheart

btw... keep us posted when that new bar gets stocked up for visitors.

 

[hartleybun]

:bunnydance:loads of good luck coming your way:bunnydance: we are also blessed with very good neighbours - makes living in a village a whole lot easier

 

[Edwards_Mommy]

Janet:

My son loves to "help", sometimes by picking up some toys or helping me carry laundry from one place to the next for sorting, washing, etc. Then sometimes he likes to make huge messes and then watch me clean them up, it's really 50/50. ^_^

My husband's knife was sharp on purpose, as he uses it for work and home purposes, he was just unlucky this time I guess. Apparently it's a family tradition for someone to go to the ER on Christmas too...>_>

I love all my fur-kids, and everyone got something for Christmas. Edward got a new waterbottle and some chew sticks, Jack and shelby got the white fleecy-looking pet beds you saw them lounging in, and Charley got a little truck. I see them as little hairy people and don't think they should be left out when the love is being spread around.

I mind as well not have neighbors, as they do not speak to me unless they need me to move my car for their construction efforts. From what I can tell, Germans are wary of befriending Americans who are living here while in the Services as they like to maintain their friendships and tend to be left hanging once a family moves back to the states. At least, this is what they told us in our orientation classes. I guess too many families got burned during WW2 and other campaigns that had us living over here and then stopped talking to them after we went home.

As for the bar, I've got a bottle of un-opened Bacardi Razz rum, and opened bottles of Jager, vodka, Disarono, various schnapps and such in the fridge. I'm planning on moving everything out to the counter because it's taking too much space in the fridge, and as far as I know you can let alcohol sit at room temp once opened without any adverse effects. I'm wanting to add a few bottles of wine to the rack as I love a glass of sweet red wine when I'm having an Italian dinner night. ^_^



Happy new year to everyone, in case I'm not back before then ^_^