So I recited patty-cake, patty-cake to her while I held her in my hand and she looked slightly upset by it, but I didn't take my cue. The next thing I knew, she spit poop out of her mouth right in my face! Of course, the kids are still laughing over it. I guess she must have started pooping (quite a bit, it looks like), bent down, sucked one up, and then shot it at me! Gotta be careful around those hamsters, I guess....
The kids have put up a gerbil/hamster stocking for Santa to fill. My daughter even promised (in a note) to give him chocolate milk if he'd fill it. So "Santa" will do her part. The hamsters are going to get one of those cars to share (since the hamsters live apart, I can't see where it would upset one or the other to smell the other one. Well, at least there'd be no other hamster in the aquarium with which to fight) and the gerbils will get two little ceramic "houses" (they're safe right? I forget the name of the group that makes it - Royal something-or-other...), and the critters will have to share a package of treats, a package of wooden blocks for gnawing, etc. Perhaps I'll throw in the bag of food I bought for the gerbils - make it look like Santa brought it to them. -Jean
