Ladybugs and Butterflies

Summer found a dead bee - and packed it around most of the day.

"Me love my bumblebee" she says.

After lunch she left it on the table, and I swept it into the garbage thinking she had forgot about it.  Awhile later she comes back asking for her bumblebee.  "But I loved my bumblebee!!" 

I felt so bad!

We found TONS of ladybugs this summer.

We would go out ladybug hunting and there were some usual spots for them:  On a bucket filled with water, on the slide and on certain trees and plants in our flowerbeds.

Here are some unusual ones:  Yellow, grey and red.  We also found a pink one up frog creek that we didn't have a camera handy to snap a picture of. 

Grey Ladybug

This was such a fun butterfly!

She just sat on their hands. 

Our Quest for the Perfect Pet

We have been searching for the perfect pet.

One that is quiet (my requirement) doesn't jump on me or compete for my attention (also my requirement) not always underfoot (can you see a pattern here), one that we can put back into a pen when no longer are playing with it.....Long story short:  We found the PERFECT PET!!

We called her Sparkle!

She is a guinea pig with fur that sticks up everywhere.  She had the cutest markings on her. 

one white ear, one black ear, one white foot, one black foot, with a white Mohawk down the middle.   

Super calm when we hold her, mellow, sweet. 

The girls hold her when they watch movies, switching her back and forth, and also when we read stories in the evening, they swap her with each book or each chapter.   She would make the cutest sounds, and would love eating carrots and apples out of their hands.

We loved our Sparkle. 

Now for the tragic news: 

We had friends over to come meet Sparkle, and with 7 kids running around and it being a beautiful day, we decided to head outside to play in the rock pile.  With kids going in and out of the house, the front door got left open and SamBo went inside.  I was alerted that something was wrong when Silver was hysterically screaming "SamBo NO!"  He had pushed the bottom of the cage - plastic from the top of the cage - wire.  I tried to take apart the cage just the night before to clean out her shavings, but it didn't budge, and was securely fastened top to bottom.  He got in there and chased her around, by the time I got SamBo back out and came to her rescue, it was too late.  We only had her for 1 week. 

So sorry little Sparkle.  We will really miss you!

It broke the girls hearts to hear that their guinea pig was killed.  We've buried way too many pets lately!  When I called Colt to tell him the news he was still in the city and made a stop by a pet store to get us a new guinea pig.  We are still adjusting to the new one - lovingly named Sparkle II in loving memory of our sweet pet.  We are so grateful that Daddy made an extra stop to get her. 

Leaves are Falling

VIDEO:  Girls playing in the leaves!

We have a big willow tree in our backyard that gives off TONS of leaves each fall.

Notice SamBo in the background :)

As the evening progressed, the light was really fun to take pictures with - such a warm glow!

SamBo

I think a dog is a great thing for a child.

However...I also think I am personally not ready for a dog commitment right now...I am barely surviving each day with 3 little ones...I think adding a dog in the mix right now would completely knock me over the edge.  I can't have one more thing asking for my attention or rubbing up against my leg asking to be held :)

 Solution to these 2 conflicting thoughts:

Da Da Da Daaaa!

SamBo to the Rescue!

 SamBo is our neighbor's dog who roams the neighborhood.  He goes where the shade is in the summer (mostly our grass with the shade from the trees and swingset) and where the people are that will pet him.

 So we bought a bag of dog food and love it when he pops into our world for a visit and a treat.

 River made a bed for her SamBo out our back door.

Thank you SamBo! 

You make the girls and me very happy :)