Responsibility... a daily lesson with pets...

I'm in the middle of writing my fourth book, Getting to the Heart of Responsibility. I'll admit it's a tough lesson to tackle. But you could do what I did... fill your house with lots and lots of pets. We have two dogs, a rabbit, two guinea pigs, 7 gerbils, 2 hamsters, a bearded dragon, two fish tanks and lots of fish bowls. And the kids participate in their care EVERY SINGLE DAY.

The pics above show a portion of my hearth room. The rabbit hutch is in front of a fireplace, but we don't mind. We open Remy's door a few time a day and he runs and hops and plays with the dogs. He is litter-box trained... which is so nice.

You can imagine that there is lots to do... refill water bottles and food bowls... refresh the litter boxes. It's quite a family production on "clean cage and tank" day.

It's more than a lesson in responsibility... it's also about respect and opening your heart to the little creatures of the world. And every kid needs that lesson.

I love the Holland Lop!

Holland Lop Rabbits... my choice of breed. It's actually quite a popular breed, as its the smallest and friendliest of the lop-eared rabbits. They are cute and cuddly... very affectionate... and so easy to care for. Holland lops only get to be about 4 lbs., which is a perfect size!

My camera doesn't seem to be cooperating right now (which is why I'm using stock photos). I'm hoping to show off my little Remington in his hutch, hopping around, and in my arms (being rocked like a baby). Bear with me... photos are coming soon...

It really doesn't take much to own (and love) a rabbit. Of course, you need a hutch, or cage. Easy to buy at any pet store. Food and water bowls... no problem. A litterbox (small-cat size)... filled with pellet litter. Not much to it.

Feeding time is fun. Every day, we serve Remy food pellets and Timothy hay (the only food that trims his ever-growing teeth). Of course, green leafy vegetables (romaine, kale, parsley, etc.) twice a day... and an evening treat of either shredded carrots, strawberries, oats or carrots. We can feed Remy on our laps... or as he's running around the hearth room... or while he's hanging out in the hutch. Holland lops are easy going... quiet... and just fun to be with.

More to come... I promise...

Rabbits Rock!!!

Sure, you have a dog... maybe a cat. I'll bet you've even adopted a little hamster at some point. Maybe you have a fish tank... or a frog. Chances are that you've never owned a rabbit. A cute, cuddly, nose-twitching rabbit. Well, Santa brought the Paluszny family one for Christmas... and it's THE BEST PET EVER!

Just a minute ago, I was going through the pictures of little Remington that were taken tonight. Way too dark to print. So I'll retake the pics and post them tomorrow. I don't want to have to describe everything in words...

So what makes a rabbit so much fun? Well, Remington runs freely around our hearth room and kitchen nook... sometimes bouncing straight up a good 3 feet into the air. He's fun to watch and fun to chase... but won't leave the rugs as he hates the wood floors of the kitchen. He runs and plays with the dogs (two cockapoos)... and has never had an accident on the floor. He miraculously litter-box trained himself!

In the pictures that I will post tomorrow, you will see his hutch (in my hearth room) and how I'm able to hold him and rock him to sleep every night. He is so sweet and lovable! Wait til you see!

In tomorrow's post, I'll also share with you a bit about his breed (he's a Holland lop), and explain how to care for and feed a rabbit. Hopefully, in the end, I'm convincing you to give rabbit ownership a try... you will be THE COOLEST MOM (or Dad) if you brought one home for your kids.

More to come!

To Buy or Not To Buy...

I'll admit it... I'm not big on cooking... or baking for that matter. I am capable of cooking, and I do make the best chocolate chip cookies on the planet. Oh, and my apple or cherry pies are pretty damn good. But, I just don't care to do it. Too much work... too much clean-up... etc.

So I took Sarah down to the bakery (Taylor's Bakery on 116th in Fishers) to buy a cake for her birthday. Of course, she falls in love with the square-shaped cakes that look like an adorable little gift boxes. I'm sorry... what's that? $45!!! Sorry, but no. Gotta go.

Now, I'm in the kitchen... with three brand new square cake pans (needing two boxes of cake mix and two cans of frosting). Okay, Sarah... we'll get it done... it will be perfect... yikes...

A triple-layer cake... a first for me... but it was easy to do. A bow on top... peace signs around with writing gel tubes... and guess what... it was soooo yummy! Patting myself on the back...

A Rebirth!

Yeah, I know... it's been a while. But I'm back. Why? Cause I've got something to say... duh...

I'm feeling like getting back into the swing of things... as Lori and I are finalizing the layout of book #2, Getting to the Heart of Respect (yes, I know, I know... you needed it yesterday), it seems as though sales are picking up for Getting to the Heart of Complimenting. Just yesterday, I received orders from Illinois, Georgia, New Jersey and Oregon! Yay!

So, out comes the Sharpie red marker (three of the books were personally signed for a family, a teacher and a school). Invoices and package labels were printed. A thank-you card and some complimentary Compliment Cards (love that!) were lovingly placed inside the packages. Let's not forget to decorated the shipping box with a cute little "Your Blooming Heart Book is Inside" sticker... a nice touch, plain and simple...

It felt so good to put the packages together and take them to the post office. It's feeling fresh again. And super fun, too... soon I'll be getting page sketches daily from Lori... and seeing the pages come alive with depth and color can't be described in words.

Anyway, I'll be here on my blog... hopefully every single day. School is ending. Summer is beginning. Time for new fun and excitement. Time for sharing my daily life as a mother of four, as well as my adventures as an author of children's books.

Thanks for chiming in... stay tuned!

Property... You Gotta Respect It

Well, I thought I had book #2 written... Getting to the Heart of Respect. But it looks like I need to rework two stanzas on the respect of property. Wow... it's tougher than I thought...

How do I capture all there is to say on the subject in just four rhyming lines. There are so many aspects to cover... so many situations...

I teach my children not to walk on the neighbor's lawn... and to put our empty shopping carts back where they belong. How about treating textbooks, and library books, with the utmost care? Of course, you don't put your used gum under desks... or borrow something without asking. What about getting out of the car without banging into someone else's... or taking off muddy shoes before walking into someone's house?

It's an important lesson... respect your property... respect the property of others. My books are intended for children 3-8 years old... so my words must be simple... yet expressive...

Another challenging task for a children's book author...

Making Progress...

It's getting better... but I'm not there yet. What's slowing me down? Pulling out papers and actually going through them... reading them... and actually organizing them. Of course, 90% of it is going directly to the trash bin. Lots of old, old stuff. Trash bags are filling up... and the piles are getting smaller.

I'm working on it... more pictures to come... hopefully by tomorrow...