Meet Angus

So, it's time to introduce the snakes. I'll start with the baby of the bunch, Angus Buchan. He is a Kenyan Sand Boa, native to ... Kenya! I named him after an evangelist in Africa, Angus Buchan, who is doing wonderful work there with orphans!
My Angus, is a male sand boa, who will grow to a whopping 15"-22" (15-22 inches) long. He will get chunky, but will be a relatively small snake.
Kenyan Sand Boas are non-venomous constrictors. Yes, they can bite, but any animal with a mouth can and will bite.
They are basically the equivalent of our grass and garden snakes. They live predominantly in dessert type areas, but can also live in grassy areas. Their heads are shaped differently - their snout is slanted slightly downward, somewhat like a spade, enabling him to dig into the loose ground. You can feel this difference when he crawls on your hand - he presses downward to try to hide in the sand. He can be frequently spotted under the sand with only part of his head exposed, laying in wait for prey.
His scales are also very different from other snakes. They are smaller,more circular, with a slight indentation. This helps him to burrow quickly in sand to hide from predators, or prey. His coloring is same as giraffes - a yellowish orange with dark brown-black spots and a cream colored belly. However, he lacks the "shiny" look of many snakes, due to his scales.
Currently, he is "in the blue" meaning he is turning a gray color and eyes will have a blue tint. He will shed within a week to 10 days, under his water bowl. Once he sheds, his skin will look much brighter!
Snakes shed frequently when growing, as their skin does not grow with them. Once they are adults, they shed when injured, if they grow, and just to rid themselves of old, skin.
Angus eats thawed frozen feeders, 2 pinkies per week. He is a predator and thinks he has to hunt for food. I feed him with feeding tongs, making his food "run around" so he can attack it. Once he attacks, he sometimes constricts around the food, as he would do in the wild.
He is our slowest eater and our smallest snake. He is a favorite of small children, as he is so small, himself. Also a favorite of those who fear snakes. He looks like a snake, but is smaller, not as scary! (he's actually quite adorable!)
Angus lives in a 10 gallon aquarium that has sand and ground walnut shells for substrate. His habitat also has a large boulder (with a hideaway), a toy giraffe and a toy 4 wheeler. It is decorated in what I see Africa as. (I had wanted a lion deco to sit on the edge of the boulder Lion King style, but haven't found one I like)

Our new project

David, Kevin, Kaitlyn, and Hailey all love animals. They have all been homeschooled from the start. They all learn through reading and hands-on activities. If you ask any of them what their favorite class is, they will say the field trips/hands-on activities. We can cover parts of speech at the zoo!

So, how does a single income family accomplish paying school taxes, purchasing a variety of curriculum, and field trips and outings? Well, it's not always easy. One way we wish to add more science classes and camps, is through a fundraiser.

Now, since we aren't typical homeschoolers, a typical fundraiser just would not do. And, it has to be something to learn from. When you stop learning, you stop living.
Our fundraiser is a class, AND.... well, sort of unconventional. We have purchased several corn snakes for breeding, selecting them by color, to sell hatchlings this summer.

This blog section will be devoted to some of the curriculum I'm writing up for them, pictures of the snakes (hopefully video of laying eggs or eggs hatching) and a record of the Corn Snake Project.

I can hear the "EWWWWW" crowd already. Here is some snake myths we have debunked so far. (wow, feel so X-files right now)

1. Snakes are misunderstood. They are not mean, horrible creatures waiting to attack you. Think about it, if something big comes at you, you will protect yourself. Well, that's all snakes do when they strike. They are protecting themselves. Except for the venomous ones, most are pretty docile, and learn to be handled with little effort.

2.Snakes are slimy. Snakes have scales, different types. Our corn snakes, found here in North America, have very smooth scales. Some vipers, such as the Gaboon Viper, appear velvety, but have almost prickly scales. Our Kenyan Sand Boa, has a rougher scale, allowing him to easily burrow in sand. If you see a very shiny snake, he has probably just shed. A snake "in the blue" will have blueish eyes and look rather dull and gray. This guy is about to shed. His vision is obscured, and he may strike as a defense, as he is partially blind and vulnerable.

3. Snakes are dangerous. Venomous snakes can be dangerous. Exotic snakes, growing to excessive lengths, can be dangerous. Your iron can be dangerous. You must carefully research ANY pet you are getting and plan for its growth. IF you cannot keep up with licenses, and provide a proper habitat, then yes, exotic snakes can be a dangerous pet for you. We have opted for smaller snakes that pose no dangers. Corn Snakes grow, in captivity, 3-5' in length. Our Kenyan Sand Boa may reach 15". (yep, that's right 15 inches!!) Remember, you car can be dangerous. Your kitchen knives can be dangerous. You must care for your possessions, including pets.

4. Snakes eat live animals and that is gross!
Ok, snakes eat mice, rats and other "varmits" in the wild. However, it is not recommended you feed captive snakes live mice. Mice, being the prey, will fight back, and can injure your snake. It is much easier to purchase frozen feeders (little bags of frozen mice or rats), thaw them and feed your snake using tongs. Our Corn Snakes are COLUBRIDS : any of a large cosmopolitan family (Colubridae) of chiefly nonvenomous snakes. They are constrictors, meaning constrict their food. Much to our joy, some of our snakes will even go through the motions of constricting the thawed feeders! Especially the Sand Boa!

5. Snakes carry salmonella. ALL reptiles and amphibians CAN carry salmonella. Usually, reptiles and amphibians in captivity will not carry salmonella, as long as their habitats are properly cleaned. Those in the wild are a bit more questionable. If you are going to handle any reptiles or amphibians, it is wise to wash your hands BEFORE and AFTER handling them. (Note: frogs breathe through their skin, take caution using any products and handling frogs - you may accidentally poison them.)

6. Snakes aren't good pets. Snakes are great pets, especially for someone wanting an easy pet. They are fed once a week max. (unless you have new hatchlings or are preparing to breed). You clean poo from their cage once a week. Check or change their water daily. If you have set up a decorated habitat, the rest of the time, you can just enjoy watching them.

We, me or the one of the kids, will update this page as our snake project continues. We will add pictures of the snakes, links to videos of snakes how we built our incubators and habitats. Once we have the hatchlings, we will include information on how to purchase one.

Taco Soup

Here is my version of taco soup.

1 lb ground beef
1 onion diced
1 cup salsa
1 can diced tomatoes & green chilies
1 clove minced garlic
1 pk taco seasoning (or mix your own and add)
1 pk ranch dressing mix
2 cans black beans, drained
2 cups frozen corn (or drained canned corn)
1 TBS beef bouillon
Water – as preferred
Pepper to taste
Grated cheddar cheese (garnish)
Tortilla chips (garnish)
Optionals: (you can sub another bean if you prefer)
Celery chopped (cook with onion & beef) green onion (topping)

Brown ground beef with onion, add garlic when beef is almost fully browned. Drain. In large pot, add beef mixture, and all ingredients. Add water to preference (I add less water, as we prefer less broth). Bring to boil and let simmer for about 30 minutes. Serve with chips and grated cheese.

Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup

4 lbs chicken (whole fryers, leg qtrs)
1 onion
2 cloves minced garlic
2 cans black beans
2 cups corn
Chicken bouillon
2 cups salsa
Salt to taste
½ tsp pepper
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
Tortilla chips
Shredded cheddar cheese

Boil and debone chicken, reserve broth. Skim fat from broth. Add bouillon and salsa. You may need to add more water. Drain beans and add all to pot except chips and cheese. Bring to boil, simmer 20 minutes.
Serve over broken tortilla chips – top with more broken chips and cheese.

Oatmeal Muffins

I've come up with my own version of a few recipes for oatmeal muffins.

1 cup old-fashioned oats, uncooked
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1/4 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon flavored extract
1 cup raisins, diced apples, blueberries, etc.

OVEN:400
Mix oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl well. Add buttermilk, egg, oil and extract into oats; stir just to moisten ingredients. Add fruit.
Use cup cake papers or spray muffin pan with nonstick spray. Fill muffin cups to almost full, as there is not much rising with this recipe.
Bake 20 – 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
Makes 12 muffins.

My easy meat loaf

Easy Meatloaf

2 lbs ground beef
1 family size can cream mushroom (or other flavor)
1 box instant stuffing mix
2 eggs
OVEN: 425
Mix beef, stuffing, eggs, and ½ soup well. Shape loaf and place into foil lined meat loaf pan. Bake 30 minutes. Remove from oven and top with remaining soup and bake another 25-30 minutes.

You can substitute 2 cups salsa – 1 in mix 1 for “gravy” for a different flavor.

Baked Chicken Spaghetti

This recipe made dinner for 6, with leftovers for another complete meal! (woo-hoo - a night off!!)

Spaghetti pasta (I measure by full handful - use 1 handfull)
1/2 lb bacon
small onion diced(I prefer yellow)
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cup salsa (can use rotel if you prefer spicy)
Family size can Cream Mushroom soup
1 cup milk
1 lb velveeta cut in cubes
3-4 lbs cooked chicken, deboned and pieced
Parmesan cheese (fresh grated, not canned)

Break spaghetti noodles and cook. Drain. In large saucepan, cook bacon and onion until onion translucent and bacon is done to your preference. Add flour mix well. Add salsa, soup and milk. When thick and creamy, add cheese cubes and stir until cheese melted. Add chicken and spaghetti. Mix well.
Pour into casserole dish, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.
I may add green onions next time I make this.

Remembering 9/11/01

I remember every detail of September 11, 2001. Like everyone else, I sat glued to a television screen, not believing that America could be attacked.
But we were attacked. Our Freedom was attacked. Our nation was attacked! Our belief in God was attacked!
As I sat watching the smoke, the towers, the people... I prayed to God! I heard of more attacks, the pentagon and Flight 93. I saw the towers collapse. I prayed to God. I was not alone.
Churches were flooded with people turning to God for answers. Bookstores were short of bibles as the people ran to buy them. Lives were changed because people turned to God.
People gave from their abundance, and from their lack, to help those in need. People gave their food. People gave their time to help. People gave their prayer. People gave blood. People gave unselfishly.
America, for the first time in decades, actually came together, as One Nation Under God. It was an awesome event to see. People united in their faith and goal.
And then we began to hear the word "tolerance". We must tolerate, because everyone has a right to live. (removed my comment here...)
When we began to "tolerate", we began to separate. We were no longer united. We tolerated until we have forgotten.
I remember the planes, flaming out of the sides of the towers. I remember ash-covered people, in shock, walking dazed from the buildings. I remember seeing people jump, in desperation. I remember hearing "Another attack - the pentagon!" I remember the frenzy of information as planes were sought, and hearing that there was still one more plane...
I remember, vividly, and with horrifying detail, how slowly each tower seemed to fall, before our eyes. I remember seeing this on live tv! Watching the mass death of an attack on American soil. No one played any commercials.
The world stopped a couple of days, as Americans united to help each other. People drove hundreds of miles to give someone water or a sandwich. Everyone prayed together. Strangers talked, hugged, cried together.
UNITED!!! ONE NATION UNDER GOD.
9/11/09 I tried to watch a memorial. News talked about a few victims, showed a scene of a service or two. Families read names at the sites, and tv flashed them quickly across the tv screen. No one wore a flag lapel pin. No one was united. We have tolerated until we have forgotten.
I will not forget. I remember.

Free curriculum - Bible

This is my 12th/13th year to homeschool. I began midyear, after being thoroughly disapointed and discouraged with our schools here. The teachers quit trying to teach my children, who were bored in their classes. (I'm assuming you know bored children do anything to be un-bored!!) So, after seeing the teachers quit teaching my oldest son, I talked to Jerry and we decided that I could do a better job.
I began with an inexpensive all in one curriculum workbook, since I was starting a bit after mid year. It was ok, wasn't too impressed with it. He did learn, it was just not very interesting.

The next year, I tried Alpha Omega. Then SOS, then Abeka.... By this time, I was homeschooling my daughter, as well, so I was buying for 2 grades. I wasn't pleased and the kids were bored! Care to add up how much money I threw away?
So, I began googling. There were a few resources for homeschooling for free, but you had to spend hours looking for them. What a difference a few years makes! Now, it takes hours to go through the results!

So, I've decided to share some of our favorite resources. Here are my tried and true Bible resources along with the ages I use them for. Some color pages, I will use all through high school, as they still like to show their artistic ability.

For Younger kids (Pre-kinder through about 1st grade)

http://akidsheart.com/bible/bible.htm This site has a quite a few bible stories with color pages and online activities, a memory verse section (some can get pretty long), and crafts for kids! Love the memory verses!
http://www.christiananswers.net/kids/clr-indx.html#bible has awesome color thru the bible sections. Great for all ages! If you look around the site, you will find resources for teens, adults, movie and game reviews, even the Dinosaur issue is discussed!

Lower Elementary (1st - 3rd grade)

http://www.gardenofpraise.com/bibleles.htm This site can be used for beginning readers - each lesson can be printed or your child can read along on the computer. There is a printable worksheet/test upon completion.
Also, if you look around, you will find a wonderful bible study for young ladies here.... great for mom's too!

Mid-Elementary thru Jr high

http://children.calvarychapel.com/site/curriculum.htm I use this for older kids. Detailed worksheets for going through the entire bible. Each lesson has about 7 pages - the last one being an ink hogging puzzle (I rarely print the last page) There are no answer keys I'm aware of.

Teens - mostly girls

http://gardenofpraise.com/godseg.htm is the newest one I've found. I have done some as well as giving them to my daughter. There is a link to another page with even more young women studies.

http://www.christianteenbiblestudy.com/ I liked the free one so much until I purchased the set. My daughter likes them more than any other study I've printed for her. This is the only one for sale, but we really liked it and it was so inexpensive.

Bible Tools
I have used a few online and tried a couple of download bible study programs, and I prefer Bible Explorer http://www.bible-explorer.com/ You can get over 200 free bibles and books with the free program. The bibles are reasonably priced. I like the multi window feature. AND, if you are reading a passage you wish to study further, you click on the passage, and the program displays all your resources on that topic, including commentaries, devotionals, art, maps, counseling, theology, etc... There is also a bible reading program that allows you to miss a few days and catch up, instead of always feeling overwhelmed when you have to take a few days off.

Tips For Older Kids

As my kids get older (or got older) they wanted to learn new things. You can purchase wood plaques at hobby stores, tracing paper and a wood burner tool for under $20.00.
Have your child trace the bible color page onto the plaque and trace using woodburning. If you use oil pastels, they can color areas. Then cover with a bit of a glaze. A little creativity and you can make clocks (clock kits sold), jewelry boxes, wall hangings, name plaques, etc....

You can also find a free cross stitch or embroidery program (or just trace). Trace the color page onto cloth and you can do a cross stitch or other embroidery. Plastic canvas works well, too.

Younger kids can trace a color page onto a blank tote bag, backpack, tshirt, apron, etc... and color or paint using fabric crayons, markers or paints.
Want to expand? How about beading? Buy alpha beads and let the kids make bracelets, bookmarks, etc, with their fav verse! Spell the book and verse, maybe add a few colorful beads or charms...

An older child could spell an entire verse with beads on wire and wrap a votive or other candle. (place on a candle holder, add a few glass rocks and you have a beautiful gift for a few bucks!!)

These are not all my resources or ideas for teaching bible, but they are my favorites and the ones most used. I find and try others, but keep coming back to KidsHeart, Garden of Praise, Calvary Chapel. Enjoy.

We have a groom...

No, not the wedding kind. Pixie was groomed. No trimming, but she got everything else.
It took us months to get her comfortable enough with the groomers to let them take her away from me for a few minutes for her bath. Elsie and Jennifer have been absolutely awesome in working with her!

Every week, I took her to Petco to visit the groomer. They would spend a few minutes getting Pixie familiar with what would happen during a groom.
Well, on Monday, August 3rd, Pixie received her first Strawberry Lemonade Spa treatment with a Blueberry Facial.
She did well until about halfway through, and I had to go help them hold her. She was then able to continue the grooming.

So, after about 30 minutes, Pixie had been fully groomed in her spa day, she received a strawberry lemonade collar charm and smelled wonderful for about 6 hours! At that point, the dog in her took over and rolled in the grass to get the "pretty" smell off. Not to worry - this mom bought puppy safe scented conditioning spray... LOL

As you can see, the final results. She was a bit antsy when they tried to clean her tear staing, so I cleaned them at home. However, she is fully conditioned, moisturized, pampered, and "charm"ing... Notice her charm - almost as big as she is! The bows lasted a couple of hours but matched her charms and a t-shirt I bought her! This is one pampered pooch!

Rescuing dogs

I've now had Pixie, my rescue chihuahua, for about 2 months. The changes in her are remarkable!
She had a floppy ear and was very insecure! She barked and whined anytime someone left the room. She had to be constantly by or on me.
Now, she is much more secure with her new home. She sits with me in the mornings, during prayer and bible time. As the kids begin to get up, she will slowly decide which child to spend time with, and sit with that child. Around noon, when hubby gets up, she sits with him a while. Evenings, she sits with someone or by herself! More and more often, she will lay on the floor, a pillow, or sofa, by herself for a nap. sShe does not feel the need to be on top of someone to be secure.
She will go into her crate when we leave and only bark a couple of minutes before quieting down to play and rest. When we return, she does not go into a barking frenzy, but waits until we open the door. She then jumps from person to person to greet them.
Her floppy ear is now standing straight out - Yoda style, just like a chi is supposed to do! She is getting a bit more fur, and it's much softer. She has gained over 3 lbs, and is borderline chunky. We call it "fluffy", as the humidity here makes for bad hair days for all... LOL! (yeah, vet didn't buy it either!)
We began with Science Diet and switched to cooking for her very quickly. She does not like her veggies, unless they are little frozen bits. But dogs are carnivores, so veggies aren't a necessity. If the dog feels the need for greens, they instinctively know which grass to chew on and how much.
Now that I see all the changes in her, I wish I had blogged and photographed each step!
I do have 2 short videos of her... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VerEM16prg0 is her "princess dance" and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqy3ZJk is my grandson laughing at her playing! (adorable baby laughs here)
I have decided that I will rescue another dog, but a bit later. Pixie has a lot to teach me about rescue dogs. And like Pixie, when the dog and the time are right, it will just happen.

Coffee Cookies

1/2 cup cooking oil
4 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder
2 TBS instant coffee crystals
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup powdered sugar

Mix oil, cocoa, coffee crystals, and granulated sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well between. Add vanilla, flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well and refrigerate several hours.
Heat Oven to 350. roll tsp size ball into powdered sugar and place on greased baking sheet. Bake 9-12 minutes.

A man's dinner (or how to bribe your husband)

This dinner is a husband pleaser. It does not contain items from the government food pyramid, rather from the real man's triangle.

Thick pork chops - NOT boneless. (real men pick them up and eat them!)
Potatoes
Ranch style beans
Ice cream
Double stuff oreos
Chocolate syrup
Air freshener (lysol or stronger)

How you cook the pork chops depends on him... to just make him smile, you can broil them. To make him do backflips, fry them!

Mash up potatoes - the way HE likes them. That means a little salty...

Ranch style beans

Serve with his favorite beverage. For extra brownie points, serve on a TV tray with his favorite movie or sport on! And if you really want him to smile, let him wipe his hands on his shirt or the sofa...

When he's so stuffed he can't move, fill a big bowl with ice cream and top with oreos. Liberally drizzle chocolate sauce. Remove his dinner plate and place ice cream on his tv tray.

Do not expect him to do dishes this night - he's as stuffed as a tick and can't move.

Once you join him in the living room, expect "manly noises" to begin. Have your lysol ready, or invest in a timed automatic sprayer. Set for most frequent sprays on man dinner night.

Dog teaching God...

Since I've adopted Pixie, I've seen a variety of lessons God is trying to teach me in her!
First, I have promised to pray regularly, but always get tired, something comes up, don't feel like it, etc... Well, we adopted our dog and dog's don't know excuses. They know routine. If you wake up every morning and take them outside, then to your prayer closet, they learn that after waking up, the prayer closet is the place to go.
So, when I have a lazy day and try to sleep in, she whines until I get up. When I have a lazy day and try to sit and watch tv instead, she whines at the door of the classroom until I sit in the chair where she gets on my lap.
Since none of my friends are up at 5:00 am to chat, there is no excuse once I get to my desk. A little, abandoned dog has taught me a lesson on commitment. On being faithful.
Second is unconditional love. I am the one who rescued the dog, I cook for her, I train her and she is mine. But, let my granddaughter hold her cookie too low, and Pixie loves her for being short and "offering" a treat. Rub her belly and she loves you. It's not what you have done repeatedly for her, you just walk in my house and she is ready to love you. It's really that easy!
Third is how to rest in God. My husband is a doom and gloom kind of person, searching the net for all the doomsday info. It gets rather scary for the kids to hear it, and depressing to hear all the horror going on. I was getting very stressed over it, until I began to watch my dog. She has her "people" for times. Every morning, she lays on my lap, and just rests. No cares, no worries, just rest. Every afternoon, she rests on hubby's lap or by his leg. Every evening, it's the kids, taking turns to share the love with all of them. She doesn't worry about food, money, or chasing cats (ok, sometimes she will stop and chase a cat). But resting in God is that easy. You just DO IT.
So, I guess Preacher Pixie was supposed to be my dog from the start. She kept running away from people to get to me, because I've been praying for help to be faithful in my prayer life, to learn to love unconditionally, and to rest in God and not worry.
Now, should I tell my pastor that my pooch is preaching and reaching me better than he is at the moment?? LOL!!

Two year olds are awesome!!!

After years of avoiding working in the 2 year old room at our old church, I signed up to coordinate the toddler room. The kids have begun to have small group lessons in a separate room, to avoid distractions of too many kids or toys.
This has the little guys actually listening to and learning the lesson! Last Sunday, I had my first 2 yr old say our memory verse... well, a shortened version supplied by the curriculum we use. I gave him a hi-5 and he kept saying it. He actually shouted it when he changed rooms!!
We then had a situation with a toddler and his brother getting sick. The little guy was concerned so I asked if he wanted to pray. He said yes and took my hands. Well, all the kids saw us praying and began to grab hands. Before I could finish a prayer condensed and simplified for 2 yr olds to repeat, almost every child in the class was in the circle trying to pray.
Since, other kids have begun to say our memory verse. When a child falls (which always happens in groups of kids) we pray "Ouchie go away in Jesus name". I start and several of the kids will come up and say their version while laying their hands on the fallen child.
Seeing these little guys and their innocent faith is so awesome! I have been truly blessed to be allowed to work with them.

Pixie progress

Well, I've been a responsible pet owner. I had Pixie spayed two weeks ago. When the vet saw her, she told my daughter that I'm the 5th owner of this little dog, who they guess is about 13 months old. Seems there was a shelter a return, shelter return, an adoption and abandoned, adopted and abandoned then me... all in 1 short year.
I could understand if this were a ferocious pit bull attacking and mauling everything that breathes... but this sweet little dog mainly licks!
She is doing wonderful in her obedience training. She can Sit, Lay Down, Come, and Go In her House (crate). She can do these all with treats, sometimes without treats.
She is learning Turn Around, but this is tricky. If done in a certain way, she cowers down, as if I'm going to hit her. It's mainly turning clockwise, where I move my hand from her head around to her back right leg (which has a sometimes limp - it's not every step)
We are also working on Shake, but she has issues with touching her paws - unless in the bathroom. This will take some time to overcome, but the kids really want a dog to shake.
She has gained 1 1/2 pounds and is a bit over 6#. She is maybe a half pound overweight. We are working on fat to muscle and cut most carbs in her diet. Her treats are oven dried liver or chicken breast, lower in fat and calories, so she can train and have more than store bought treats! I prefer (so does she) the chicken ones. She has transitioned fully to home-made food (and treats) except for a sushi chew from petco.
Petco is still working with her on getting her to allow grooming. I know dogs would never get their nails done and bows in the wild, but Pixie isn't in the wild and I want a fully groomed dog for our Thanksgiving trip and Christmas. She really does not have enough fur to put a bow on her head, so we are considering a gel colored mohawk for special events.
She now leaves my lap. Except in the mornings. Every morning, we get up at 5:15 for my prayer time. I can't hit snooze or skip prayer, as she will fuss at me. This keeps me praying daily, without fail, no matter how tired I am. (she should get a click and treat for this)
She stay on my lap during prayer and bible study time. The moment my granddaughter walks in the door, Pixie is up and full of energy. Days I don't have grandkids. she sleeps on my lap until I make breakfast.
She takes morning walks with different family members. I make everyone take turns so she will walk with everyone. We are not allowing afternoon or evening walks due to heatwave. However, she loves to play Hide And Seek with the kids. After about 5 minutes, it turns into full blown chasing games. Then she wants to run after and "kill" her loofah dog toy. When she is ready to chase the toy for the kill again, she drops it in front of us. But she won't fetch yet, unless on leash and guided back the first time.
All in all, she has made wonderful progress. I am concerned about the history of abuse and how to correctly handle this. But I'm finding loads of information on several sites. Two that I use faithfully are


Both offer articles on positive correction/training of dogs. Pet Expertise has a neat free training book to download. It's different in that it has a progress chart and each action in various situations.

concerned about dog food

I adopted Pixie from a vet, and assumed (oh, bad, bad, thing to do) that the food the vet put her on was the best for her. After all, a vet is there to take care of our animals.
Well, 5 weeks into owning Pixie, I asked around about possibly controlling some of her anxiety through diet. That is when my eyes were opened to the horrifying world of pet food. The more I research, the more I'm disgusted. Soylent Green...
I have discovered that the leading brands, the brands I have come to trust over the years, put horrible stuff in pet food. Dogs can't digest corn, and many use corn as a main ingredient.
So, along with reading my kids food labels, I'm now reading dog food labels. But, it's coming more and more possible that I will cook for my dog. Except for a few supplements, everything dogs need, I serve my family. Normally, cooking for dogs is expensive - but Pixie is tiny. She finally hit the over 5# mark!
I'm still researching, and watching her.
This week, she is eating ground chuck. The little rascal actually pulls green beans out, but dogs don't really need veggies, and there are better ones for her. I add a little oatmeal to is, fish oil,and mix with a bit of her kibble, to convert her over. She hasn't liked chicken so far.
Since I can't repost the study info, I can tell these things.
Dog food should have specific meats as the first few ingredients - beef, chicken, pork. Not by products. Fats and meal should specify which fat and meal - not just animal fat. Check chemicals - some that have been banned from human food is in our dog food. These additives are known carcinogens and are not regulated by any animal agency.
All the information I've read is based on findings by the US gov and veterinary groups. BUT - I take studies with a grain of salt. You can find studies showing coffee is good and bad for you.
Pixie, will be enjoying healthier foods cooked by me, and I will supplement her with a natural dog food.

Pixie learns to play

Pixie was a rescue dog, so we don't know about her past. When we got her, she didn't know how to play. She didn't like any toys.
It has been 4 weeks, and through patience, trial and error, and assistnace from Petco in Pasadena, she has found a couple of toys she likes (she prefers stuffed, soft toys).
She likes a Cesar Milan Squirrel that is almost at big as she is. She attacks the squirrel on a regular basis.
After 1 weekend of tossing and tugging, she now plays a fetch type game with her stuffed butterfly.
On occasion, she will chase a small tennis ball, but quickly looses interest, preferring her stuffed animals.
She does like her puppy kong filled with treats when we leave. And she likes the Petco "sushi roll" chews. Either of these will keep her playing and chewing quietly.

Walk by Faith, not by Sight...

I have heard this at church and from every preacher, pastor and evangelist alive. It seems to be the heart-cry of many during this time. Like everyone else, I keep trying. Like everyone else, I mess up.
But God is so good, He meets me on my level, and teaches me His way.
Walk by Faith, not by Sight... Ok.
So, my gas gauge is now broken - sort of. It works sometimes. I never know when it is working. I fill up and the next day, the need gas light comes on. Common sense tells me to check the gas, go and top off, if necessary... the light is on and it's there for a reason.
But faith tells me how big my gas tank is, how many miles I've driven and computes these numbers. I can confidently drive from my house to Katy, Texas, an hour away with the gas light on. I was a bit concerned when starting out, but I went over the calculations, and decided to trust them. I made it to Katy.
So, this is how it works... I don't look at the gas light in my car.
Why is this so difficult for outside the car?? It's not. I'm not looking at the gas light. The gas light is not reporting good information to me. I'm getting it...
The Fuel is the Word of God. If I fill up, I'll be fine. However, I need to keep fuel, or I'll be in trouble.
the gas tank is me. The gas light is my situations... bank account, car repairs, rising costs...
So, I fuel up at Godco, and stay full. I know that He meets my needs and I should not worry. This is my calculations.
Object lessons... what I use to teach my kids, God has now turned and is teaching me.

Puppy training

I have several sources of assistance for training Pixie. One is a personal trainer, who graciously donated her time and training program to help us with our Pixie. (Thank you Annie!!)
The second is a really cool free training guide located here You must have a PDF reader.
I was using the Pet Expertise guide first, and love the checklists! The checklists are written so I can sit with my kids and tell them the goal, and they get it.
She has learned her name, to Sit, and we're working on Come. She is very smart, and if she thinks she should get a treat for performing the task, she will not do as asked until she gets the treat. Once we get a few treats, she does as asked.
There was some sort of abuse... when we are feeding her treats, she shys away, making it difficult to offer more than verbal praise with the treat.
Most "accidents" are actually our fault... she has separation anxiety and barks when I leave the room. We tend to ignore the barking, and some of it is a let me out bark.
I tried the Cesar Milan way, and really liked that he thinks we all need balance in our lives, including our spirituality... but he wants to correct people, not pets. I have Jesus to correct me, so I stopped reading Cesar's book and used that time to read more Bible.
Pixie is also having to be taught to play with others, being abandoned. And we are trying to socialize her with other dogs, as she has a bit of aggression.
Post more updates later.