Time to Celebrate: Sebi Turns Eight!

 On Sebi's birthday, we had such a packed day that the kids convinced us (the normally fun-inhibiting parents) that we needed to open the presents in the morning. So Sebi got to open everything before breakfast. When he had opened the lego Star Wars and things, we dragged out a cage from behind the couch.

Sebi squealed "You mean I'm a hamster owner now?!" 

We'd been thinking about getting Sebi a pet since Christmas. Back then he had wanted a turtle, which seemed like a good sort of pet for him. But then his friend Tomas got a teeny tiny spring-loaded hamster and Sebi decided that he really wanted one of those instead. When Rob and I went to the pet store, we got talked out of all the dwarf hamsters and talked into a good old traditional teddy bear. They looked monstrous there in the pet shop. But once we got him home, he seemed much smaller and we were glad that we'd started with a big basic rodent. The hamster is still really skittish and if he thinks you're coming after him he hides in his tube on the side of the cage. Because of this I thought that Sebi should name him Augustus Gloop from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but Sebi would have none of it ("He's not a nincompoop, mom!"). He's named Mr. Tibbles. He likes corn and sunflower seeds and when he races around in his exercise ball you cannot help but smile. 

I was also going into Sebi's classroom to teach the kids about community and employment on his birthday, so we handed out treats afterward. We celebrated with pesto pasta and peach soup for dinner and finished off with cake and ice cream.
We love this blue-eyed boy and we can't believe that he's eight!