Here is Dragon, Ronan's new friend
This is Fluffy, he is Nykki's buddy
At the Waldorf conference this year one of the things spoken of was children and taking care of mammals. The philosophy held that children thrive and can connect better to Mother Earth when they have other mammals to care for.
That really struck a chord with me. I wrote a few days ago about children having tasks and chores that really matter, that are important. Caring for another living creature helps build empathy, compassion, responsibility, focus, follow-through, and a connection to the creatures we share this world with.
Seth and I sought out advice for animals good with young children that would fit our lifestyle. Our home is a rental and we are not allowed to have any pets so the animal would have to be "hide-able" if the landlord ever stopped by yet interactive enough to make it worth it.
I had rabbits for years so I naturally was drawn to them but after receiving some advice from a preschool teacher who has had a lot of classroom pets she recommended guinea pigs. What sold me on the idea is that they are not escape artists (unlike bunnies). You don't really have to "cage" guineas. You can put them in a sandbox or kiddie pool and have lot's of lovable access. To me that made guineas feel more like a part of the family. Also, unlike bunnies, guineas tend to be more docile and can sit and cuddle in your lap easier.
As soon as Seth and decided on guineas I checked my in-box and had an email from an old belly dancing friend from years ago who had two baby boy guineas looking for a home! My mom's husband has dubbed them "the guinea pigs of fate!"
The guinea pigs of fate joined our family last night. They are just shy of four weeks old. They are cute as can be. Fluffy is very mellow and will let you cuddle him. Dragon lives up to his name and is a bit more hard pressed to sit quietly. The boys are so in love! They got up this morning and began reading Dragon and Fluffy "Curious George."
Buy-the-way, if the kids had listened to me the guineas would be named Trouble and Tribble!
