Random Tid Bits

1. I'm ready for the school year to be done, but am nervous when fall rolls around.
   
2. I know I can teach online, but my first year students don't get their laptops until mid semester. They are going to try and figure out what it would take, for them to get their laptops early.
   
3. Isaak hasn't shown any more signs, on being allergic to this little cuddly boy. I swear he sat on my arm under this washcloth, which he thinks is his blanket for 20 minutes or more.
   
   
   
   
   
4. My first year students are working on stationery sets, for a company they made redid a logo for. Their logos looked pretty good. Their understanding of stationery is questionable. I even made my own to explain it. One guy must of never looked at my examples. He had the company's address in the center, instead of top left. He used my info for the business card, when I told them to research the company its self. I just want to scream, "Look at my examples!"
   
5. Mica's officially done with his big health care model, PowerPoint, and Word file. He presented to the class, University of Nebraska - Omaha (they mentored the students), Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Forward, and a small group from Multiple Sclerosis Society. He did really well. BUT while he was presenting he had a battery explode on his project. Thank goodness, he just had to show the project in his PowerPoint. It did kind of distract him, when he heard a big bang. 

Sunny Cuddles

We have a bit of a problem...

Isaak might be allergic to Sunny, the Gecko. I'm hoping it's his food he could be allergic to. We hold him in the evening because he's nocturnal. Once Isaak's eyes swelled up like crazy afterwards. Another time his lip looked all puffy afterwards. He needs to wash his hands no matter if he's allergic to him, or not. But it could Sunny be a problem, for him?

Or is it just a coincidence, and he has seasonal allergies?

I never thought that allergies to a lizard could be a thing. I'm the queen of allergies, and Sunny is one of the few pets I can actually have.

He usually climbs up on my shoulder, but one night he cuddled up to me, for a long time. I never thought lizards would cuddle ever.

Here's Isaak cuddles:

Here he is in the day time sleeping away, and splooting (laying flat with his arms sprawled out): 

His little claws tickle when he walked on you.

Sometimes when he senses you, while he's sleeping his eyes pop open.

We'll have to keep an eye on Isaak. I'm going to be pretty sad if he is allergic to him. To be honest lizards in my opinion are easier to care for than fish. That is once their setup is established. Their habitat can be a pain to get the way you and they need. Their area has to be cleaned way less than a fish tank. Their food is easy to raise. Cost wise after their tank is established, they are affordable too.

Log Home

If you remember from Sunny's Tipi post I had his new setup:

One day we'll get it right. Changing their setup can be stressful on them. That's why I thought he wasn't pooping AGAIN. Turns out he was using his new tipi for his outhouse. 

That log Travis found. The yellow on it is wax. Sunny can fit through it. 

Splooting and sleeping...again. He's nocturnal.

He loved hanging out there. But we had to take it out.

Travis said, "There must be some bug in it. It's creating a mound of sawdust under the log!" I said, "We don't want Sunny to get anything. Take it out, and shake it. Look to see if you can see a bug." He did just that. I said, "If there's a mound of sawdust again we know a bug is still in there. Can we put the log in the oven to kill the bug?" He said, "No the yellow stuff is wax." 

The sawdust happened again. Out went the log! 

I'm kind of sad he doesn't have it. I hate where we keep changing things on him. I don't want him to get a parasite from whatever the bug is! 

I've learned that there's a lot to learn with pets! I've never had anything but a frog and fish. 

Sunny's #tipi #teepee #leopardgecko #diy #craft #gecko

Our Leopard Gecko Sunny got an upgrade tank. He had a 10 gallon. After doing some research we found out it is just too small! He needs a warm side of the tank, and a cool side. He should have 3 or 4 hides: One on each side + a moist hide when he sheds.

On Facebook Market Place I kept my eye out for an upgrade. Finally I saw one! A 30 gallon tank for $30. We had to buy a top cover, but that was a good price. I got some non adhesive shelf paper, for the base. He was in the tank as soon as Travis cleaned it up.

We filled it up fast.

I had this ingenious idea of making Sunny a Tipi, for a hide.

I seriously decided his tipi plans on Christmas Eve Day. I went out to get the material. Then on Christmas I started making it. I kind of felt like he deserved nicer things, than he had.

I knew I needed some kind of base just to help hold the sticks where I wanted them to be. I used the lid to Orange Slices bought at Walmart - God I love those things!

Then I figured out that most tipis online have 6 sticks. Kitchen skewer sticks are the perfect size for Sunny's tipi, so I used them. I just stabbed holes with a knife tip, and stabbed the skewers through. Then I tied the top with hemp rope, and secured it with Elmer's Glue.

After the anatomy to the tipi was made I had to cut out the canvas, and I started sewing. I sewed around all the skewer sticks, and I sewed the door open.

When I was all done, I took the base out. BUT it was too flimsy, so Travis was nice enough to cut out a masonite base. He glued the skewer sticks to it. I think that's great because it's less likely to tip over. 

I debated on using fabric paint to make a pattern, sew beads on (he just licks, doesn't eat things off like that), or add the God's Eye I made last year out of toothpicks and embroidery floss. I went with the God's Eye. It was the perfect size, and I liked the colors. It was originally made to be a Christmas ornament. 

I worried a bit with the top of the skewers, but Sunny doesn't climb in his tank. Only when he's being held. He'll climb up to your/my shoulder every time. The tipi is really steep. We didn't place it near anything where he could get from one thing, to the top of the tipi. 

Here was his new set up:

I couldn't see him enjoy it because he was sleeping under Travis' sculpture hide. I learned a new word lately. When an animal lays all flat like to sleep it's called, "Splooting". Sunny sploots all the time!

It didn't take long before I heard Travis say, "Sunny is in your Tipi! Come look! It's the cutest thing!"

Sure enough he was checking out the tipi. 

Do you see the back corner? That's where he typically poops.

It was days where we didn't see any poop in his poop spot. He always poops there. I was thinking, Here we go again! Do we need to start giving him baths, and put him back on meds? Then it dawned on me...I bet he's shitting in his tipi! I told Travis to check!

Sure enough...there was about 5 poops in his tipi.

His tipi is his outhouse! He likes to poop in private.

What's the craziest thing you've ever made?

WW: Sunny's House {Linky}

We decided to put Isaak's Eitech Teifoc House in our Gecko - Sunny's tank. It fit!

He loved it a lot! 

He'd eat, sleep, and smile in his new home.

The only problem, was that Sunny never wanted to leave his home. We couldn't get him to come out all week. He wouldn't even come out to get drinks of water. 

Sleeping away!

Even though it's supposed to stress Gecko's out to change their tank set-up, the house has now been removed. He has one of Travis' small sculptures in his new tank set-up. He's a bit more active in and around it.

Have you ever had a pet that took you awhile to figure out?

Random Tid Bits

1. I've been tired, since Daylight Savings Time hit! Lights out early, so is my brain power. I've even bumped up my Vitamin D3.


2. Isaak's been put in 2 groups at school. One group doesn't seem like they'll listen to him. The other group had one sleeper and another one that left the group to go do what they wanted. He's pretty frustrated. I don't blame him. While it's important to learn to work with people, middle school is a rough time even without being in groups.
   
   I was in a group in middle school where boys were violating my space. One put his pencil on my chair and said, "Sit and spin!" Then he kept putting his hand on my upper leg. You could say I hated groups at that moment! BUT I asked the teacher if I could switch, and said the boys were doing things to me that wasn't acceptable. He didn't ask questions, he let me switch groups. I got in a group with one of my best friends at the time. We're still friends. It was a negative situation that turned positive.


3. Mr. Sunny is now pooping regularly. YAY! Not Vet follow-up.
   
   We actually have seen him grow. His tail is thickening up. Such a good thing! The Vet said his tail was too thin. His diet has expanded. He used to only eat 2 small mealworms every other day. Now he eats 1 superworm, and 2 small mealworms, or 1 cricket, and 2 small mealworms. We're attempting to breed mealworms and superworms. He could eat roaches, but after a fun back prick allergy test I know that's something I'm allergic too.
   
   
   
   
   
4. I had a student that came to me and said, "I'm sorry I wasn't in class. I had a reaction to a med I was taking." I asked, "Can I ask what med you had problems with?" She said, "Well I had an allergy flair up, so I took Claritin D, an Equate Allergy, a Zyrtec, and a Montelukast. No one could wake me up."
   
   If you know anything about allergy meds, she basically took 3 of a similar med; overdosing! Montelukast is the generic of Singular. It's, it's own bird. Basically it's primarily for Asthma. The rest of what she took are all the same type of drug!
   
   I don't worry about drugs with students as much as I do with them mixing drugs! I hear all the time about them being on an anti depressant, and drinking on top of that. Not good!
   
   
5. It might not stay this way, but as of right now Isaak has higher grades than Mica. Mica found out he had all A's mid way through. I think that went to his head. 

Poop Already!

The oh so cute Sunny AKA our Leopard Gecko is backed up. When we got him he had blue sand in his tank. After researching, we found that sand even if it has calcium in it isn't good for him to digest. They lick everything.

We reset up his tank to have coconut substrate in it made for lizards. I read that, that was ok.

He's pooped, but it had blue in the poop. Now it's been 2 weeks, since Sunny has pooped.

At first I was just like, "I don't know how much he actually needs to poop. Maybe there's poop that's hiding in his tank."

We've researched some more. Any loose stuff in their tank isn't good. Out went the coconut substrate. He now has a cork board, for the ground. He has fun things to hide under, and climb on.

Travis didn't believe me at first, but to help Sunny's body relax, and keep up hydration he needs some warm baths. In the water he goes. We've been watching him, so he doesn't drown. He just needs water to hit his under belly. Then if your lizard likes you, you can rub his tummy to help him. I did that. He didn't seem to mind. After that Olive Oil can be applied to his lips (we used a q-tip), and put in his drinking water. We did that. Still no poop!

We only have to take him to the vet if his eyes seem sunken in, and he's not active at all.

There were mixed reviews on feeding him, or not. We laid off on feeding him one day, but fed him the next. Then we followed up with more Olive Oil.

We decided to take him in to see a Lizard Veterinarian. It was $60 for the visit, and $10 for a laxative.

After he had the laxative one day he pooped. YAY! $25 for them to test his poop sample. Then they want a follow up. I just want him to be regular. If he can become regular, I'm all for skipping the follow up. Ha!

Moral of the story:

Leopard Geckos do best with a hard surface, for a ground. No sand, no substrate. Just newspaper, paper towel, and Scotch Brite Pads (Smooth Surface, not Rough). I think cork board will be just fine. It can be taken out, and washed.

Have you ever had problems with an animal? If so what was your problem?

Rescued Gecko

When we got Mr. Sunny, Isaak's Leopard Gecko I was told by my student that had him, "He eats 2 meal worms every other day. He's afraid of crickets."

We found a few small crickets from outside, and tried to feed him them. They hopped around awhile in his tank, but he snapped them up when they slowed down. Now that he knows what they taste like, and has gotten over the fact that they are new to him, he loves them. He wiggles his tale all excited like, and snaps them up! It could be that my student tried to feed him too big of crickets. I'm not sure.

We were feeding him 2 mealworms one day, and a cricket the next day. He ate them right up. It got to a point where Isaak put 2 crickets in his tank, and de snapped both of them up!

I said, "We should read how much Leopard Geckos are supposed to eat." I was just kind of going off what my student said. Even so he still seemed hungry. He'd watch whoever had his food like he was thinking, Feed me!

Based on Sunny's length, he should have 3 meal worms one day, and 2 crickets the next day. Poor little guy was being underfed! It's kind of good we've been building back up his appetite. No one can go from not eating much, to eating a whole bunch more.

We also read that the blue sand he had in his tank before was bad for him. Geckos lick a lot. The sand could be poison to his insides. The sand can be used, for bigger lizards. It just isn't supposed to be used for little guys like Sunny. Most of the time in the desert lizards are on hard dirt surfaces. We got him coconut mulch, which is too big for him to eat.

He's our rescued Gecko!

Random Tid Bits

1. I survived yet another busy midterm week: Grades are in, projects are accounted for, everyone earned their grades, they are all passing, except one that's dropping.
   
   I do have a non motivated student in my Design and Layout class. I kind of chewed him out when he presented. I told him that it's his job to get motivated. He can do that by working in what he likes to do. He sketches fun images a lot. I said, "Work those into your projects!" The other students backed me up. It was overall positive.
   
   I have a group of 3 students in first year that clown around too much. Sometimes I wish I could say, "Ok you sit here, and you over there." It's not elementary, so what shall I do? No one that's serious wants to hear them horsing around. They are spending way too much on their education to piss it away. I'm torn on how to handle this - always.
   
   I do have to hang a big project, and will hopefully do that on Monday. 


2. Our window sills are totally full of tomatoes. It got cold enough that it snowed in Omaha today. Nothing stuck. Travis pulled off all the tomatoes last night. Otherwise they'd be useless, with a freeze. It's like we skipped fall all together.
   
   
   
   
   
   I called in for pizza last night. It's been awhile, since I've had off from cooking something. I didn't escape the work. Tomatoes were waiting to be processed. I made a mess in the process, so I had to scrub the floor afterwards.


3. Things are about to get super hectic! This weekend my one and only niece Kailey is getting married, Isaak has two soccer games (one is a makeup game). Travis goes out of town to pick up some sculptures and his Mom is having surgery Monday and Tuesday. I have a Program Advisory Meeting on Tuesday after work. I leave work early on Wednesday to go to Mica's conferences across town. Thursday Isaak gets braces, we have Isaak's conferences, and I'm getting allergy shots. All the rest of this month is nuts like that. 


4. I had to confront the boss man with a not so nice email. I was going to confront him face to face, but the meeting we were supposed to have never happened. He wanted me to teach 4 classes next semester. The class he wanted me to take on is Web. Not something I feel like I'm qualified to teach. He wanted my co-worker to help me. I was supposed to be quiet, and not tell my co-worker. He doesn't take change well. He sits right by me. I brought up many points. The biggest one was that I dislike how employees are put against each other. I mentioned that we all have our assets. Without me things wouldn't be as creative as they are, without my co-worker things wouldn't work as well as they do, and so on. I still have the busy schedule of three classes, but that's much better than four! My college teachers always taught only one course. They'd teach it a few times, but it was a repeat. 


5. Isaak's gecko Sunny is always wiggly when he’s first held, but two nights ago he calmed down. I fed him when Isaak was doing his homework. He did seem to know food was coming his way. He got off his rock, and walked towards the front of his tank. His food just sat there. Isaak came in a few hours later, picked up his worms with a tweezer, and he ate it right up. Maybe he just knows I’m not his master. Isaak’s a good father to his gecko Sunny.

WW: Meet Sunny {Linky}

Isaak has been begging to get a pet. The trouble is...we are always busy, I'm allergic to anything furry or feathery. I was told to never get a dog or cat. There really isn't such a thing as a hyper allergenic dog or cat. There are some breeds that are better with allergies than others. Sadly I have allergies and asthma, so dogs and cats are out.

I have a student that was trying to get rid of her Leopard Gecko. She has a few other animals that require attention, she goes to school and work.

I took in Mr. Leopard Gecko. That same night I told Travis to call in for pizza. Isaak's sent me a meme to bring home pizza, but the night he did that we had something in the slow cooker.

When I got home I said, "Isaak I have a surprise for you." I pulled out the pizza.

To his surprise I next pulled out a tank with a Leopard Gecko in it. I call him a Therapy Gecko. Isaak kept getting worked up that he didn't ever have a pet. Now he has one.

Isaak said he was going to name him a color he is. The Gecko is speckled all over. His name is "Sunny".

Sunny is not as cuddly as a cat or dog, but we love him.

Even I have held Sunny.

Sunny is nocturnal, so he's the most active at night. He loves hanging out on his new petrified rock - lepidodendron stigmaria. 

I think he loves what we've done to his tank. He did have blue sand. I read that sand isn't great for little lizards. They lick it, and it gets into their digestive track.