Meet Starfish and Giraffe

We want to welcome Starfish and Giraffe. They are siblings and come two full days a week and one half-day. Starfish is 5 months old and pretty laid back. Her name comes from the use of her zippy (sleep sack). She loves her hands and can't easily fall asleep since they distract her quite a bit. So, her parents use a sleep sack with triangular arms. When she wears it, her limbs spread out, and she reminds us of a starfish.

Giraffe is the big brother. He turned two in May, but is a very tall boy, so he looks like he's almost four years old. In fact, he is taller than Pony and Bullfrog, so it's easy to forget that he's only two. He's a big thinker and learns words quickly because he imitates things we say. He plays well with others, has good manners, and reminds us of a safari dude with his cool hat and bright red hair. His dad is a taxidermist and his mom's a counselor, so it makes sense. He loves the outdoors.

We look forward to getting to know these two as they join Bullfrog, Butterfly, Pony, and Bumblebee in playtime at the den. Bumblebee will be flying back to Grandma's house in a week and no longer need our care. She will be missed!

Hamster Heads Home

We said farewell to Hamster on August 21st. His mamma is having another baby boy in October, and she will be staying at home with them. We have enjoyed his time here and watched him grow from a quiet, content 13-month-old to an expressive, active 20-month-old. He is definitely approaching the two-year-old stage and shows lots of determination. We will treasure and miss his smile and the way Keegaroo could randomly make him laugh. My kids and all our cubs adored him, especially Bullfrog. They were good buddies and loved riding cars together around the backyard. They also shared a common love for "Thomas the Tank Engine" and would excitedly exclaim "Choo, Choo" and bounce back and forth together on the couch while the beginning song played. Hopefully, we will visit with him soon and also meet his new baby brother. Here are some pictures to enjoy from his final days with us.

Just Keep Swimming...

April and May kept us quite busy with the little ones around here. Bullfrog, Butterfly, and Bumblebee have all adjusted well since starting in February.

Our time watching Caterpillar in April went by very quickly. He is such an energetic little boy full of joy and smiles! We enjoyed being around his infectious laughter and the little way he gave us "noggin" by putting his forehead against ours (taught by his uncle based on the "Finding Nemo" movie).

Luckily, we still get some regular visits from him since his mama comes to our house and cuts our hair every few months.

In other news, Duck's mama made the decision to stop her teaching job and be a stay-at-home mom. We had the privilege and amazing talent of gathering all the kids together for a group picture on her last day in May. We also had a few hours to visit with her in June, only to discover that her daddy recently got a job offer in Minnesota. They have already relocated and are now expecting their second child! We've enjoyed caring for her for the past year and a half and will miss her goofy and fun spirit in our home!

Hamster will also be leaving the den in August since his mama is due to have another baby in October. So Pony, Bullfrog, Butterfly, and Bumblebee will hopefully have a new playmate soon. In the meantime, we just keep swimming and having some fun times together!

 

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!