Quarry climbing with the boys

Surprise!

Dear Animal Ark,

Please teach your employees how to tell the difference between girl and boy guinea pigs. One of your employees picked up two guinea pigs, checked their nether parts, and assured "Santa" that they were both girls.

No. No, they are not.

And now we have 4 guinea pigs in the enclosure, when yesterday we had 2. Yeah.


Here's an abridged version of the events and conversation surrounding the discovery:

(J and H are playing the Wii. I have just fed the pigs and are talking to them, ruffling up the wood chips in their cage. I notice a little red on some chips under the ramp (yes, there's a ramp -- I'm married to an overachiever after all) and then I notice two tiny brown lumps tucked under the ramp as well.)

E: Oh my gosh! Oh my! O boy! Holy Cow! So, the pet store said they were both girls. Um, the pet store is wrong.

J: How can you tell? Is one of them still super fat?

E: No. No. And that one wasn't fat. And it's not fat anymore.

J: What do you mean?

E: J! Stop playing Super Mario Brothers and get over here! Stop asking me all these questions and just come look!

J: I can't! I'm in the middle of a really hard level! If that's true, that is not even funny.

E: Well, it's a little funny...

And it is a little funny. And they are super cute. And the inbreeding parents will be separated.

Pictures forthcoming. Good thing guinea pigs aren't prone to cannibalizing their babies like other rodents. Good thing.

Covetousness

 

I don't know what is wrong with me. Something is terribly wrong -- I just know it. Keep reading only if you promise to still be my friend and love me despite this awful thing I am about to reveal about myself. Ready? Here it is: I really really want a black Toyota Sequoia. There. I've said it. Do you detest me yet? I'm so ashamed. It's like sin -- my eyes stray to every Toyota Sequoia I see driving down the street. I try to talk myself back in love with my Vinnie-Man, but oh, that Sequoia is a seductive one. Here is the worst part contained within my pro's and con's list:

E's Toyota Sequoia Con's and Pro's list (Hey, if I want to list the con's first, I will. It's my blog, after all.)
Con's
*Estimated 14/20 mpg vs. Vinnie-Man 16/23
*The Vinnie-Man is paid off!
*I only have 3 kids -- I don't need an 8 passenger gas guzzler
*The sliding doors on the Vinnie-Man are great -- I don't have to worry about the kids bashing other cars with the door when they get out
*Hello! The van is paid off!
*We already have a 5-passenger, go to Moab, go on dirt roads, climb up mountains in the snow vehicle. We don't need another one
*OMG! 14/20 mpg!!

Pro's
*It's super sexy
*We could take it to Moab, go explore dirt roads, climb mountains in it and my kids would have enough room that they 1) couldn't hit each other and 2) wouldn't throw up on each other
*I drive carpool and every seat in my 7-passenger mini van is full. I could take kids to school without having to pawn H off at a neighbor's every carpool day
*Did I mention that it's super sexy?
*It's the perfect Wasatch Back/Ragnar Relay support vehicle

And of course, the last Pro trumps all. Oh boy, I need to get this covetousness out of my heart...(but it is super sexy!)