Spring is Springing

It has been 74+ degrees around here the last couple of days, and I have to say, it is not only confusing the local flora and fauna, but my crazy brain as well. I totally have spring fever and feel like it is time to start getting ready to plant vegetables and work in the yard. I noticed a few days ago that the new trees we planted last month are even starting to bud.

But wait... it's still January!

Oh yeah, this is Texas. The temps here can have a 50 degree swing in a matter of 48 hours. I have to remind myself that it very well could snow here next week if it wants to. It might have been nice and spring-like today, but there could be a hard frost overnight.

With that, let's move onto the fun family news!

Wednesday night I picked up Baby Bean from daycare and headed to the pet store to start buying gerbil supplies so we could get a cage set up and ready for us to bring home the animals on Saturday. I had resolved to not even look at the gerbils before going in the store so that I wouldn't have a strong desire to get them that night. I budgeted for half of the supplies this week, and the other half, along with the animals for next week.

The first thing we picked up was our cage. We found an awesome two story cage with a loft apartment. Not only was it the last one of its kind, it was on sale for $15 less than I had budgeted!

Then, I couldn't help myself. I went to look at the gerbils and found that there were only two left in the whole store. One was an albino and the other was a sandy brown. Both seriously adorable.

I started to get the incredibly strong urge to buy them. But I refrained. I was there to buy supplies and get things set up so that I didn't have to do it all while my gerbils were in a box. So BB and I picked up a gerbil ball and some bedding and headed out. I asked the girl at the register how often they got in small animal shipments, just to know if I needed to consider buying the two they had that night. She told me they wouldn't get any new animals until the following Tuesday. Crap.

Once home, I let BB help me put some aspen shavings in the cage as I assembled it. As soon as Hubs got home, I asked him if he would be okay with me dipping into the following weeks' budget to get the gerbils that night. He totally loves me, and very shortly after, BB and I were on our way back to the pet store.

The albino gerbil is mine, and his name is Dizzie after Dizzie Gillespie. BB's is named Louis, after Louis Armstrong. I let BB pick the names and those were the only two names she never said no to.

We put the cage on a table next to a big, fluffy armchair in our family room, and Baby Bean loves to climb up there and look at the gerbils. They turned the loft into their nest and have filled it up with aspen shavings and bedding. I am working with them a little every day to get them used to us, and trying to teach BB how to move slowly and quietly around them so as not to scare them. Once they are a little more used to us, I will let them out to play in the gerbil ball. They have only been with us for just over 72 hours, but they are starting to be a little less scared and more curious about us.

I can tell you right now, I totally love having these little guys in our house. They are so cute, sweet, and gentle. I love the quiet little squeaks they make as they groom one another, the way they stand up on their hind legs to look around, and watching them run in their gerbil wheel. It also doesn't hurt that they are known as "odorless pets." I am so happy my husband let me bring them into our home. Hopefully BB will end up being an animal lover like me. Heaven knows I am working hard to make it so!