My Family and Other Animals

My Family and Other Animals
I've never met a more eccentric homeschooling family than Gerald Durrell's. Many homeschool families have one or two pets, a few have lots of animals, but I dare say I'll never meet a family with as many animals as Gerald Durrell ended up with. Unless of course you know better. Go on, I dare you to let me know all about your menagerie. Or what about the special pets you had growing up?

As a teen I dreamed of the freedom Gerald Durrell had as he ran wild on the island of Corfu, filled his home with nature, and shocked his family with great frequency. I felt dejected with him when he was given a stuffy tutor, rejoiced with him when he escaped, and most of all laughed with him at all his family's antics. I rescued baby birds from our cat and raised them (with mixed success). I took my dog everywhere with me, except for school, where of course she was not allowed. At one time or another I've kept every category of pet that appears in my poll list, apart from large animals.

I wanted my kids to grow up with pets. When Game Boy was 3 years old we brought two rescue cats into our lives. Being the disorganized person that I am, I can't find a photo of Big Cat to share. Let's say he looks like Dewey over there on the left, except he's tabby, not orange. Big Cat and Princess Kitty are still with us 9 years later. We've had our ups and downs with them. I thought maybe two cats would be enough to satisfy us, but I was wrong. Current pet list: Big Cat, Princess Kitty, Goldie, Sweetie Girl and Huffy Girl, The Hissers, and 4 minnows rescued from being live bait.

What animals do you share your home with? One cat, two dogs, a flock of birds, a hamster, a tarantula, caterpillars and spiders? I want to hear. Have you blogged about the animals that share your life? What part do your animals play in your homeschooling? What lessons have you learned from them? I'd like to link to you. Leave me the keyword/s to search your blog and find what you've written and complete my poll if you're so inclined. Will dogs or cats win? Or are homeschoolers into exotics or furries?

Readers who shared about their pets:

• springtreeroad who homeschools with cats and rabbits (wild) - link 1, link 2, link 3.
• jugglingpaynes has cats and includes cats on her fun homeschool comic strip - read about her cats.
  
• Who We Are......... shares her homeschool family life with cats Precious and Smudge, Toasty the budgie, and 2 fish. Her hubby does not like cats.
• Wendy has 5 cats inside and one outside. At her blog she shares the story of Pepper's first litter.
• Deborah has a dog and a guinea pig.
• Scrappymom and Family! has a lonely zebra finch named Spot!
• Randi has a dog, a cat and a teen daughter who sounds like Artist Girl - she can't wait to get her own house and fill it with animals!
  

Handyman Hubby is just growing into liking our cats after 9 years! He really feels bad for them when they get sick, which has happened more than I'd care for. And I thought moggy cats would be healthier!

I Love to Read and I Love My Usborne Business

Can you imagine a day without books? A day without reading? If you're a bookworm like me you may wonder how you'd get through. Of course, now I have the internet - I could spend hours reading on here - but somehow that can't replace the magic of a good book. Don't get me wrong, if you don't love books that much, I still like you. My husband rarely reads anything other than manuals, forums and internet news, but I still think he's a great guy! Naturally when I was looking for a business to make my own, books were the first thing I thought of. The Usborne books business is the one I chose.

I LOVE my book business. There are many reasons. I get to read a big pile of children's books and it's part of my job! I get many, many discounted books, which is much better than paying full price; my children have a wonderful Usborne home library full of fantastic books that I paid very little for. I can pay myself for sharing these wonderful, engaging, colorful, and interactive books with others. I am my own boss and I choose my own hours and how much I earn. I get to give away books - I love giving things to people. I enjoy the thrill of hearing that a child learned to read or count because of Usborne books. I am promoting literacy in my community and beyond. My colleagues are other moms who love books - some of them are now among my best friends. And of course, I do actually have the option to work for the little or big extras or essentials, like homeschooling items, trips, activities for my kids, or to buy groceries.

Here's a quote from my son, who has clearly joined the ranks of bookworms, "Life without books is dirt."

Happy Reading and I hope you enjoy a good book today. Let me know what books your kids love.