Welcome Home...

Charlotte!

Now that some time has passed since the loss of our dear Ida, we felt it was time to welcome a new little friend into our home. I had told the kids that we would get a new hamster after school let out for the summer. Today, I took them out for a few "errands", and surprised them with our final stop at the pet store. We chose a larger short-haired breed like Ida, since they tend to be sweeter and gentler than the smaller hamsters. Charlotte is actually a little bigger than Ida was. And she's the only blonde in the house!

About her name: The girls were starting to come up with "frou-frou" names for her - I was expecting something like Twinkle Toes to be suggested next. So I encouraged them to come up with a name that would be given to a person, like Ida. Eventually, we decided on Charlotte.

Oh, and it appears she's got a bit of spunk in her. On the ride home, she chewed this hole in the bottom of the cardboard box we used to transport her! I can't imagine having to find her in the depths of my minivan if she had escaped!

Charlotte is currently sacked out, probably exhausted from the move - she chose the very same corner where Ida used to sleep, under the wheel. It was fun to watch her dig around in the bedding and examine her new home. We're really looking forward to getting to know her and making her a part of our family!

Added bonus: I found a great book about hamster care at Goodwill for 59 cents!