Some hiccups...

  Sorry for the unexplained absence! I was without cell data for three weeks. Hooray for new internet service!!! The only problem I'm running into now is that there are several posts I have lined up, but they're pointless without photos, and for some reason I can not get photos to load properly. Once I get the photo issue resolved, the postings will become more regular. For now, we'll just have to settle for words only posts. :)

  What have you missed in the last 3 weeks? Well, for starters, we added a new member to the family! His name is Spike, and he's a red eared slider turtle. He's about 2.5 inches long*, and he is very entertaining. When we picked him out, my oldest son was pointing to him in the tank, and Spike started swimming straight toward him. He seems pretty content in his temporary aquarium, swimming around, occasionally climbing up onto the rocks. I mention it's temporary because we must get him a larger tank, and very soon. These guys can grow up to 12 inches! Turtles require quite a bit of care to stay healthy, and part of it is having a roomy tank with plenty of space for swimming and a dry area with a UV light for basking. Since we keep our home pretty cool, he will need a water heater and thermometer for monitoring.

  Once I get the photo issues resolved, I'm planning a few posts where I will share my reviews of various things I've tried recently- cleaning recipes, food recipes, and more, so please hang in there with me while I get this straightened out!

* Turtles less than 4 inches long can not legally be sold as pets, only for educational purposes. As homeschoolers, we felt that caring for a turtle would be a great learning experience for our entire family. If you are considering adding a turtle to your family, please take the time to fully research all of the turtle's needs as well as preparing for an entire lifetime of care. Red eared sliders can live as long as 50-70 years in some cases, with 20+ years being common, so it is a big commitment.