Hamster Drama

(The Rise and Fall of Hashbrown, Goldie, Goldie the Second, Isabella, and Izzy)

(Yes, this story began 2.5 years ago. But I've wanted to compile the complete story for awhile -- it's just too funny not to document. And besides -- it's not over yet.)

Part 1, January 2011

Leah's class at school has a hamster and the kids take turns each weekend bringing it home. Leah has been (sort of) patiently waiting for her turn, and was SO excited to finally have her turn this past  weekend. I went and picked up the hamster Friday after school and we came home and the girls played and played with Hashbrown. I think Rachel was more excited than Leah, if that's possible. Saturday Leah was sick all day with a bad tummy ache, so Hashbrown didn't get as much attention, but still was a form of entertainment. Sunday we stayed home from church to make sure Leah was fine and because the weather was really nasty. Jesse says that's where we went wrong.

After lunch the girls were playing with Hashbrown upstairs in the gameroom...it's an enclosed room so there's nowhere to lose the hamster. Or so we thought! Jesse ran up to Radio Shack, and shortly  after Leah said they couldn't find Hashbrown. So the girls and I got flashlights and searched the room...she was nowhere to be found. The  girls said they last saw her behind a toybox...my dad made it for me when I was a baby and it now stores about 40 pounds of exercise weights. They said they picked up the toybox to let her out. I can't even pick up the toybox when it's empty (solid wood), so I know they didn't pick it up with 40 pounds of weights in it.

Jesse called about that time because Radio Shack didn't have what he needed and he was going to have to go to other stores. I told him we couldn't find Hashbrown, and he said to empty the weights out of the toybox and look underneath. No way that hamster was under there! So the girls emptied the weights and tilted the box forward. Leah said she didn't want to look. I didn't either. Brave Rachel...she looked! I was so relieved when she said "no....no...no hamster". Then there was this gasp and a scream. Sure enough Hashbrown was under there, flat as a pancake. Jesse heard all this commotion on the phone, and I asked him to PLEASE come home. Turns out the girls had tilted the toybox forward to let Hashbrown out, but instead she went underneath.

So...what to do next?

I called Leah's teacher and left her a message. The hamster is shared by both 2nd grade classes, so after a bit Jesse called the other 2nd grade teacher. The teachers had talked and were already working on a plan. They didn't actually want the hamster in the first place (I understand!), but the kids really enjoy having it in the class. So their decision was...whatever is best for Leah, let's do that. They understood it would be very hard for Leah to return to school without a hamster. So off to Petco we went...found an adorable teddy bear hamster for $10. We had the girls split the cost...not as punishment but just for them to realize there are consequences for their actions, even if they aren't intentional. I think the girls thought $5 was a steal to be off that hook.

Monday morning, we took the new hamster (Goldie) to school. Leah's wonderful teacher put it in another room, and met and prayed with the kids. She talked about "a time" for everything, and this was Hashbrown's time to die. Then she said Leah wanted her friends to still have a class hamster, so she went and bought one with her own money. The class erupted in applause for Leah! After school, the other 2nd teacher told me "Hashbrown is but a distant memory". Whew!!

And this is really the funny part...last week we went to Petco...the girls were begging for a hamster. We said, let's wait till after our weekend with Hashbrown and see how that goes. I'd say it didn't go too well, wouldn't you?

And also...if you have kids at Providence, please don't share this story with them! Leah and Rachel don't want people to know the details, and the teachers are on board. We are saying Hashbrown died, and if there are any questions...the girls say "I don't want to talk about it". I also suspect it won't take Rachel long to say "we squished Leah's hamster", but hopefully she'll wait at least a week or
two.

Jesse and I are having a good laugh about it now (out of earshot of the girls, of course). But at the time...lots of drama!! I'm so thankful he wasn't on a trip at the time!

Part 2, May 13, 2011 (Friday)

The 2nd grade teachers had a drawing for who got to take Goldie the hamster home (for keeps) at the end of school. Not surprisingly, Leah got picked. So today in carpool, her teacher passed off the cage and supplies. I think Rachel was most excited!

So we got home, and the girls wanted to play with Goldie right away. But alas, she wasn't in the cage! I looked closer, and the cage wasn't put together quite right and there was a gap she could have squeezed out. I don't know when anyone saw her last, so she may have been out for awhile.

I called her teacher and she had already left school but she called the other 2nd grade teacher who went on a hunt, to no avail. I'm pretty sure they think we lost it. I mean -- we don't exactly have the best track record.

So tomorrow, we get to go hamster shopping. Again.

Part 3, May 14, 2011 (Saturday)

We bought a new hamster. Her name is Goldie the Second.

Part 4, May 16, 2011 (Monday)

The teachers found Goldie in the classroom! I just ran up and got her. She is hungry and thirsty, but otherwise okay. I am surprisingly happy!!!! And thankful that now her teachers don't think I'm crazy and totally irresponsible. Hopefully.

But now we have two hamsters. :(

Due to the unexpected return of the original Goldie, the girls decided to rename Goldie the Second. Now we have Isabella.

Part 5, Date Unknown

Late one night Jesse had both hamsters playing together on the Lego table. To his surprise, he discovered they weren't both females. Oops.

We told the girls to NEVER have the hamsters out of the cages at the same time. We said they tend to fight, and we didn't want them getting bitten.

Part 6, A Few Months Later

Leah got a hamster book from a friend who is a vet. She studied the book daily. After awhile, she asked why Isabella's rear end is so much bigger than Goldie's. Oops.

We explained the pet store made a mistake, and Isabella is actually a boy.

Part 7, Sometime After Part 6

Isabella's name changed to Izzy.

Part 8, May 4, 2012

Goldie died. Oh the weeping and wailing. And of course Jesse was out of town.

Thank goodness for awesome neighbors who come respectfully bury a $10 hamster in the back yard.