Anderson Family Zoo

[MiniLopHop]

Indy left the cage! Under cover of darkness he slipped out of the play pen to explore the room for the first time(the door was open and has been since he came home). I was sleeping and heard this banging on the bars. "Becky be quiet".... bang bang bang.... "Becky!".... bang bang bang.... "uugghhh" get up and get the flashlight. I shine it into their house and Becky is sitting there looking smug. No Indy in either litter box. bang bang bang... Here, he had gotten himself all the way around the back of the cage and was trying to get back in! LOL Poor little boy was confused. I called to him and he came to me! I gave them treats and tucked them back in. All was quiet the rest of the night.

This morning Houdini decided he wanted to go for a stroll at breakfast. When I go for the food dishes he shoots between my feet. He hops around the room a bit. I ask him what he's doing? Houdini, in his characteristic style, binkies his way back in for breakfast.

 

[JadeIcing]

YAY! Pictures and updates! Glad you are doing better.

 

[MiniLopHop]

Yesterday morning was a little rushed because I got up a little late. The turtles needed clean water because Leo had been bathing at bed time (normally change the water at night, but didn't want to disturb). This involves going through Houdini and Cindi's house to dump the dirty water out of the window. I have flowers growing under the window so it is natural fertilizer, plus I don't want that going down my drains (turtles poo in their water). So I dump the water, fill with fresh, come back. Houdini is running around the room, binkies back into the cage as I start to put down his breakfast. Somehow the little stinker slipped back out before I clipped the door shut!

I found him out side of the fence last night! :shock: He had been out all day, but luckily I don't think he damaged anything. From what I can tell he didn't want to go far from Cindi so he stayed in the room. He was one thirsty bunn when I let him back in. Perhaps that will teach him not to sneak out and not tell me.

When I came home there was a bunn care package from Aunty Susan! She is so very sweet to send my babies pillows and a couple outfits. I was so touched I cried that someone put so much thought and effort into making my bunnies comfortable. :hugsquish:



I have just a few pictures of first reactions, but will take more over the weekend. I'm planning a photo shoot for tonight. When I gave Indy and Becky theirs she happened to be out with him. He was more interested in the new bed than dinner :biggrin:

She decided that if it was that good it was her's! LOL She didn't know yet that she had her very own in her bed.

I also tried the babyfood on her head again. We got some first kiss action!

I think in time Indy will learn that he likes grooming her better than making her mad so she nips him in the butt. At least she's not pulling fur or really biting to hurt him. At one point she missed him and hit me, it didn't even leave a bruise. It just felt like someone pinched me, so I'm glad she's not biting him hard. Ah, love is in the air!

 

[MiniLopHop]

Oh, I was so excited about the pillows I forgot to mention the farmer's market. There's a new farmer's market in a local park on my way home from work now every Thursday. It's so cute and festive. They have tents where the vendors set up and they have lots of fresh produce, meats (yuck), and cheese. It was sad that the one meat place sells rabbit

The farmers are so nice. I went to one stand and was checking out the herbs. He asked if I was looking for anything in particular, I said not really, my bunnies like all kinds of stuff. He sent us home with a bag of carrot tops and outer leaves for free! I bought chocolate mint. The bunns ate very well last night!

 

[SOOOSKA]

Great pictures Brandy. I'm so glad they like their pillows.

I noticed the carrot tops. Mine LOVE those too. It's not always easy to get them though. Sometimes I have to break them off the carrots themselves then tell the cashier I found them laying there.:shock:

Looking forward tom more pictures.

Susan

 

[MiniLopHop]

This post will be mostly rambling, so if you skip it you won't miss anything exciting. It's Sunday night and I'm in bed. I should be sleeping but obviously I am not. My anxiety has been really bad this weekend. :X

When I feel like this it is totally not productive and I accomplished so little this weekend. Now I'm headed into another long work week even further behind. I'm hoping if I blog it out I will feel at least enough relief to get to sleep. I have an early meeting at work tomorrow. Even worse, it is at head quarters so I have to dress up. :rollseyes

So, why do I feel like I'm running a marathon on the inside?
1- Work
2- Home
3- Health

1-Work-A-The Merger- This Friday a big announcement concerning the fate of our department is due. Waiting to see if the new company is going to keep us is so nerve wracking! I hate having an ax hanging over my head. At the same time I really hate needing to do a job search. I don't know what I am hoping for as an outcome. This is the first time in my career that I love my job and the people I work with. It makes me angry that I have to change. I know mergers are the way of the industry now, but I resent it happening to us. Even if I don't get cut I may not like the new set up. Perhaps it is better to just find something new? We are looking to move in just about every scinerio other than them leaving us in the same building, which I doubt will happen. So, once I start down the road of finding a new job it's also moving stress. I'm trying to declutter and get rid of things I don't need, but the future is so foggy that I have a hard time figuring out what I will and will not need.

1-Work-B-Overloaded- Work is also stressing me out because everyone is trying to finish projects because of the merger. I have become a major bottleneck because I am the only one that does what I do. Unfortunately I also have to complete an additional huge project that was in-liscenced, so no one else has to deal with this one. It puts me way behind on my normal work. The more behind I get the harder it is to concentrate. I just see the mound growing and become more paralized in fear. I am bringing new music to work tomorrow in an attempt to get my brain unstuck and keep moving forward. Working over time really is not an option because my shoulder gives out after doing the same thing all day.

2-Home- Our house is a mess. It is just so cluttered I would be totally embaressed if anyone saw it. The rabbit houses are the cleanest part because I refuse to get backed up with cleaning up after the animals. That must get done every day no matter how I feel. After the basic feeding, watering, cleaning of the pets is done I tend to be worn out. There's dishes stacking up because that is sapposed to be Joshua's job. The laundry is my fault. During the summer Joshua has camps so he's working full time. It's hard enough to get him to clean in the winter when he's only really working about 20 hours a week. When he's doing camps it's impossible. I get so angry and resentful that he doesn't help out around the house more. He has admitted to being lazy. Emotionally he is my rock and I wouldn't know what to do without him, but some days it is so tempting to find out. I know that a lot of the anger towards him is displaced because I hate myself for not being good enough. I should be able to keep up with eveything, but I can't even get started lately. I didn't do anything above taking care of the pets this weekend. The only laundry I did was bunny sheets (Indy is still working on the potty training so I use sheets on top of plastic so he won't ruin the rug). I escaped into watching tv then felt horrible for doing it. I should have been cleaning in the kitchen or bedroom. If we didn't have so much stuff perhaps everything would stay cleaner? If we only had two plates would we really wash them after dinner? I can't live like this, it makes me crazy! I worry so much that I'm going to let the house get horrible like my mother and grandmother. Both of them could have been on hoarders. I don't ever want to let things get that bad. I inherited the anxiety and depression, the family passes on a legacy of self loathing. Is that enough to make it happen? What if I'm slowly starting to be like them? It makes me want to throw everything I own away. I can not ever let myself get like them. Yet somehow I can't get myself to have a nice, clean house either. I know there are people who live in pretty, decorated, nice homes. I want to be like that. I don't want to be cluttered. Joshua has so many books and just stuff that I feel like I'm drowning in a sea of stuff that isn't even mine. The more I try to force him to get rid of stuff the more he diggs his heels in. It feels so helpless and like things are never going to change so why even bother trying?

3-Health- I have fibromyalgia and several other connected issues. Sometimes I feel like that is just an excuse for being lazy. I shouldn't whine and fuss about being tired and sore all the time. There are so many that are much worse off than I am. I need to loose weight and exercise more so I can feel better. I feel guilty if I go to the gym and spend the time and energy on myself rather than cleaning. But if I go home I feel guilty about paying for a gym membership I don't use. I am so tired of doctors and of being judged for being fat. If I just had more will power I could change, but I just don't. Particularly when I hurt and all the pressure is pushing on me from everything else, food is soothing. Food doesn't judge me or tell me I should be more. I'm trying so hard to hug my bunnies rather than eat. It's a very hard habbit to break. Most days I just push through the day the best I can until I can come home to my kids. I really don't think I would still be alive without the cats and rabbits, they are my reason for living. I go to work to give them a good life. I went grocery shopping so I could give them good, fresh food. I feel so blessed that they are here. I can hug Becky and cry if I need to, she will give me kisses. Cindi has turned into a kisser too. There's something so soothing, like they are telling me it will be ok, not to worry. My babies have been through so much that I feel like I have to suck it up and keep going. Poor Indy is missing an eye and deaf! Yet he still loves to explore and has such a zest for life. I also feel my biological clock ticking. I know if I am ever going to have a child it needs to be soon. I'm conflicted if it's a good idea or not. They physical and emotional strain may be too much. What if I screw them up? I don't want to hurt a child the way my upbringing hurt me. I feel so defective that a child would be embaressed to have me as their mother. At least I have my bunny babies, they never mind if I'm having a bad day. They will lay in bed with me and snugg until the pain is gone.

I know I need to rely on God more. It is so hard to trust that God will take care of me when so many times in the past he let me get hurt. How can a loving God let a child be abused by the family that should have been safe? I try to tell myself that there are lessons in my life that I need to learn, but I'm tired of struggling all the time. I know in so many ways I have been blessed, but at the same time the pressure is so much. Change is so hard. I'm afraid to make mistakes because the punishment is so harsh.

I'm finally tired. I feel like I have spewed it all out. Tomorrow night I need to load the pictures I took and take some more. I want to share my lovely babies with everyone. Goodnight.ray:

 

[Nela]

*Big Hugs*

One step at a time. I cannot say I understand everything as it's not my experience but I can certainly sympathize with your health and the feelings that come along with it. All I can say is, enjoy all the little things. I also completely understand what you mean about kids. I feel the same and quite frankly, I don't feel confident enough to have one at this time. Sometimes, we need to work on us before we can raise little ones. However, I think you and Josh would make great parents so I do hope that you start believing in yourself and work towards that if it is what you want. Maybe once all this work situation falls into place, you will have a clearer idea of where you are headed. Everything happens for a reason, hang on to that thought and trust in the future.

Thank you for the wonderful pictures!

 

[MiniLopHop]

Nela, thanks. I am feeling much better. It really helps knowing I have friends here. *hugs*

I finished the huge project at work so now I can catch up on the back log. I'm really burned out though so I'm just going to pace myself the best I can.

I applied for a job in Princeton, NJ and I have had feedback that they liked my resume. Hopefully I will get called in for an interview. I ordered two new dress suits so I will have something nice to wear.

Last night I had a trigger point massage. It was painful, but in a good way. He said he couldn't believe with all the knots I had in my muscles that I was able to walk in the door smiling. I guess I underestimate it sometimes. Today I feel like I had a really good work out. All the lactic acid was released and my body is getting it taken out.

Tonight is the farmer's market. I hope the guy with the carrot tops is there again. The kids so enjoyed the meal last week. I'm going to get them some herbs again too. Luckily after that the rest of my evening should be nice and quiet. Joshua won't be home untl around 7, so I will just cuddle the buns and try to recoup a little.

 

[TinysMom]

MiniLopHop wrote:

This post will be mostly rambling, so if you skip it you won't miss anything exciting. It's Sunday night and I'm in bed. I should be sleeping but obviously I am not. My anxiety has been really bad this weekend. :X

When I feel like this it is totally not productive and I accomplished so little this weekend. Now I'm headed into another long work week even further behind. I'm hoping if I blog it out I will feel at least enough relief to get to sleep. I have an early meeting at work tomorrow. Even worse, it is at head quarters so I have to dress up. :rollseyes

So, why do I feel like I'm running a marathon on the inside?
1- Work
2- Home
3- Health


2-Home- Our house is a mess. It is just so cluttered I would be totally embaressed if anyone saw it. The rabbit houses are the cleanest part because I refuse to get backed up with cleaning up after the animals. That must get done every day no matter how I feel. After the basic feeding, watering, cleaning of the pets is done I tend to be worn out. There's dishes stacking up because that is sapposed to be Joshua's job. The laundry is my fault. During the summer Joshua has camps so he's working full time. It's hard enough to get him to clean in the winter when he's only really working about 20 hours a week. When he's doing camps it's impossible. I get so angry and resentful that he doesn't help out around the house more. He has admitted to being lazy. Emotionally he is my rock and I wouldn't know what to do without him, but some days it is so tempting to find out. I know that a lot of the anger towards him is displaced because I hate myself for not being good enough. I should be able to keep up with eveything, but I can't even get started lately. I didn't do anything above taking care of the pets this weekend. The only laundry I did was bunny sheets (Indy is still working on the potty training so I use sheets on top of plastic so he won't ruin the rug). I escaped into watching tv then felt horrible for doing it. I should have been cleaning in the kitchen or bedroom. If we didn't have so much stuff perhaps everything would stay cleaner? If we only had two plates would we really wash them after dinner? I can't live like this, it makes me crazy! I worry so much that I'm going to let the house get horrible like my mother and grandmother. Both of them could have been on hoarders. I don't ever want to let things get that bad. I inherited the anxiety and depression, the family passes on a legacy of self loathing. Is that enough to make it happen? What if I'm slowly starting to be like them? It makes me want to throw everything I own away. I can not ever let myself get like them. Yet somehow I can't get myself to have a nice, clean house either. I know there are people who live in pretty, decorated, nice homes. I want to be like that. I don't want to be cluttered. Joshua has so many books and just stuff that I feel like I'm drowning in a sea of stuff that isn't even mine. The more I try to force him to get rid of stuff the more he diggs his heels in. It feels so helpless and like things are never going to change so why even bother trying?

3-Health- I have fibromyalgia and several other connected issues. Sometimes I feel like that is just an excuse for being lazy. I shouldn't whine and fuss about being tired and sore all the time. There are so many that are much worse off than I am. I need to loose weight and exercise more so I can feel better. I feel guilty if I go to the gym and spend the time and energy on myself rather than cleaning. But if I go home I feel guilty about paying for a gym membership I don't use. I am so tired of doctors and of being judged for being fat. If I just had more will power I could change, but I just don't. Particularly when I hurt and all the pressure is pushing on me from everything else, food is soothing. Food doesn't judge me or tell me I should be more. I'm trying so hard to hug my bunnies rather than eat. It's a very hard habbit to break. Most days I just push through the day the best I can until I can come home to my kids. I really don't think I would still be alive without the cats and rabbits, they are my reason for living. I go to work to give them a good life. I went grocery shopping so I could give them good, fresh food. I feel so blessed that they are here. I can hug Becky and cry if I need to, she will give me kisses. Cindi has turned into a kisser too. There's something so soothing, like they are telling me it will be ok, not to worry. My babies have been through so much that I feel like I have to suck it up and keep going. Poor Indy is missing an eye and deaf! Yet he still loves to explore and has such a zest for life. I also feel my biological clock ticking. I know if I am ever going to have a child it needs to be soon. I'm conflicted if it's a good idea or not. They physical and emotional strain may be too much. What if I screw them up? I don't want to hurt a child the way my upbringing hurt me. I feel so defective that a child would be embaressed to have me as their mother. At least I have my bunny babies, they never mind if I'm having a bad day. They will lay in bed with me and snugg until the pain is gone.

I know I need to rely on God more. It is so hard to trust that God will take care of me when so many times in the past he let me get hurt. How can a loving God let a child be abused by the family that should have been safe? I try to tell myself that there are lessons in my life that I need to learn, but I'm tired of struggling all the time. I know in so many ways I have been blessed, but at the same time the pressure is so much. Change is so hard. I'm afraid to make mistakes because the punishment is so harsh.

I'm finally tired. I feel like I have spewed it all out. Tomorrow night I need to load the pictures I took and take some more. I want to share my lovely babies with everyone. Goodnight.ray:

Hi! I hope you didn't mind me quoting so much of what you said and then boldfacing it...

In so many ways - we share the same things. We share a faith in God - but question why He's allowed things in our lives. We do things for our animals because they are what keep us going. We beat ourselves up and "should" all over ourselves. I should do this....I should be like that.

I'm a packrat (I wouldn't say I'm a hoarder as I throw stuff out) - but I understand your husband and his books and stuff. Maybe rather than getting him to throw stuff out - you could get him to "contain" it neatly in WELL-MARKED boxes somewhere - or clear plastic under-bed containers? Just an idea.

I don't work outside the home anymore and yet I also feel frustrated with my home and myself and I spend so much time and energy sometimes beating myself up that I am shocked I get ANYTHING done.

Maybe pick one or two things per day to do....and let the rest go until you have a "good" day.

Remember though to take care of yourself. Maybe exercise 3X week and then do stuff at home the other two nights....

Find the balance that's right for you and your husband and make THAT work and forget what others might expect.

I will be praying for you.

 

[MiniLopHop]

Peg, thank you for the words of encouragement. It does seem like we deal with a lot of similar issues.

Joshua has his entire office that he can do anything with. If he contained his mess to that room we would not have an issue. Unfortunately his books took over the entire sun porch, which was my plant area. He just pushed my stuff to the back so everything died since I couldn't get to it for water. Almost all of my shoes were in a shoe rack there. His books "fell" on my shoe rack so it broke and he just pushed all of them to the back too so I couldn't get to them. We are talking thousands of books in the way! It makes me angry when he treats my stuff with so little regard. I didn't even realise how angry I was until I wrote it out here. :X

He is boxing his books up, has been working on it all week. The verison people need to get into the box so we can get cable again (we havn't had it for three years, but apparently they are runing a good deal *shrugs*). So he's moving all the books into the livingroom so the guy can get to the box, then he's putting them all back. I so wish he would get rid of some of them. He still has his office full! And the gerage. He rented a storage space so he can clean the garage out. That is where I had the outdoor gardning supplies. Again, got pushed to the back so I couldn't get to them. I am giving up gardning because he just makes it too hard. I'm giving away my supplies and books because there's no sense in keeping them.

As for the rest of the house, I try to chip away at it the best that I can. I figure if I just get rid of enough of my stuff there might be room for me in the house. blah, it's hard to think about without getting upset. As long as my babies are happy I'm ok.

 

[MiniLopHop]

MiniLopHop wrote:

As for the rest of the house, I try to chip away at it the best that I can. I figure if I just get rid of enough of my stuff there might be room for me in the house. blah, it's hard to think about without getting upset. As long as my babies are happy I'm ok.

Wow, I just read what I wrote and it struck me that there really is a problem. I sent my post from Sunday and today to Joshua. Hopefully he will read them and we can talk about it.

Even when I tried talking about this with my therapist she didn't understand the magnitude of his book and football card issue. He literally has hundreds of thousands of books and millions of cards. Our entire atic is filled with boxes of football cards. I have to keep our holiday decorations in my office because there's no room in the atic which is over the whole house. Every nook and cranie is filled with books plus his office and the porch. He has over flow in the garage of just stuff.

It is so tempting when I get a new job to just take the animals and my clothes and leave. He's pushing me out, choosing stuff over love.

 

[SOOOSKA]

Wow Brandy it sure sounds like Joshua has LOTS of stuff.

Why don't you sell some of his "STUFF", make some money do something nicewith it.

I don't know how some people have/collect so much stuff." Hey I have alot of stuff too but when I moved I sold, gave away or tossedit in the garbage.

Maybe he needs a good "shake"

Anyways enough about that. How are the bunnies and how do they like the pillows and blankets?More Pictures please. :biggrin2:

Hugs

Susan

 

[TinysMom]

Brandy,

First of all - please don't think I'm criticizing you in any way with what I'm about to share....I'm really not.

But I've been married now for so long (over 30 years) and I have found that unless Art & I have compromises - our marriage goes downhill really fast and I start resenting him and his stuff or whatever he's doing or whatever is coming between us.

I hate it when that happens but at times - its caused me to almost be "emotionally divorced" from him because I just get so frustrated.

I really think that for your sake and to help your marriage be better - you need to sit down with your honey and work out some compromises that you can BOTH live with.

I know that Art & I both love books and our house gets overrun with them so easily. So I do understand where your hubby is coming from as far as loving books.

But you have a right to have things that you like too....like your plants and your shoe rack and other things.

I would never sell his stuff without his permission - I don't really touch Art's stuff (unless it is to put it on his desk) because I know how I feel when he moves MY stuff around.

I will be praying for you both.

I'm going to post in my blog in a bit about something I'm doing towards getting organized...maybe it would help you figure out what changes you'd like to see in your home.

At least when we get frustrated we can go hug a bunny or watch them play or eat or whatever...

 

[MiniLopHop]

Susan- I have taken pictures of the bunnies, I just need to post them. I will have my evening free tongiht so expect new pics

Houdini and Cinderella took theirs and pulled them into their bedroom box, so it is really hard to get pictures. I did a little photoshoot with them on the desk so you can see the cute outfits though. I will try again to get some photos through the chew hole in the box. I would take it as a compliment though that they put the pillows in their favorite place.

Becky and Indy like to lounge on theirs, so it's much easier to get pictures. I did have to wash Indy's U pillow already since he's not 100% on his litter box yet. He seems to pee on things he likes though, so I take it as his seal of approval.

I also started a surprise for you that I hope to finish this weekend to mail on Monday. All I will say is that pink is involved.

Peg- I appreciate the wisdom from someone who has been married a long time. My mom is on husband 4 and my sister on 3, so I never had good relationship role models. We have been together more than 12 years, so I know we will get through this too.

The sweetest thing is that he sent me flowers at work. He ordered them three days ago, so it wasn't connected to me being mad at him. He just knew I was in for a long, stressful week at work and wanted to make me feel better. It makes my heart melt and the anger go away. I know he loves me as much as I love him.

We emailed a bit this morning so he could understand my frustration. He promised to get my shoes back for me and not put all the books back on the porch so it will be easier to get into and out of the house. My biggest beef was a safety issue because it was hard to get in and out. Impossible to do with an animal crate, so what happens if there were a fire? I would have to toss the bunny crates out a window, which is not acceptable.

I agree that it wouldn't be right to sell his stuff without permission. It would break his heart. I think most of the reason he collects so much stuff now is because when he was a kid his dad left. They moved in with his mom's parents and a lot of the toys were left behind. I think some part of him is afraid if he doesn't keep what he has, then what is really important might get taken away. It's hard to explain.

I love the idea of focusing on what bothers me most. Now that I have a promise that the doors will be clear, the next thing is the bedroom. Which is great, because I have a lot more control over it as the majority is my stuff. He has also given me permission to organize his clothes and books in the bedroom how ever I want. Ripped clothes were agreed could go in the trash. Now rather than dread I am looking forward to reclaiming this space from clutter.

My goal is to have a more open space so Becky can teach Indy the joys of the Bunny 500. It will also help me to be more calm and able to enjoy my bunny cuddle time.

 

[TinysMom]

Awesome....you'll be starting your bedroom as I'm working on the finisihng touches of mine (I hope). Right now it feels like there is so much left to go.....still have Art's side to do and then there is the closet and then there is...

Oh wait...maybe we'll be working on our bedrooms at the SAME point in time! I just got a head start!

 

[MiniLopHop]

LOL be sure to take pictures as you go and we can cheer eachother on this weekend.

 

[MiniLopHop]

New pictures! I had a photoshoot with Houdini and Cinderella. I think these turned out well. I just wish I knew how to rotate a couple of them.

Thanks again Auntie Susan for the lovely pillows and blankie. They also love their outfits. They fit their personalities so well.

http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h409/MiniLopHop/002-1.jpg

After all the pictue taking the kids pulled their new softies into their "house"

This is their whole set up

A couple of Becky and Indy too

 

[MiniLopHop]

As for my ranting last week, I feel so much better. I think it is just the stress building up and getting to me. Joshua and I talked so we are on the same page and that feels good.

Saturday the turtles went to the vet for their yearly check up. They have both gained weight, which is good. Kate gained a lot though, so we think she will lay eggs soon! I'm keeping my fingers crossed. :biggrin2:

In the afternoon we saw Harry Potter. I think it was well done and stuck close to the book. I feel satisfied with the ending of the series.

Sunday we ended up going to Princeton, NJ to check out the town. I have a phone interview with the company on Thursday. Please pray that the best conclusion happens. I am so torn because I love my current company and the people, but staying the same is not an option. I don't know if the new management will be good or bad. The company I am interviewing with is smaller which I tend to like. I don't know. All I can do is keep moving forward and hope God will close any doors I should not go through. ray:

Houdini and Cinderella are doing well. They were not thrilled with all the picture taking, but they liked the treats afterward. Becky and Indy will have their torture, um, I mean photo shoot session hopefully tonight. They are just so very cute together. Indy is also getting much better with his potty habits, so that is great! :biggrin2:

 

[TinysMom]

I have a couple of questions - one is because I don't know the East Coast that well...

How far is the NJ job from where you live now? Would Joshua have to get a new job too? Or is it within driving distance?

Don't forget that if you move to NJ - you'll be paying NJ income tax.....might want to look that up.

I can hardly wait to see if your turtle lays eggs...I have no idea how all that works....how long before they hatch, etc?

 

[MiniLopHop]

It was about an hour and a half on Sunday. With work day traffic we would have to move. Physically I can't really handle more than a 30 minute commute. Luckily they have a very strong chess community there, so Joshua shouldn't have any trouble finding students. There's also a similar business to what he works for now that goes into schools to teach chess, so I'm sure he could get a job with them. The tax is crazy! I will make sure I get a pay bump to cover the increased cost of living.

I noticed this morning that it looks like Kate has been digging in the peatmoss, so I will check for eggs tonight. It takes about 90 days. I have a tank that I will use as an incubator if we get eggs. I really hope we do get babies from these two because they are so outgoing and personable. Even the vet said how good they were. They walked all over the table and just looked at her when she picked them up rather than hiding in their shells.