The first involves Nick's pet mouse Jessica. I always feed our rodents fresh fruit and vegetables because it helps extend their short little lives. But Jessica didn't seem interested in them. I worry because mice are omnivorous and it's important for them to have their vegetables. She wouldn't touch carrots, leafy greens, or even some fruits. You can get children to eat a lot of different kinds of fruit but not this mouse. (It was so much easier to get Nick to eat his vegetables than this mouse!)
After much experimenting I found she'd at least eat blueberries, blackberries and watermelon, but that was pretty much it. So I continue to put different kinds of fruits and vegetables in her food dish in the hopes that we will find something she'll eat. (Don't worry, she eats her nuts and seeds.)So yesterday when I put a small bit of zucchini in her bowl, I assumed it would stay there and dry up. You can imagine my surprise and delight when I saw it mostly eaten a few hours later!
Yea! Now I am filled with hope that I can get this mouse to eat her vegetables. I have a lot of squash options I think. Maybe I can try cucumber, but I think I may have tried that before. In any case, I'm just so excited.
Want some educational value in this? Well, Nick and I learned mice have individual tastes too. We had one mouse that would eat cilantro of all things, and one that preferred carrots and pumpkin seeds. My rat isn't that picky but he won't eat the celery stalk, just the leaves. It's crazy I tell you.
The second victory is probably more exciting than the first for any mom.
Every time I start to load the dishwasher I have to wander the house looking for stray dishes that somehow didn't make it to the sink. I allow Nick to take his drinks and snacks to his room (he has a table to put them on) with the warning that he needs to bring his dishes back to the sink when he is done. I never really expect that he'll do it without constant reminders, so I frequently go back to his room to give him those reminders. Still, the dishes seem to multiply while on his table in his room.
So in the morning, I went to his room to gather dishes to put in the dishwasher and there were four cups, a bowl and a plate sitting on his table. They all appeared overnight apparently. In my calmest, mom-like pleading, I again mentioned that he needed to remember to bring his dishes to the sink when he was done. He apologized AGAIN and we went on with our day.
At night, he took a hotdog and apple juice to his room. I knew full well that plate and cup would remain in there if I didn't go back and gently remind him to take them to the sink. About 20 minutes after he went into his room, I went back. I looked at the table and they were gone. I wasn't sure what happened. I asked him where they were and he said he took them to the sink (with that "duh, mom" tone like he did this all the time). I was shocked and I think I just stood there with my mouth hanging open, not sure what to say next.
THEN, to top it all off, he had his retainers on! He had already brushed his teeth without me asking him to do so. I was floored. That's two in a row where I didn't have to remind him to do something.
So, like any mom wishing to have this happen more often, I feverishly praised and thanked him. Yippee! I'm so happy!
Now I'm going to go check his computer desk to see if the chocolate milk cup is still there.
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