My office Halloween party was a success. Sophie had a great time, as did Linda & I. Can you say C A N D Y????!! <sigh>
We went right from the office to Services, where Sophie was a SO friendly to everyone, it was hard to recognize her! Everyone commented on how nice and talkative she was. As happy as I am that she is improving in this area, it's frustrating that something that should be natural, is so much work for her. <sigh>
Both Rabbi's were at a conference this weekend, so a friend of ours led the Service with the Cantor. It was really nice. She even did a sermon about the story of Noah and celebrating all God's creatures and diversity. I was very impressed. She looked like a natural up there!
When we arrived home, we were sad to discover that Cappy, the hamster, has passed away during the day sometime. We found her 'sleeping' atop her bedding at the bottom of the cage. Sophie was visibly moved and saddened by this, but was intent on touching her and holding her (through a make-shift 'baggy' glove). We put her in a padded with tissues, tissue box for the night and asked my parents if we could bury her the next morning in their yard. Not too pleased, they agreed.
The morning arrived with very overcast skies, rain and clouds. And a FIERCE wind. The temps were in the upper 50's, though. Here's what the water around my parent's house looked like:
Yeah, that's Long Island sound! Hang-10 anyone?!
The rain stopped long enough for the 3 of us to dig a nice hole and have a farewell ceremony for Cappy.
Then off to the pet store to get a new hamster. (I told my Mom that we'll just plan on having one of these ceremonies every two years - a hamster's life expectancy - and their yard will become the ancient hamster burial ground!)
Here is the new addition - "Boo": (she's a little shy, but we managed this pic!)
Linda will be writing about Cappy on her blog later today if you want to check it out.
We brought Boo home and after getting her settled in her new home, left to do some errands. When we returned, she was in the vertical tube that goes the whole height of the cage and we thought she might be stuck. (She's a little 'plumper' than Cappy was!) We watched her for 10 minutes and she didn't move. We ended up having to turn the cage sideways to encourage her to walk out of the tube, which she finally did. (We didn't realize just how smart Cappy must have been, as she didn't ever have any troubles with the tubes!)
Boo also doesn't have the natural instinct to 'burrow' under the bedding to create a bed, as we continue to find her sleeping out in the open - on her bedding or even up on the 'viewing' area (where the pic above was snapped). But I guess, as with people, even hamsters come in a variety of flavors and personalities. Guess we'll just have to get to know Boo as she is!
We managed to utilize our new "Shabbat" rule of no Internet access successfully. It was strange to feel a bit cut-off from the world for 24 hours, but we managed to keep ourselves otherwise occupied. Though it's not like we didn't have the newspapers, TV & radio, but it's amazing to realize just how much we depend on that Internet connection.
We were taken out to a great dinner at Red Lobster by my parents Saturday night in honor of Linda's new job (which she starts on Wednesday) - great food and company! Thanks, Mom & Dad!
We then went out with another couple to a gay dance up in the Hartford area (where we pretended to be the young party-goers of our youth!) and didn't get home until 3:30, which was only 2:30, since the clocks changed... still late, no matter how you look at it. We knew the DJ and helped them pack up at the end of the night and it was an hour drive home, etc... We were T I R E D!
Last night, I had promised to pick up Sophie this morning to bring her over to see Boo before Sunday school <groan>, so I was up and out by 8:15... (wow it was bright and sunny out at that hour!)
The hamster seemed to sense/smell Sophie when she went over to the cage. She came out to the landing area on the top of the cage and let Sophie pet her. She sat up on her back legs and just looked at her - very sweet.
Today, I spoke with my sister-in-law in Israel and caught up on their lives a bit, which was great. I've missed talking to her! I even got to say hello and have a Little conversation with my nephew Yonah (aged 2 1/2!) - SO great to hear his little voice and hear an "I love you" from so many miles away! He sounded very cute.
I've posted some a new album of pics from the weekend - check it out!
This afternoon includes doing some work, some more errands and then we're going to a Sisterhood sponsored event at the Temple at 5. A pot-luck dinner and to watch the Al Gore movie "An Inconvenient Truth". Then home to watch the Sunday line-up - "Desperate Housewives" and "Sons & Daughters".
Sophie looks beautiful. Happy Halloween!
Posted by: Tina-cious | 10/30/2006 at 06:50
You too, T! ;)
Posted by: val | 10/30/2006 at 07:45
What a beauty your little Sophie is, how blessed you are hun :-)
Im soooo sorry about Cappy, really. I had a hamster when I was younger, her name was Treasure, she was tiny, a russian hamster. She lived for over 3 years (I know, its pretty unheard of) and one day I came home and my poor baby had gone to sleep in the clouds, I cried and cried, even to this day, she brings a tear to my eye when I think about her.
Ma burried her in our garden and make a mini headstone using lollypop sticks :-)
Im glad you got Sophie a new baby. May she always be happy :-)
Kisses chick XxXxX
Posted by: The Mad Hatter | 10/30/2006 at 08:08
Great entry for a full life!!
It's a killer when you stay up AND OUT till 03:30am now, eh? How in the world did we do it all those years in the past? And we got up & did it again the next night too.
Good times.
Posted by: KMAE | 10/30/2006 at 09:43
Hamster variety-fantastic, especially that Sophie gets to experience the lesson.
The pics look fantastic-wide open spaces-love them.
Sophie looks very sweet.
In spite of the late night (yikes) sounds like a fabulous weekend.
Posted by: Deborah | 10/30/2006 at 17:05
Have you read the book "Leo, the Late Bloomer"? It is a sweet children's book about a little tiger named Leo who develops in his own time. My eldest offspring is one of those people who does things when he is ready and ONLY then. It took us a while to figure out that he had not read any of the child development books WE had read, so we just put them all away and decided to see what happened if we 'winged' it. There were some hits and misses, but ultimately he acquired a lot of skills we thought would never happen. We discovered modeling was the way he learned - he modeled our behavior, and eventually integrated it into his own version. We could talk to him until we were blue in the face, but in the end it did not make him develop faster. We found that by making sure we modeled appropriately in his presence, and introduced him but left it at that, he eventually developed manners you and I would consider appropriate. Now, he is only 8 and this took a while and he has a while to go in other areas, and my 6 year old -OY! I don't know what kind of a learner Sophie is, but I know you and Linda set a great example; she will follow it!
So sorry about Cappy. It is hard for a child to lose a pet.
Wow - changing your shabbat habits takes guts; good for you guys.
Posted by: Ezer Knegdo | 10/31/2006 at 08:32
Oh yeah, I forgot, you guys are brave to stay out that late - how do you function? I hope you had fun!!!
Posted by: Ezer Knegdo | 10/31/2006 at 08:34
ah yes... pets die.
we actually have a back yard full of them. kinda like our own pet cemetary.
Posted by: weese | 10/31/2006 at 12:50
oy i loved those pictures...when my oldest was about five i bought him an aquarium and fish...don't ask...then i heard him telling his friend from down the hall...'i know what happens when you die'...the kid said 'you do???' and my kid answered...'yup you get flushed down the toilet!' stay safe my friend and you gals are sure something staying up till forty o'clock...woohoo
Posted by: marallyn | 10/31/2006 at 18:05
MH... thanks for the sympathies. Sophie likes the new one just fine! :)
Kmae... you have no idea - between the late hour AND the time change, the next day was somewhat of a blur!
Deborah... it was a great weekend, thanks!
EK.. I'm beginning to realize that Sophie is going to be the way she wants to be despite and INspite of me! Manners will be learned, but you're right - modeling behaviors are what kids will follow. I'll keep you posted and my fingers crossed!
Weese... hmmm - perhaps we should have wandered north for our 'ceremony'!
Marallyn... kids are VERY literal! We paid (and are still paying) for that late night, but we did have a good time! Thanks for stopping by.
Posted by: val | 10/31/2006 at 21:12