This is me ignoring the fact that the entire month of June was postless. This is now me apologizing for that same fact. And now? This is me moving on.
Last year, immediately after portraying Templeton in a homeschool production of 'Charlotte's Web', the girl desperately wanted a rat as a pet. She felt that rats get a bad rap...and wanted to rid the world of all the misconceptions. I admit, I was a bit hesitant at first, and put off these desires by posing the logical and reasonable and very true problem of one Whippet mix that we currently owned. Whippets are fast and intentional in their ridding the planet of small rodents, as that is the purpose for which they are bred. Sadly, we had to find a new home for Olive, the Whippet, which then left me with nothing to deter her from her rat campaign.
Around that time I was introduced to a fun way of researching and learning called lapbooking. 'So!' says I to the girl, 'you want a rat, eh? Then show me how dedicated you are to caring for them, and for the saving of their face as a species by doing the research and presenting it to me and your father in the form of a lapbook! Now go, young one! And do this for Templeton! Do this for Ratatouille! Do this for domesticated rats everywhere!!' Or something to that affect.
Off to the Library went we, and were soon loaded with much books and knowledge and hopes and dreams. Several days later, information successfully downloaded into her brain, the girl was ready to present her findings and enhanced adoration for these furry little rodents. The problem? There were no pre-made lapbooks on rats. There were Guinea Pigs, Mice, Squirrels even Mosquitoes!! But no one, no one, had made a lapbook on these poor misrepresented miscreants...I mean innocents. Would that discourage her? 'Nay!' says she, 'I shall take up the task of making the first ever rat lapbook! And all the world shall rejoice!' Or something like that.
And, that, my friends, is exactly what she has done...at least to the best of our knowledge. Someone, somewhere, may have indeed put together a lapbook on rats...but none of them are in our awareness and, certainly, none of them look like hers!
Here is the front;
Inside left;
Inside right;
I am one proud mama. And now? She is the proud mama of two very cute and lovable rats...because, through her research, we discovered that rats are social, and it's better to get two.
Here we have the two of them. Angel, on the left, and Piper, on the right.
Piper was not afraid of the camera, but she refused to stay still for a super cute photo. This is the best I could get. She is a pearl hooded fancy rat.
Her sister, Angel, was extremely afeared of the strange sounding contraption and refused to come out of the cage. Angel is normally the first one out and up your arm, so this is not typical behavior for her.
She is a beige fancy rat.
Sadly, Angel and Piper are not the original fruits of the girl's lapbook labors...
Sophie
and Lettie,
through no fault of their own, are no longer with us. It was an extremely sad day when we realized how clean of an assassin our Fred Fredburger is. RIP, Sophie and Lettie Ratter, RIP. You were wonderful rats and are missed dearly!
Since proving herself a very able and adept mother of small furry things, she was given the permission to add to her menagerie a Guinea Pig, provided this time that she pay for everything. So after saving and learning some entrepreneurial skills and hunting for good bargains, the girl is now a proud new mama once again. Here she is...
Ophelia.
Isn't she adorable? She is so small right now that she fits in one hand! Here's hoping she is just as wonderfully cute when over twice the size!
And so concludes the post about rodents. Next up? Actual craftiness!
P.S. Rachelle! Have you done your push ups today?!
