Not Yelling Yet. That's Good! Oh, and Diabetic Hamsters....

Well, I made it through one day without yelling, nagging or pestering the kids. It required my attention at times, but I was able to do it.

It began, of course, at the beginning. I woke up at 5:10 and did my normal morning routine; coffee, granola bar, news...more coffee. At 6:20, the troops got up. As usual, my middle one took a BIT longer to wake up. (He sits and stares off into his cereal for a few minutes each morning. I like to think of it as a morning meditation on the meaning of life. Unfortunately, it usually makes him a bit late getting ready.) I told him, very calmly, that he needed to be ready by 7:00 or that he would not earn the use of his electronic devices for the day. I also let him know that I wasn't going to nag, remind, or prod him in any way. And I didn't! What is more, I didn't feel overly compelled to do so. Wow!

So, at 7:10, when he was still futzing around, I told him that he had done pretty well, but that I hoped tomorrow would be a bit faster because I know how much he likes his video games. His jaw dropped a bit, he looked at the clock, but there was no whining. No grumping. Whew! Personal responsibility. Gotta love it.

My youngest one is a bit easier. His issue right now is a small bit of whining. He is generally such a good natured kid that it isn't that big of a deal. A few small reminders today were all he needed to keep on track and it was easy to keep my cool. It isn't easy, however, not to laugh at him. He is SO funny. He knows it, too, which only makes it worse.

My oldest's issue is sassiness. To offset this, I have a chart up on the fridge with all of our names on it. When any of us is overly unpleasant, not much is said about it, but a check mark is added to the list. When the weekend comes, when she asks to do something, we will check the list and see if her behavior over the week warrants the privilege of her participation in whatever activity she has chosen. So far, things are going pretty well.

My thoughts are as follows: the kids know what they need to work on, as do we all, and it shouldn't have to be a struggle. They should do the right thing because they are good people and choose to do so. When that fails, they should do it because their parents expect them to and would be disappointed if they failed to live up to their potential.

Oh, did I mention positive praise? That is happening a lot, too. Big help.

Now, on to the diabetic hamster....In addition to my artistic endeavors, I have been busily researching diabetic hamster food. Let me 'splain...

My daughter had a hamster at her bio dad's that she has been dying to have live at our house. We thought the pet should stay with her dad, as we had a cat and her dad was the one who bought her the hamster, but her father was getting ready to move again and she was worried that something might happen to the hamster. It did. It got out (again) and was lost. My daughter was beside herself. Trying to be a comfort, I told her that if they found it, she would be welcome to bring it to our home. Famous last words?

Well, you can guess what happened. I noticed very quickly that all was not a rosy hamster paradise. The hamster was drinking and drinking and urinating like crazy. I checked for a bladder infection. Nope! It had DIABETES!

So over the past few days I have been researching the most balanced diets for diabetic hamsters. I have been hand blending food, looking for appropriate protein sources, and using keto-diastix to check his glucose levels in his urine. Luckily, the change in diet is usually what most hamsters need. No expensive vet bills....I feel like we dodged a bullet on that one! Whew!

I am hoping that tomorrow will be a good day for creation. I have a monster in mind, a fetal mermaid (I know, I know! Don't ask. I will probably post it by next weekend.) and some more pendants to make.

Thanks for popping by! Until next time, happy creating!

Theresa