Cast of Characters

After many years of failed journaling, I've given in to the "blog." There are too many times when something happens that I want recorded in some way - and I have no way to record, or share, the event. Now I do.

The natural place to start would be an introduction of cast characters - isn't that how most plays start, with a cast list?

Obviously, from the blog title, there are three heathens currently residing in the zoo that we call a home.

Heathen #1: Tristan

This is this year's school picture - he'd probably be mortified to know I was using it. While it is an excellent photo of him, this is not a "true" picture of who my oldest son is.

The morning of school pictures, he came down the steps in a ratty, stained t-shirt and his hair looked like he combed it with an egg-beater. I chose the shirt and I combed the hair - adding a threat about NOT using the comb that the photographers provide. Heathen #1 is currently 9 years old, but will be turning 10 in less than two months. His favorite response when I ask him to do something is, "Aw, Mom!"

Heathen #2: Gavin

Again, a current school picture - his first ever! Heathen #2 is VERY different from Heathen #1. When the boys got out of bed the morning of school pictures, Gavin put this outfit together by himself! He knew exactly what he wanted to wear and asked me specifically where his white shirt was because he needed it to go under this sweater vest. Needless to say, this heathen is much more fashion conscious than the previous one. Heathen #2 is currently 5 years old, but will be turning 6 in just two months. His favorite response to anything I say is "But, Mom!" This angelic looking child also has a stubborn streak that would give anyone pause - he gets it from his father, but we'll get to him in a minute.

Heathen #3: Landon
This heathen is the youngest of the crew - God help him! At 2 and a half, he can hold his own with the older boys. Although still little, he does an amazing job of keeping up with Heathens #1 and #2. Needless to say, he is incredibly verbal for his age. This one's claim to fame is his appetite. At two and a half, he's only about 28 lbs. And he's only 2ft. 9in. tall - a midget compared to my older two. But he eats more than both of them put together! As his father so eloquently put it, "His verbal skills are deteriorating. All he says anymore is, 'Mama, I hungry.'"

We've almost finished the cast of characters for the home zoo. There is still one main character to go, plus a few minor characters.

This last main character is probably the biggest Heathen in my zoo. And most of the time, he's the ringleader. I've mentioned him a few times already, but he definitely deserves his own introduction.

Daniel - the head heathen & assistant zookeeper

We started dating when we were in high school - and twelve plus years later, we still haven't killed each other. Considering how obnoxious I can be at times, how irritating he can be at times, and considering the strong personalities involved on both sides, this is truly amazing! The motorcycle above is one of his many toys. This one he repainted himself - and he's talking of painting it again here shortly. Never satisfied....

That's the end of the main characters. As for the minor characters, there are a few. First of all, there are the Psychotic Cats. I got these cats for my birthday last year, from a no-kill shelter in the middle of nowhere (this is a post all by itself). Anya is the gray one, and Rosie is the black.

These two are NUTS. A set of litter-mates, Anya and Rosie should have been dogs with the personalities they have. Life is rarely dull with these two in the evenings. Just about 18 months old, they still have a lot of kitten left in them.

Hamsters. We have crazy hamsters - in a house with two cats. These critters are deserving of their own posts, which I will get to eventually. We've had as many as 16 at one time - again, a separate post.

And fish - these are very minor characters here. The only time they have a role is when one of the younger two heathens puts something into the fish tank. The least of the items is usually a Matchbox car or something that sinks and must be fished out. I can handle this. The worst has to have been when Heathen #2 fed them an entire box of Cookie Crisp that I had left on the counter. Cookie Crisp and fish filters are not friends - just something to keep in mind.

Well, that's the cast of characters at our zoo. Our zoo is always open, and there is no entrance charge except a sense of humor and a willingness to roll with the punches.

Oh! And I forgot, there's me - I'm head zookeeper.