Maximus Max… big name for a little guy!

So it is about time we welcomed the new addition to our family.
His name is Maximus Max and he is a guinea pig.

It all started with Gwennie wanting a horse.
Yikes!
We managed to whittle it down to something a lot more smaller, thank goodness!
So Gwennie asked Father Christmas for a guinea pig.

Dad was amazing… he got on the case right with me and helped search for the perfect piggy!
He found Maximus at his local shelter and cared for him for a few days until it was time for F.C. to bring him to Gwennie on his sleigh (or rather in the back of a Surburban GMC!).
Max was in a cage with 3 other guinea pigs when Dad went to see him. He had been bullied and was covered in scabs.
He was just a baby… about 5-6 months old.
Dad and his wife, Pat, did a great job of nursing the little guy back to health and getting him ready for his big, special delivery to our dear little girl!

Grandpoo and Maximus

Grandpoo and Maximus

Gwennie was so thrilled when she discovered her wish had come true.
I have to say she has been absolutely amazing with Max.
The novelty has not worn off and she cannot wait to get home from school each day and let Max out of his cage and spend time with him.
When she is at home, Max is always hanging out with her.

He lives a very exciting and adventurous life now. He gets to go on walks around the neighbourhood…

Walkies with Gwennie & Kate

Walkies with Gwennie & Kate

He gets to talk to Granny in the UK every weekend….

"Hi Granny! What's up?"

“Hi Granny! What’s up?”

He regularly gets a check-up from Dr. Porter…

"Take a deep breath in...."

“Take a deep breath in….”

And he gets to hang out with the big “guinea pig”…

Kate: "At least it isn't a puppy!"

Kate: “At least it isn’t a puppy!”

He loves being with his best friend, Gwennie…

Self-portait!

Self-portait!


Zzzzzz...

Zzzzzz…


Sharing a moment!

Sharing a moment!

I never thought I would become so fond of a guinea pig, but he really is the dearest little chap!
He is so calm and docile and cuddly… and is very good-natured.
He has certainly landed on his paws and enjoys a wide variety of wonderful culinary delights, such as kale, oranges, celery, apples, strawberries, and carrots.

Kate has been ever so good with him!
She was very curious at first and definitely wanted to check out his cage and food situation, but now she just ignores him for the most part!

So welcome Maximus Max! We love having you be a part of our family!
Here’s to making lots of lovely memories with you!

Merida feeds her sidekick!

Merida feeds her sidekick!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

I have been meaning to write a post on a variety of topics lately, but time has escaped me!
So before the sound of sleigh bells is nigh, I just wanted to wish everyone a very happy Christmas!
I hope you all enjoy a wonderful time with family and friends… and I wish you all the very best for a happy, healthy, love-filled, and successful 2013!
I hope next year brings ever more peace, patience, tolerance, kindness, and goodwill to everyone!

Santa visits G's school!

Santa visits G’s school!


Gwennie & Santa Claus

Gwennie & Santa Claus


Stealing a kiss!

Stealing a kiss!


The Lord's Prayer

The Lord’s Prayer


Last but not least...

Last but not least…

Where are you, Christmas?

Yesterday, Gwennie and I were driving home from school and we decided to bust out the Christmas music.
Is it just me or does anyone else get all emotional listening to holiday songs?
I love Christmas.
I am not going to lie… there have been a few Christmases I would rather forget, but on the whole I LOVE Christmas.
I am not in the slightest bit religious but I will belt out Oh Come All Ye Faithful with the best of you.
I love the spirit of Christmas… the joy in children’s eyes and the act of giving to others.

Christmas is a time of remembrance for me too. I think about loved ones who are no longer with us.
Memories of Christmases-past with these loved-ones brings a smile to my face.
I am also reminded that there is someone important missing from our family.
There should be a little two year old boy running around our house right now.
But while his physical presence is missing, Henry remains constantly in our hearts.

I think about Christmases when I was a little girl.
I have fond memories of my Mum, Gran, and Great Aunt all cooking in the kitchen.
My Mum used to make the best mince pies and petit-fours.
My dear Gran would stuff the turkey each year.
We used to have the best parties over the holidays… I have such great clips in my head of fancy-dress hoorahs and evenings spent playing games and laughing raucously with family and friends.
I am an only child but I always felt surrounded by loved ones. It is a good memory.

Christmas definitely changes once you have a family. It’s so important to make your own family traditions.
Today, Bill, Gwennie & I are getting ready to decorate our tree together.
As I mentioned earlier, Christmas is a time for giving. I am trying to instill this concept into Gwennie.
Every year we have taken part in Operation Christmas Child. This year, we are adopting a Christmas Angel through G’s school.
We will be buying a present for a little 5 year old girl who “loves anything Barbie”! I can’t wait to go shopping for her with Gwennie!

So where are you, Christmas? I think you are in our hearts… in our memories… in our souls… in the laughter of our children and in the joy sparkling in their eyes.

Happy Christmas everyone!

A white Christmas at Ormond Road with Sammy Sparkles

A white Christmas at Ormond Road with Sammy Sparkles


Christmas at The Chase

Christmas at The Chase


Playing with one of my Christmas gifts whilst my Gran looks on (at Little Owls)

Playing with one of my Christmas gifts whilst my Gran looks on (at Little Owls)

It’s snowing here in WordPress Land!

And also on my blog! Cute!

Time for another update. We just enjoyed a couple of great weeks with my Mum here in town. It was so lovely to have her here and Gwennie just lapped her up.

Usually it is my poor Mum who comes over and gets sick (attack of the airplane germies), but she has since combated this by dosing up well with immune strengtheners and tonics. This time, it was both Bill and I who were poorly. Bill was fighting something off the first week when we had Thanksgiving. We hosted at our house and enjoyed having Bill’s Mum and one of Bill’s brothers, Bob and his family, come join us. Everyone mucked in and brought wonderful dishes of delights. It was a lovely afternoon.

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Mum, Gwennie, and I braved Epcot the next day. It was busy but bearable and we had a wonderful time. Epcot is definitely mine and Mum’s favourite of all the parks.

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On the Saturday, we braved Downtown Disney! That was a zoo! But we had fun and Gwennie loved going on the train and merry-go-round and we forced our way around the shops! We enjoyed a great lunch at Fulton’s Crab House.

Mum gets on really well with Ginny (Bill’s Mum) so they spent some time together whilst I was working and Gwennie was at school.

The second week of Mum’s visit, I got sick. I came down with some ghastly virus and was rendered out of action for the final weekend of Mum’s stay. I was so disappointed as we had plans to go to Animal Kingdom and/or Sea World. Alas, it was not to be.

Mum and I went to G’s school one morning and volunteered with her class… we had so much fun decorating pine cones for Christmas with the kids and making snowmen with the children’s painted white tootsies! Gwennie was very proud to show off her Granny!

All too soon, it was time to say goodbye, and Mum flew back to the UK on Wednesday evening. I know she was thrilled to be reunited with her little King Charles Cavalier, Alfie!

Bill came home with a Christmas tree this week. We have yet to decorate it, but that is the plan this weekend. Frank Frankypants (our Elf on the Shelf) has arrived and is up to his usual antics. This time he has a sidekick in tow… Buzz Lightyear!

After some discussion with Miss G, she is all signed up to start at the Orlando Ballet School in January. She is also going to be taking yoga classes at her school. She loves yoga and wants to incorporate it more into her regular schedule! She was a little hesitant at keeping up with the ballet, but when Bill and I talked to her about it, we discovered it was because she was finding it “tricky”. She has gone up a class this semester. She is the youngest in her class (she is 5 and the eldest is 8). She is learning a lot more theory now. Bill and I stressed the importance of not giving up on things just because they get tricky. We put it in context with her achievements such as writing and counting and Maths. It seemed to help and so she wanted to try a semester at OBS… AND practice yoga. Can’t complain with that! At least she loves to be active and do things which are good for her!

Right now we are looking forward to the holiday season. It’s a really busy time for Bill at work especially as he is putting together a new store at the same time. Hopefully it will all move along as smoothly as possible!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone!

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Prancer!