Just Pictures

After my last post I got a lot of "are you okay?" comments.  Yes, yes, we are doing well!  Part of the blessing of a time crunch is that we don't have time to hassle with un-well-ness.  Things are resolved as quickly as possible so that we can go back to enjoying time together when we can.  And there are times when things aren't THAT busy.  Times like these:

And times like these:

And like these:

Purchasing and carving pumpkins AFTER Halloween is much easier on the pocket book.  I think that's our new yearly plan.

And we've had plenty of time to play with our new favorite pet  who is now officially named Cuddles.  There are about 20 billion reasons why a ball python is better than a dog.  Here are a few:

And if you're wondering why it was named a ball python, here's a clue:

Note, that's after we pulled him out of the cage.  He sits like that all the time, and often he'll stay like that for a few more minutes after we pull him out, until the kids prod him into moving.  ...  A ball python, I've decided, is a bit more like a toy than a pet.  Which is fine by me.  Best toy ever!

Little moments of good times hold our family's life together.  I'm determined to be a bit less stressed this term and a bit more focused on creating good moments with and for the kids.  Wish me luck!

Miciah is 10

Which is totally weird.  Except, it's getting less weird all the time.  I remember, years back, thinking that my kids would never get big.  And now it's happening.  It's awesome, actually. 

10 isn't a Birthday Party year, so we had a quiet family dinner.  Miciah was excited to decorate the house for Halloween "for her birthday."  When she asked if we could do that, I was reminded of my oldest brother, Budge (great name, right?!).  His birthday is mid-December and we'd always decorate the house for Christmas on his birthday.  At least, that's what we did when he was in the house, so he tells me (he's 8 years older than me, so by the time I was remembering stuff, he was mostly gone).  It was special for him.  And now it's special to decorate the house for Halloween on Miciah's birthday.  Fun!  

The kids did it mostly themselves.  They made posters and things to hang from the ceilings.  They took cotton balls and stretched them out so they look cobwebby, and those are all over the living room.  It's pretty cool.  It's festive, yet home-grown.  I approve.

Also, this is a pretty great Halloween decoration, too:

We're thinking of taking him out with us Trick-or-Treating.  Cause apparently snakes freak people out.  I don't understand this, as I think snakes are fascinating, beautiful creatures.  Oh well.  To each their own.

(We did a quick measurement, while he slithered across the floor, and he's just under 4 feet long.  He never looks near that long all curled up in his cage, and he's always curled up.  That's what he likes to do.  Also, he's still name-less.  We're leaning toward Carl Sagan or Cuddles.  He's a very cuddly snake.)

A Short Tutorial

I think the word Python puts images into people's brains.  So I've put together this short Snake Tutorial to help people visualize the difference between my Ball Python and a few other varieties.
 

Boa Constrictors:

The size of your living room.  Can eat small pets.

Anacondas:

Massive.  Can eat goats (as in this picture) or, likely, anything else they want.  Scary as Hell.

Burmese Pythons:

The one in this picture is 20 feet long.  Can eat alligators (not joking).  Also scary as Hell.

Ball Pythons:

Cute.  4 - 6 feet long, at max.  Won't ever eat something larger than a rat.

The End

Ball Python

For years now, I've been dreaming of owning a ball python.  They're gorgeous.  They eat mice (SUPER cool to watch the mouse go down, down, down the snake's body).  They're laid-back.  You can take it out and hold it, or not, whichever you prefer.  You only feed it once every 2 weeks, and over the Winter you may not have to feed it at all.  They're what I consider the ideal pet.

And now we own one.  I'm super excited.  The kids love him, too.  And even Rob thinks that he's pretty.

But he needs a name.  We're making a mega list and in about a week we'll pick one "as a family" (meaning the kids can tell me what they like, and I make the final decision).

Miciah has already come up with Malfoy, Snape, and Lucius.  Guess what she's been into lately.  Though I don't know why she didn't come up with Draco, cause that's a better name than all 3 of those.  And I really like the name Sid, but that was taken by a friend who already owns a ball python.  Though Nixon might be a funny name for a snake, and Lucifer would be an awesome name, but it's kinda cumbersome.

So let me have it.  What are your best snake name ideas?

(P.S.  We got him from a guy who rescues animals.  He gave us the snake, cage, lid, water bowl, hide, and heat lamp for $75.  That's crazy awesome!  You can check out his page here.)