Lenny.... Tuck.... and Ming Ming Too....

...... we're Wonder Pets and we'll help you!!!

Any parent with a preschooler (or toddler) can appreciate the catchy tune of the hip Wonder Pets. Ming Ming has always been my favorite. But let me explain.

As a teenager, I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to hatch my very own duck in biology class. We incubated them, candled them about once a week and watched them grow from a clump of cells into a baby duck. And after about 4 weeks, the classroom was filled with the little cheep-cheep noises from our little babies. We were all proud parents, and once the brooder stage was over, we were able to take them home with us.

I ADORED my little duck! His name was Jeremy (and 'he' actually grew up to be a 'she', so the name was a little ill-fitted....). I had managed to imprint myself as the ducklings mother, so I had a little shadow following me around the house for several weeks. When she was a few months old, the weather was nice and warm and we spent a lot of time outside. My favorite memory with this duck was lying on the hammock, swaying gently in the summer breeze, with Jeremy cuddled up on my tummy. With her beak under her wing, she would nap with me as long as I would stay on the hammock.

My dad, however, was not so fond of my new friend and insisted we find a new home for her. I was heartbroken to see her go, but she ended up with a few of the other ducks we had hatched in class and they had a nice big pond all to themselves. I like to think she lived a long, happy life.... but at the same time felt like I missed out on a good opportunity.

Now that I am an adult, and have my own house.... my daughter and I decided a couple of months ago that our new house needed something special. You guessed it. Ducks. It wasn't just about having the ducks. I wanted her to get the whole experience of incubating and watching them hatch into the big world. So we got ourselves an incubator and 8 Cayuga duck eggs. We put them into the incubator about five weeks ago. We candled them once a week so she could see how the baby duck was growing inside the egg. 28 days came and went. And then 29 days. And then 30 days. It was becoming apparent to me that we might have a problem. But then one little baby, in all his glory, opened his shell enough to stick out his tiny beak and take his first breath.

'Ming Ming' began hatching the day before yesterday. He came completely out of his shell the following day. And last night he learned how to walk, eat and drink water. This morning he was walking confidently and cheeping to get all the attention. He recognizes my voice and responds when I talk to him. It has been an exciting few days in the Smith house! He is a welcome addition to our ever-growing family. Say hello to Ming Ming!

Insta-Family

Well, we are pretty well settled into the new house in Sequim. If you can call living out of boxes settled, then I would say we are 'home'. The new house is AMAZING. We have been taking advantage of the big yard and country life, and have lots of things planned for the summer.
Moving to Sequim was a great move for my little family unit. The daycare is great and close to the house. Both the kids seem to be adjusting and making new friends. The commute to work has been cut drastically. The house and yard are everything we could have hoped for.

The only downfall of moving to Sequim is that I did have to move away from our friends and our family. Yeah, yeah, Sequim isn't THAT far from Port Angeles. It isn't like it is another planet or anything. But visiting is just a bit more inconvenient, and the random drop-in visits I grew to love have obviously come to a screeching halt.

The first time I had the house to myself, I wasn't sure what to do with myself. Alden was with his dad. Elizabeth was in Seattle. I worked late the first night I had the house to myself. And even as quitting time drew nearer, I was trying to find ways to distract myself from the fact I was going home to an empty house. I decided to wander downstairs to have a drink before heading home.... and quickly realized that hanging out at a casino alone just isn't the thing I was looking for. So I headed home. To the empty house. I walked in the door, and even with the boxes surrounding me wasn't sure what to do with myself. So, what do I do to pass the time? Most of you know about my Craigs List addiction... haha!

I found a companion for myself via Craigs List that very night. A little terrier by the name of Han Solo. I was excited to drive down to Silverdale the next morning to pick him up. He was a little shy at first, but he came home with me and has settled into being spoiled rotten quite nicely.

Before taking him home, we made a stop at Petsmart to pick up all the necessities for him to be comfortable and happy. And wouldn't you know it? The CCHS was there with a bucketload of animals, all in need of homes. Alden and I browsed over them, not really with the intention of taking one home. But there he was. Little Jedi. He was a grey and white fuzzball with one blue eye, one green. I had to have him! He was there with his brother, Luke. And you know me, can't leave a man behind. : ) So Jedi and Luke came home with us as well. And they have already taken over the run of the house.

I think most of the people that read my blogs know about the TERRIBLE luck we seem to have with pets. But it has been a couple of weeks now, and everyone is happy, healthy and present. *whew* Hoping we will stay together as a family unit for a long time to come.