As usual, life in the den does not always stay consistent. Little ones come and go. We've had to accept the hard fact that for every hello, there will someday be a goodbye. We will only remain in each child's life for a season. That is the hardest part of caring for little ones that are not our own, yet we love them as such. We have to remember though, that we do create memories with the cubs and hopefully, somehow, these little ones will know in their hearts that they were very special to us.In December 2015, we started part-time care with little Bunny, who was born in August. In April, her family's circumstances and needs suddenly changed, so we had a very short season with our little friend.
The four months we spent with her were very special as we watched her grow and learn to crawl! We gave her many cuddles, and she will hold a special place in our hearts! I didn't get a chance to introduce her on the blog, but we will fondly remember her little grunt/growl she gave each time she was hungry or tired. She was one of the most easy-going babies we've known. Most importantly, she gave smiles instantly with her little tongue hanging out. It brought us so much joy and made some more challenging days much brighter! We will miss her dearly, but we do plan to keep in touch with her family so we can keep up with her journey.
In January 2016, we started care with another little one, also born in August of last year. Lady Bug has been a joy to care for as well since she came to the den. She is very dainty, with long delicate fingers and great big eyes. Due to personal preferences, her parents do not want to post pictures of her yet, but we can give you a hint of her sweetness at least. Lady Bug had a rough time when Mama first went back to work and had some fussy days. She has made a lot of progress in adapting to her home away from home. We've grown to love her little coos and fascination with faces. She recently started saying "bye, bye" and loves to be cuddled. We are very thankful for her sweetness and the blessing of having her here three days a week.
Giraffe and Starfish have been with us since August. They will be staying home with Mom starting in June since she will not be going back to work in the fall. Once they transition back home, Caterpillar will be joining us again for full-time care! Pony, Bullfrog, and Butterfly are also still with us. We've had a lot of fun playing with playdough, train tracks, tools, puzzles, bubbles, and all our outside activities. These little cubs keep us on our toes! We look forward to sharing another slide show this summer of all the great pictures and all the great faces in our den.
