Bunny!

Most people talk about having baby fever. I don't know that I'll ever get there. But starting in January I got the strong urge to get a pet. It became almost unbearable. I grew up always having multiple pets---cats, dogs, mice, fish, frogs, lizards, etc. Shad grew up with none. So it took a LOT of begging and pleading and convincing to get a pet...you know, the stuff parents usually hear from kids. "I promise I'll take care of it! I'll always feed and water it and clean the cage!" He finally gave in after sheer exhaustion of hearing me.

And so we decided on a bunny. The arrival of the cage in the mail was a super exciting day!

{Digression: Thora loves helping me with the blender. We made green ice cream for St. Patrick's Day. Somehow this picture snuck in.}

Getting a bunny proved more difficult than I thought. None of the pet stores in Colorado Springs had one for me. They said they just sometimes get them and they're gone almost immediately. I checked Craigslist, but didn't want to waste time chasing down three-week-old posts. I checked Facebook marketplace and found nothing. I checked with the humane society and animal shelters. Nope. Finally we went up to Denver because two of my sisters reported that their pet stores had bunnies. But then they were $45. So we checked Craigslist again and found bunnies for $10 out in Parker. Went there only to find out they were 4-H bunnies that were going to grow to be 15 pounds and larger than a small dog. No, thank you. Back to the pet store. We met up with Lori and Thora at the pet store in the Aurora Mall after they got Thora's ears pierced. We all picked a black and white bunny together.

Bunny found resting spots off the beaten track at my mom's house. Just needed a little respite from all the kid attention!

When we got home, we brainstormed name ideas: Oreo, Vanessa, Luna, Lucy, Buttons, Scarlet, Fuzzik, Retta, Cookie, Skittles, Skipper, Ivy, Emily, Cookie Dough Dip, Lola, Blossom, Lavender, Clover, Patty, Unicorn, and Squeezer. That's at least where I cut off the brainstorm session. Then we went through several rounds of voting and ended with Luna and Scarlet tied, so Shad said we'd keep both names and she could be Scarlet Luna Kendell. It's so funny hearing the kids call her Scarlet, Scarlet Luna, or Scarlet Luna Kendell if she's being mischievous. Just last night Sam was asking where his sweet bunny is.

Bunny cuddles!

We got creative with bunny proofing, only to have her grow big enough and be able to jump over all the blockades.

This girl weighed little more than a pound when we got her. She was born December 26, 2017.

Samson having a living creature smaller than him to care for was a big reason I wanted a pet. This boy is not going to have a younger sibling, and having a pet has helped immensely in overcoming some of his youngest-child syndrome.

Everyone loves feeding Scarlet Luna her salad!

There were definitely times kids would get a little forceful with the feedings, similar to "Eat the FOOD, Tina!"

Katie discovered that cuddles are more successful with this piece of felt.

"Take a picture of me! CHEEEEEEEESE!" Still potty training at that point, so he's pantless.

Tuckered out bunny! Katie cuddled her to sleep, then successfully transferred Scarlet to her cage when it was time for lunch. She's so tiny in there!

Dancy completed her number writing packet and gave herself a smiley sticker because she feels happy about herself.

Samson wanted to cuddle his Scarlet.