Finding Ninee » Sharing our parenting and special needs stories with heart and humor.

New Pet Guinea Pig aka I Am A Weak Woman

Recently, we said our final goodbyes to Lightning the Hamster. As we wrapped his too-still, too-light body in tissue and ziplock bags, I remembered my own childhood and how I once loved a pet rat named Pip Squeak.

Today, Lightning waits in the freezer for warmer ground and a proper background pet funeral with a special tombstone drawn by my six-year-old son. That he’s in the freezer creeps me out less than it did over the first few days.

“Hey Buddy,” my little boy whispered to the box. “I hope you’re okay and not cold.” Hearing that was disturbing and sad. Then again, all death is disturbing and sad I guess. Even when it’s because of a pet rodent. Plus, the thought of digging a hole in the mud between lingering patches of snow? I’d rather wait, even though waiting means less freezer space than usual and the occasional heebie-jeebie.

I cleaned Lightning’s cage, sealed his food, and put it all in the laundry room, also known as The Room Where Shit We Don’t Know What to Do With Dies, thinking that maybe we’d check out pet rats, or another hamster in a month or two.

And now, for the story on our

New Pet Guinea Pig AKA I Am A Weak Woman

Two weeks later, we were at Party City, buying Valentine’s cards and candy for my son’s first grade classmates. As we walked out, he looked at the neighboring Petco and said “I know you’re allergic, but can we just go look at the cats? Very please?”

“Okay,” I said. “But only for a minute.”

They were cleaning the cat’s area and because I am a weak, weak woman, we ended up wandering over to the small animals section. We saw the hamsters, a few rats, some mice and ended up staring at a guinea pig in the back aquarium.

“You know we’re not buying a new pet today, right?” I said.

“I know,” he said. “Let’s go look at the fish.”

We wandered around a little bit, saw the fish (me, relieved that we’re no longer dealing with them at home because I’m pretty sure that pet fish eat their friends), and that’s when it happened.

This look:

When your son begs for a pet guinea pig, you realize you

“Crap,” I said, but not out loud because we were at Petco and I was with my six-year-old who never swears calls me on swearing when it accidentally happens.

Soon, he was triumphant, wheeling the cart to the front of the store:

I asked for a pet guinea pig and I won. Mom, you

Just look at his grin. It says “I win! And you are weak!”

So now, while poor RIP Lightning’s lifeless little body rests peacefully in the freezer waiting for a proper burial, a baby guinea pig named Strike has warmed our hearts and eats our food (seriously the amount of food that a baby guinea pig eats compared to a grown hamster is staggering but that’s another story for another day).

Guinea Pig Love - the loving of an unexpected rodent findingninee.com

I guess what I’m saying is that I’m thankful for pet rodents, and of our ability to unexpectedly love unexpectedly. To love a rodent.

Also for having survived more snow days. For sledding and snow-smiles from this boy. My boy. The one who lights my heart and made the snow fun.

having fun in the snow - findingninee.comAlso, Lizzi was here again, and we got amazing massages (thank you, Lori!), had lunch with Dana, drinks with Denise, and helped Sarah to ring in 40 in the very best of ways.

Girl bloggie fun findingninee.com

This has been a Ten Things of Thankful post because I’m thankful. For rodents. And the rest of it. For you, too.

EEEP I almost forgot! My son is ROCKING his special needs IEP. Like, totally.

IEP Progress from Finding Ninee

Ten Things of Thankful

Join the Ten Things of Thankful Facebook Group


by Kristi Campbell

email a friend

  • Lisa @ The Meaning of Me - Look at that boy rocking his IEP! Major win! Happy dancing for you here. 🙂
    Lightning and Strike? Hey buddy I hope you’re OK and not cold? Oh. My. Heart. He is too too cute. And yeah, I’d have caved and brought home a new pet, too, because that unexpected love? And that desire to make all things right for these kids of ours? Yeah. We have three cats already and when Zilla fell in love with one during our volunteer stint at the animal shelter over the summer? I seriously considered the logistics of bringing that little cat home. We didn’t, of course, mostly because four cats is kind of insane and our high-maintenance Rottens would never have stood for it. Still, I wonder if she was adopted…is she OK? Do people love her? *sigh* I need a bigger house for all the hypothetical cats we love.February 21, 2016 – 11:22 pmReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - I know right?? He’s SO rocking it. Of course, he’s also so not but that’s okay… My heart too with the whole not cold thing. He has experience with death with his Granny (my husband’s mom) who had an open casket. He whispered “shhh” then too when he was two. And then one of the church ladies got annoyed with him for running in church. He was two.
      And he was him. Running laps is what he does.
      We would SO HAVE CATS if I could breathe around them. Stupid mean allergies. I can’t even breathe around them for real. It’s not just itchy eyes and stuff. I mean I have like cat-induced-asthma. Which so sucks. 🙁 I need a bigger house anyway 🙂February 22, 2016 – 11:10 pmReplyCancel

  • Margaretha (Equine Guided MD) - We lost one of our horses to colic in 2014 and like you, I promptly went and got another. A pet’s death is difficult (our Beau was a pasture pet) to cope with, but rescuing another fills the gap. Some of the gap, anyway.February 21, 2016 – 11:55 pmReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - Oh wow, losing a horse. That feels so much harder. I have loved horses forever and went to horse camp and was even offered a job herding in MT riding but life never made it convenient. But wow. A horse. Why is it that that feels so much bigger? Bigger brains? Better bonding? Anyway, thank you.February 22, 2016 – 11:12 pmReplyCancel

  • Kerry - The concept of death, pet or human, it is a hard one, not just for children. It’s hard to wrap the head around, no matter how old. Sweet that he thought his deceased pet would be cold. I recently was thinking about my guide dog, buried in the yard. It’s easier not to let the mind wander to that place.
    Caving is alright, when it comes to allowing your child to love something again, as dearly as most kids love and will always remember their pets.
    Glad your son is doing well in school. I remember, when I was old enough to attend my own IEP meetings, but that was more when I was entering high school. It can be hard to be signgled out as different, but hopefully there are those school officials who are supportive. You sound like you give him all the help you can.
    Glad you and Lizzi and the other ladies had such a wonderful time.February 22, 2016 – 1:20 amReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - It so is hard, Kerry, and thanks for saying so. I can think of the pets in my childhood home, that somebody else now owns.. sigh. Thanks for the caving justification and the remembering.
      So far, IEP is mostly okay but we’ll see as I hear and know it gets harder the older the kids get. Glad you went to your own though.February 22, 2016 – 11:14 pmReplyCancel

  • Tamara - You are better than I am! I could never. I told my kids the only real pet we could have was a dog. I guess I amended that to dogs and cats.
    So we’ll see if I amend again!February 22, 2016 – 9:55 amReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - Ugh I wish we could have the cat. And I think I’m ready for a dog again.February 22, 2016 – 11:16 pmReplyCancel

  • Emily - I am a weak mama too, especially when it comes to animals! And, T’s “I won” face is priceless…And even though I’m barely a blogger these days, I am simultaneously happy and envious that you are seeing all these fellow bloggers in real life. I suppose if I was more active in that world, I’d be hanging with all of you at BlogHer and such things. Well, I’m glad I can at least catch glimpses of what it would be like. 🙂February 22, 2016 – 10:31 amReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - LOL I know his “I WON” looks like total 6yo manipulation and victory right? And yet I think it’s adorable which is further proof that I am WEAK. I know I will meet you in person. It’s going to happen. It has to.February 22, 2016 – 11:18 pmReplyCancel

  • christine - For the love of all that is holy!! How? HOW do I now know two people with dead rodents in their freezers?!?!?! I’m speechless.

    The guinea pig is adorable. My kids have no idea a person can purchase an animal from the pet store. When the kids were little and we needed to kill time, I’d take them to see the fish and other animals, but it was more zoo and less store as far as they were concerned. 🙂
    Not gonna lie, I’m quite jealous that you were able to entertain Lizzi AND go to the big birthday bash. I would have loved to be there.
    Not jealous of the snow, but glad you and Tucker had some fun in it.February 22, 2016 – 12:59 pmReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - Obviously you have horrible taste in friends, Christine. Because WHO KEEPS A RODENT IN THE FREEZER???
      Also that Brit the Liz was here and suggested it because of Dyanne. I was like “sorry hubs, go dig now we need a funeral” but Lizzi said “Oh Dyanne keeps them in the freezer” and I was like hum okay…
      Wish you were at the birthday. And here so I could meet you.February 22, 2016 – 11:20 pmReplyCancel

  • Dana - Welcome to the family, Strike! Better yours than mine, Kristi – I do NOT do small furry things. Just bigger furry things.

    Yay to a yummy lunch and seeing you and Lizzi…I’m always thankful for that.February 22, 2016 – 5:32 pmReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - Yeah well… allergies and life dictate more than they should cause I KNOW you’d have caved. Maybe. 😉February 22, 2016 – 11:21 pmReplyCancel

  • Dyanne @ I Want Backsies - Let it go on the record that I tried to talk you into a guinea pig when you were thinking hamster….
    Guinea pigs are so cool! If you whistle to them, they will whistle (well, squeal, but it sounds like a whistle) back. Ours did it when they heard my footsteps on the stairs in the morning.
    If you get tired of litter, I can tell you about an awesome way to have reusable fleece bedding in their cage instead. They love it and it’s less mess, sort of.February 22, 2016 – 8:16 pmReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - YOU SO DID. I remember (bows head). And YES please tell me about the fleece bedding and whether it’s true we need two of them and already I think the cage is too small although I asked at the store… Also they crap a lot huh?February 22, 2016 – 11:31 pmReplyCancel

  • Lisa @ Golden Spoons - How could anyone say no to that face?!?!?! And, yay for rocking the IEP!!! You may be a weak woman, but you are a great, strong mama! 🙂February 22, 2016 – 9:42 pmReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - Right? NOBODY could say no to that face. Or maybe practical people could but I couldn’t! And thanks for the yay for the IEP – huge stuff. Also thank you. For coming. For saying. 🙂February 22, 2016 – 11:33 pmReplyCancel

  • Cynthia - This post is so sweet! From hamsters to guinea pigs to reunions with wonderful friends to Tucker’s improvement in his phrases. Yay! I went to our local no-kill shelter and came home with probably the most deranged dog they had (I did not know this at the time). But you love them unexpectedly anyways…even when you take them on a walk and at the end of the street is the tax place with a little waving balloon guy who makes your dog freak out and growl and never mind that all the ladies at the bank across the street were looking out the window at him and laughing…hard. But that’s neither here nor there. Hehe.
    Sending hugs! It’s good to be back blogging…if irregularly, but still. 🙂February 22, 2016 – 9:47 pmReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - LOL Tell me more about your most deranged dog? I once had one of them, but wow did I love him. I’m so glad you’re back. I think all of us who were once regular no longer are, with only a few exceptions!February 22, 2016 – 11:34 pmReplyCancel

  • Sandra - Now I’m all nostalgic for the pet guinea pig we used to have…damn you! They are the sweetest little things.February 27, 2016 – 3:23 amReplyCancel

Your email is never published or shared. Required fields are marked *

*

*

N e v e r   m i s s   a   n e w   p o s t !