Hamster Escape!

Good morning from South Jersey. I am sitting here in my study/ recoup bedroom. This started out as the pastor's study when we moved here. Then it turned into our homeschool room until son J decided he liked to read on the couch better. Then it turned into a recoup room (we put a twin bed in here.) Since we have moved here in 2010, I have had meniscus surgery, son J has had surgery on both of his knees- one at a time, son D shattered his tibia and had 2 rods and 7 screws inserted- it took a long time in a brace to recover from that one- my hubby has had 2 knee replacements too. So this room has been well used. It has saved us from taking all the stairs upstairs with bad knees and legs!-- Right now it houses the family PC, a couple of chairs one of which has an old sleeping bag and pillow on it, a twin bed, built in bookshelves filled with homeschool books and the original desk that was here in the beginning.

Seems like not a lot of activity round here lately. I am starting to feel like I am looking up out of a rut! It's the same old, same old everyday with just a few things different to enliven the rut! Boy that makes things seem gloomy! --

We had big excitement the other morning when our big dog Katie started barking loudly at the corner cabinet in the hall way. I immediately assumed she was barking at the cat, but no the cat was not around! So I went to investigate. - Katie has a big bark- she is half St. Bernard and half Rottie. So what ever she was barking at was understandably scared! -- I looked in the shelves of the cabinet and saw nothing. I started thinking it must be a mouse. I pulled things out next to it and finally pulled out the cabinet itself. There behind it was the small black hamster huddled in a little ball! How she got down all the stairs from upstairs is a mystery, but there she was. So I called my daughter who grabbed Susie the hamster and I held Katie dog back during the rescue. Afterwards Katie had to sniff everything and keep watch to make sure no more hamsters were about!



Katie keeping guard- sorry picture is so huge! New Windows won't let me adjust it!



Son J is about to start a new block of studies in school. He is finishing up Algebra, History, Graphic Arts and Biology. Biology was the hardest for him. In fact he may have to repeat it this summer. The new classes will be Language Arts, World Cultures (studying Germany, I think.), Lifestyle fitness and Gym/Health.  I predict that Health and Language Arts will be the hardest classes. He signed up for lifestyle fitness last year when picking classes for 9th grade. It's a gym class where they learn weight lifting, maybe tennis(?), jogging and some other activities supposedly that they can use in their adult lives everyday. Weight lifting will be the biggie I am sure. - We didn't know he would have both gym classes in the same block! So when Health isn't happening, he will have 3 hours of gym everyday! Wow! He's still on the basketball team as well. I am glad he is so into sports. It's so good for him. He's the athlete of the house! My husband was into track in high school and college, but that was back in the day! (That phrase gets me every time my kids use it!! Ha Ha!) The other kids did some soccer and baseball and my daughter did gymnastics, but nothing as much as J is doing and loves to do. He's a junior black belt in Karate, he's played soccer many years, baseball, and now basketball. (I love to watch him play sports!)

Well- I have a few chores here at home to do then I have to run out in the car on my errands out in the world. -- Hope everyone has a great day!! Be safe if you are where the snow and ice are bad. We may get some more this weekend. ~ ~ ~  ;-)