Definitely Heathens!

I have always LOVED face paint. I remember getting my face painted in high school when out with friends, or at Busch Gardens when we didn't have any of the Heathens with us. I don't know why I love it so much, but I do.

This also means that when I see the table with the little pots of paint sitting on it, that I will ALWAYS take the Heathens over. And they have learned to love it as much as I do.

In September, the elementary school had a fitness fair on a Saturday. The Heathens and I went while the Asst. Zookeeper was at work. They had a face painting table, staffed by professionals. It was $5 per Heathen since it was a fundraiser, but it was SO worth it!!! If I'd had another $5, I would have gotten my face painted too!

Recent Zoo Happenings

We've had a bunch of small events happening here at the zoo recently. Unfortunately, one of those events was me getting sick. So I'm a little behind on my entries and picture postings. This should get me caught up!

About 10 days ago, I put Heathen #3 in the shower. My job is to regulate the water temperature and then pull up the button that makes the shower start. My mission accomplished, I left him to his "washing" and headed downstairs to fold a load of laundry. About two minutes into the folding, I discovered a nude, soaking wet Heathen standing in the living room. A spider had joined him for his shower and he didn't want it there. Figuring that it was a small spider, I offered to squish it for him (I love being the hero!). When we got back up to the bathroom, it wasn't a little spider!

About the same time as the "Spider Scare," I finally broke down and went to the Humane Society. We had lost Fuzznutz a few weeks ago, and it looks like one of our other cats, Rosie, wasn't coming home. She knew even as a little kitten that she was not meant to be an indoor cat and would spend hours attempting to escape the house every day. Usually she comes back in for the winter, but this year, we haven't seen her.

I'd done so well avoiding the Humane Society because I knew I would come home with another critter. And I did. Nina joined our family about a week ago and has been a great addition! She is so little - only about 10 ounces - that she makes Tiger and Anya look like cows!

In the grandest traditions of our zoo, my relatively cheap critter has already cost us over $100 because she came home with an upper respiratory infection that has required major antibiotics and two overnight stays at the vet. But she's REALLY sweet!

This past weekend, we took the Heathens to Chuck E. Cheese's as a treat. While the boys had a good time, the Asst. Zookeeper spent the first twenty minutes waiting for a specific ride to open up. And as soon as it did, he grabbed his little cup of tokens and ran to it!

On Sunday, we took the Heathens to pick pumpkins. As always, we got them at the pumpkin patch run by the Westmont Presbyterian Church. This is where our Heathens attend Youth Club after school on Wednesdays. The church does it as a fundraiser for their youth. And the Heathens picked the largest pumpkins they could!

About an hour after I took these pumpkin photos, Heathen #1 came down with swine flu. He went from the pumpkin patch to his bed. He pretty much slept through the first part of the week. Yesterday evening was the first time since Sunday that he wasn't running a fever.

I thought we had done pretty well in keeping the other Heathens away from him (we had confined Heathen #1 to his bedroom). But yesterday afternoon, Heathen #3 spiked a fever and turned his own flu test positive as well. Poor Heathen was so tired, he didn't even make it to the doctor's office awake. Bet you can't tell what season it is from the photo. :)

And last night was the October pack meeting for cub scouts. I went as Smurfette and my friend Bethany came as a dutch maid. We have a great time together! I'm NOT looking forward to when she and her husband move out of the area in another year. Love ya Bethany!

Don't Hate The Teacher

Had a late night phone call with one of the Heathen's teachers. Apparently, he wrote, "I hate Ms. (blank) on his test today because he was mad at her. I understand not being happy when you discovered it while grading the test.

I even understand calling us at home at 9:00 at night to tell us of the event.

What I don't understand is feeling the need to take the "issue" (as it was referred to) to the principal in the morning. Are you kidding me?

No, I do NOT approve of what my child wrote. No, I do NOT approve of how disrespectful it was. No, I will NOT be letting it go unpunished here at home. And no, it will NOT be happening again, trust me.

But is it seriously an issue to take to the principal? Maybe I handled too much stuff in my own classroom. I would have DIED before taking that to my principal. Don't all children hate their teachers at one point or another? I know I did. I even remember scrawling it across my notes in high school.

Can't wait for the phone to ring tomorrow! Woo hoo!

Web Album Updated!

I just finished updating the photos on the album here on my blog. Check it out and see what the Zoo has been up to in the past few months!

Faranda Farm Fun

Every year, our church holds a hayride. Sometimes we have it at a member's fam. Other years, like this year, we go to Faranda Farm in Hollsopple. It's always a great afternoon of fun. The kids always get a chance to run and play together while the adults get a chance to stand and just chat.

This year, almost the entire Miller Clan was able to attend. We were only missing one of the grandchildren and three of the adults. Not too shabby! Below are some of the photos I snapped during the day. I'm lucky that my Heathens and the nieces and nephews are accustomed to me and my photography habits!

R.I.P. Fuzznutz

Last September, our zoo was driving out to Windber in the evening to look at used cars. As we were driving down Rt. 56, I saw this tiny white kitten huddled in the rumble strips along the edge of the road. Much to my Asst. Zookeeper's belief, I basically jumped from a moving vehicle along the highway to run back and try to catch him. It took me two trys, but I got him.

He was scrawny and covered in fleas. His ribs and his backbone were visible every time he breathed. The Asst. Zookeeper's only comment was to say, "I guess the little fuzz nut is staying, isn't he."

And the name stuck and we gained Fuzznutz. I let the ladies at the vet decide how to spell his name.

He definitely wasn't a cat that I would have chosen. He was much too "catish." He didn't like attention, wanted to be left alone. But he was still part of the household.

This evening, I went down to the laundry room and I found him dead in the litter box. He's had multiple trips to the vet and rounds of antibiotics, but he was never healthy. He never really grew much bigger than he was when we found him. But I expected him to last longer than a year.

I'm not sure what to tell the Heathens in the morning. While he wasn't their favorite pet, he was still part of the Zoo. I'll wait and talk to them after they get home from school tomorrow. Not a conversation I'm looking forward to having with them.

R.I.P. Fuzznutz. You'll be missed.

123 Imagine!

Today, Heathen #3 and I went to see 123 Imagine! We had a great time. We also bought overpriced cotton candy, an over priced yucky snow cone because it came in a Sesame Street plastic cup, and a REALLY overpriced spinner toy. And it was worth it!

The show's theme was that you could imagine your self to be any place you wanted to go even if you couldn't really go there yourself. In our imaginations, we visited Mexico for a birthday party with Rosita, sailed on the S.S. Rubber Duckie with Ernie, went to the bottom of the ocean with Bert, went to Africa with Elmo, Hawaii with Samantha and Big Bird, and some other places as well.

The costumes were perfect and the dancing was amazing, considering they were in costume.

It was so much fun to watch Heathen #3's face and listen to him answering the questions along with the rest of the children. He was riveted to his seat the entire time. It was a 10:30 am show, so it was all little kids with parents or grandparents. I am so glad we went!