Springtime and New Faces

It's Spring 2015, and we have some new faces in our midst. We've had several months of interviews and facing new transition since November of last year. In February, things shifted for us, and we took some new kiddos under our wing.  So... let's do some proper introductions and give an update on all our cubs. 

First off, we have Butterfly and Bullfrog. They are siblings... can you see the resemblance? Butterfly is a new little life that is 8 months old and brings lots of joy and smiles to our home. She recently had surgery, and we are thankful that things went well in her recovery. Big brother, Bullfrog, is two years old and named after a famous bull rider by his parents, thus we thought his animal name would be fitting. He also is full of smiles, cuteness, and strength! We've enjoyed getting to know these guys on a part-time basis, and look forward to having them full-time in May.

 

Next, we have Bumblebee and Caterpillar. Bumblebee joined our crew a few months ago and comes a few days a week. She is 15 months old and a very, busy toddler. She's full of joy and spunk and loves to keep up with the two-year olds. She also gets along well with Hamster since they are close in age. Caterpillar also keeps up with the toddlers by crawling around everywhere and fits right in. He is here for a season, this month only, while his aunt is having a new baby. He is 10 months old, also very strong and cute!

  

Since all the kiddos are so photogenic and growing fast, here are some new photos of our other sweet cubs. Pony and Duck are the best of buds and look forward to seeing each other each week. They are both learning how to share and express their needs to each other as they face the challenges of being two.

 

Hamster joined us in December of last year and has made himself quite at home. He's adapted to a normal routine with us and is starting to be a busier toddler with new words, expressions, and discoveries each day. He especially enjoys being around all the other kids each day and gives lots of cuddles to the littler ones.

Puppy is going to school now, but she comes over when she can to hang out with Rabbit. They have developed a good friendship over the years of hanging out together, and we often joke that they are like sisters now. They share a birthday too, which is coming up soon within the next few weeks!

Once again... we are very grateful for all these little ones that God has blessed us with to watch over while their Moms and Dads are at work. Some days are very busy and full of challenges at times, but we enjoy each and every unique personality in our cubs. We most of all enjoy the laughter and smiles that each one gives us on a daily basis. We have quite the crew!

Hello Hamster, Goodbye Lemur

December 1st brought a new little guy into our care. He turned one on December 20th, and he's been a big joy to watch over. It took us a few weeks to name him since we had many options, but wanted to find just the right fit. After much debate and thought, we finally decided that Hamster fit him the best. Not just any hamster though, specifically the "Teddy Bear Hamster".

Teddy bear hamster's tend to make great pets because they are easy to care for and cuddly too. This little guy is pretty cuddly and likes to nuzzle his face into his Mama's chest each day that she comes to pick him up. He gives great little hugs. He's very easy going, yet busy too. We've even heard him growl or squeak at times when he's trying to talk to you and get you to respond back to him. He smiles often and enjoys being with K-Bird, Rabbit, and Keegaroo each day that he's hear. His time overlapped with Lemur's last month here before he moved, and they shared some fun interactions with each other. Here are some pictures of our new little Hamster and also Lemur's last day with the family.

 

  

 

Meet Our Cubs - Season 6

I'm so excited to be posting this new slide show the week of Christmas! K-Bird and I have been working diligently on it for awhile in hopes of sharing it with all our families. It has been an eventful year with some very special kiddos. A lot of our cubs have moved on to new adventures (and states) recently, so we wanted to highlight our fun times and good memories with the cubs of 2014. Pony, Duck, and Puppy are still around (and Rabbit of course), and a new cub started December 1st. We've finally decided on an animal name for him, so we'll be introducing him very soon! We hope you all have a wonderful and blessed Christmas! Thank you for the honor of letting us watch your little gifts!

Wallaby's Farewell

Wallaby's family moved to Missouri the day before Thanksgiving. He's been around here for over 2 years, so things seem a bit different with him gone. We will treasure the special times we had with him, his smiles and laughs, playing ring around the rosy, and his most recent desire to for us to draw "Daddy, Mommy, and Baby" dinosaurs. Here are some fun pictures of his last few days with Pony and Duck (his buddies) and a goodbye picture with our family. We will miss you sweet boy, especially your dimples and hugs!

Fun in the Leaves

We'll Miss These Girls!

These two girls have brought a lot of fun and laughter into our home. We'll miss having them around! They enjoyed playing together the few times they came on the same days. Mermaid was quite sad when Deer stopped coming in September and started preschool. Mermaid's Mommy just had a baby brother, so she will be taking time off to spend time with them while Mom's on maternity leave. Both girls have new adventures ahead of them as they learn "the big sister" role since Deer's Mama is also expecting a little one in February of next year. They are both good helpers, so I think they'll do great! Thanks for some fun times, girls! We love your smiles :) !!!

Little Man Lemur

We've had the privilege of of watching a new little guy since September 10th. He comes 1 - 3 days per week and started with us at the age of 3 months old. We have been anticipating his arrival since spring and were so excited to hear about his birth date in June this summer.

We received his birth announcement in the mail and immediately fell in love with his big, dark, and bright eyes and adorable little smirk. We've decided to call him Lemur because of his inviting eyes, the way he moves and squirms so much, and his many outfits with stripes on them! His personality reminds me of the song "I Like to Move It" from the Madagascar movie.

We are sad to say that we recently found out that Lemur will be moving to another state in December because of his daddy's new job offer. Our time with him will be short, but we are doing are best to make every moment special with him while he's here. We've captured some snapshots of his cuteness, so please enjoy!

 

This little guy has been a lot of fun to interact with, has great smiles, and does really well with his naps and eating schedule. Wallaby, Pony, Duck, and Mermaid have all really enjoyed his time with us so far. They've adjusted well to having him here and like to "boop" him with their finger or give him hugs and kisses. Mermaid especially likes to practice being a big sister when Lemur comes. Her little brother will be born in a few weeks, so she will get to be home with Mom for awhile and enjoy his company. We wish Deer was still with us, but she started preschool in September.

 

Thanks for coming Lemur! We sure are enjoying our time with you.