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Old 01-22-2024, 11:59 PM
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Default How weird are you?

Apparently I am pretty weird.

My DIL was talking about what kind of newborn photos to get when the baby comes, family or prop, and I said get both. She said it's too expensive for both, but as I told her, the way I see it, newborn photos happen once, so get it all.

I told her back when my son was a baby and we took them to JC Penney and Sears for photos, I would take different outfits, and some props, and change him and have them take as many photos as I wanted. When I made the appointment, I always told them what I planned and paid a little extra, but I got what I wanted.

Her reply was who does that? It's kind of weird that you took outfit changes for studio photos. To which my son replied that is nothing. Ask her about the hamster and guinea pig.

Of course a hamster and guinea pig have nothing to do with newborn photos, but are apparently more proof that I am weird.

When my mom's hamster got sick, I took it to the vet. When I made the appointment with the vet, even though they were a small animal vet, who advertised they took hamsters, they asked me if I was sure I wanted to pay for an $75 office visit for a hamster. I told them I was sure and took in Cole.

The vet came back with the awful news that Cole had cancer and there was no treatment. My mom was crushed because he was a great little companion for her. Anyway, they told me they would bring him out and I could take him home and "put him down."

What? There was no way I was taking that little guy home and doing that, so I asked if they could euthanize him instead. Again, they were like, that is expensive for something you could do yourself. But to me, it wasn't more expensive to have him humanly put to sleep than to come home and kill our pet. So I paid $150 to put down a hamster. And I don't regret it one bit.

Again, my DIL said that was crazy. She would have just hit it with a hammer or something. I felt kinda sick hearing that. To me killing something like that is what's crazy. And cruel. And sick.

Then she asked if I had put down a guinea pig too. I said no. And my son, who was laughing, told me to tell her about that. So I did.

My son got a guinea pig for Christmas from my mom. I didn't know a thing about guinea pigs, so I did some research. During the research I found out that they are pack animals and need a companion. So I packed up my son and the guinea pig and off to Pet Smart we went.

When we got there, I told the store clerk that I needed a guinea pig for my guinea pig. At first he thought I was returning it for a different one, but I explained it needed a friend. He said, "well, just go pick out one." To which I explained that since I would not be living with the guinea pig, I had brought ours with me so she could pick out her friend. He, too, thought I was crazy.

Still, he got all the females out and put them into a open pen in the shop. When we put Cocoa in with them, she went right to one and cuddled up with her. They they started chattering away. That was the one we got.

Cocoa and Chanel lived happily together for almost ten years and then passed away within a week of each other. And yes, I took them to the vet more than once.

Again, I was told I was nuts and the kids laughed at me even more.

When I was coming home, it bothered me that my kids think I am crazy for these thing, when they just made sense to me. Is that what crazy is, thinking something that everyone else thinks is weird, just makes sense?

That's when I hit on weird and decided that was better than crazy, and further decided I was okay with being a little weird. Frankly, I am okay with me, but I also know that I am an emotional thinker, not a logical one, which was pointed out to me in college by my Logics professor. I did not do well in that class.

Anyway, this has been on my mind all day, so I thought I would share to get it out there and find out if I really am that weird.

Would any of you have euthanized a hamster or let a guinea pig choose it's companion or taken different outfits to a "Sears" photo shoot? There are other examples, I am sure, but those are the ones my son seems to remember best. LOL

So please go ahead and share some of the unique, off the beaten path, things you have done that make your family laugh at you. I promise, I will not make fun of you or use the word crazy.
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Old 01-23-2024, 01:38 AM
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No, not weird at all.

I almost had one of my chickens euthanised. She was slowly dying and I couldn't bear to drag it out so I rang the vet and arranged to take her in. She died before I got there though. I can't bear animals suffering... I'm the person who will pick a worm up off a footpath and move it to dirt or grass so so it won't get trodden on.
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Old 01-23-2024, 02:12 AM
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Asking someone to put down their own pet is weird to me! I could never do that. I'd gladly pay the $150 for someone else to handle that. And I always brought multiple outfits for the boys for studio photo shoots. I don't think that's weird at all. I didn't usually bring my own props, but Sears, JC Penney and Olan Mills always had plenty.

My husband caught a mouse in one of those "humane" mouse traps that doesn't kill the mouse. None of us had the guts to dispose of it so we ended up with a pet mouse in a cage as a pet.
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Old 01-23-2024, 06:39 AM
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Not weird at all!
I take my son to a professional photographer once a year to get a 'mommy and me' photoshoot.
The first time, I brought two outfits. The second time I brought three different outfits. As a prop, I brought his teddybear. The photographer herself had lots of props as well.
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Old 01-23-2024, 09:29 AM
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First off...being a biologist who works with animals everyday...you are absolutely not weird for wanting your animals to be treated humanely. They are your pets and part of your family and its your responsibility to treat them with love and care. Its also not weird to have your guinea pig select its companion. Your care for it in letting it choose a friend she will get along with just shows how intuitive you are with the needs of your pet. Letting her choose caused her way less stress and in the long run made her and her friend way happier. Not weird at all. Honestly I'd be more worried about someone saying you should hit it with a hammer...that hurts my heart to hear.

As for outfits... I agree if you want to make a couple of changes so you have awesome newborn pics that you will never be able to take again then its not weird. You just want to remember those moments well.

I'm weird because I don't like my food touching on my plate. My family laughs at me as I struggle every Thanksgiving!
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Old 01-23-2024, 09:34 AM
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I think you are compassionate and have a huge heart, Lorie! I love that you love your animals like this and can't bear to think of them suffering. I'm like this too--they deserve our care, comfort and compassion. And as for the photo thing, I think it's weird to NOT do all the outfits and poses and props! I've been known to throw a party JUST SO I can use a particular kit to scrap the photos, and I'm not ashamed of that. Keep being your weird, warm-hearted and lovely self, and who cares what anyone else thinks! Weirdos forever!
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Old 01-23-2024, 09:36 AM
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ALSO, this makes me a super-weirdo--I transplant volunteer seedlings all the time, because I can't bear to think about how much effort they've been making to grow for me to just pull them up and throw 'em in the compost. I talk to my seedlings and love them so much, so yeah, I'm weird too.
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Old 01-23-2024, 10:29 AM
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Having respect and compassion for all living creatures is absolutely not crazy or even weird. Maybe those who do not share your views are the weird ones.
But, really? Hit it on the head with a hammer? Ugh!
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Old 01-23-2024, 11:28 AM
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I have taken a hamster to the vet- paid for the vet visit and yes, euthanization. I always wondered if they actually humanely put her down when we left or if THEY just used a hammer and kept the money. Ugh. Is that weird?

Bringing outfit changes for photo shoots is normal! I did the same thing when I got my son's portraits.

Lori... I think it's pretty clear that your son & DIL are the weird ones. Rest easy! LOLOLOL
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Old 01-23-2024, 11:32 AM
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hitting it with a hammer?!?! yikes... :O

I took my guinea pig to the vet when I was a kid because I had gotten it from a pet store and a couple weeks later she started getting so big so I thought she was pregnant. The vet was kind of rude to me (I was I think 12?) and said no.. not pregnant and sort of laughed it off. A couple weeks later there were 2 baby guinea pigs in the cage :P
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Old 01-23-2024, 01:11 PM
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See, this is why I shared with you all. You have made me feel so much better about all this. Intuitive and compassionate are much better words!

The hammer thing got me too. But her parents were very abusive, so she may have had experiences that make that seem okay? Honestly, my son takes care of all the living things at their house because she loses interest in animals after the baby stage. He will also be the main caregiver of the baby, since he works from home which I think is a very good thing. Don't get me wrong, DIL is a really good, caring person, but she is best with babies and the elderly. In between those two stages, for both animals and people, she is less enamored.

To be fair to my son, he laughs at me, but agrees with what I do and thought it was great at the time that Cocoa got to pick her friend. He just thinks I am too kind hearted and tend to spoil people and pets. He tells me to try not to spoil the baby and I just laugh.

After they lived with me this summer, their dog Rosie, decided not to move with them. She became so attached to me and Jelly, that she made it clear she didn't want to leave. And Jelly and I did not want her to leave either.

Now, when they come to visit, she is excited to see them and enjoys their company, but when they get ready to leave, she runs to me. They both feel a bit betrayed, but like my son says, he gets it. I give my "babies" a good life. Now Rosie is a little too fat, happy and sassy, just like Jelly and me. LOL

My DIL calls her a little traitor all the time. I tell her she just knows where the good food, homemade dog food, and big yard, fenced in with a doggy door to it, are. Plus I play with her everyday, which they did not do that much.

My son has asked me not to steal the baby away, and I told him that I was already making a bedroom for him so he can stay as much as he wants. But he will have to go home at some point because I do have to work. Otherwise, I couldn't make any promises. LOL
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Old 01-23-2024, 02:45 PM
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I see nothing wrong with having multiple outfits for a baby's photo shoot. I mean if a bride can have 2 or 3 changes on her wedding day, why not do the same for a baby!
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Old 01-23-2024, 06:21 PM
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I would absolutely do the same as you for any pets, big or small.

I bring my dogs into a vet's office before any visit so they can sniff the place out and let me know if they are comfortable. Then they meet staff and if my aussie is not doing her wiggle butt for them then they aren't the vet for us.
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Old 01-24-2024, 11:47 AM
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Not weird, on either thing.

I always took different outfits for Keira when she was small and even the last time I went to Penny's for family photos, way back in 2008, DH, myself, Keira and Cooper changed outfits.

It's terrible to watch a pet suffer and start to waste away, both of our cats that we had 15 plus years, we had to have them both put to sleep. Of course they would have eventually gone on their own, but why watch them suffer.

Now, I didn't pay extra to take the remains home or a paw print, but they have memorial stones in our front flower bed.
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Old 01-24-2024, 03:34 PM
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My critters usually die of old age, which still sucks, but makes me feel that I have taken care of them right. They are my besties.
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Old 01-24-2024, 05:15 PM
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Not werd t all.

What's weird is the suggestion of your DIL, or it might be a joke for her, that she would just hammer the hamster. Full Body Chills.

When I was young, we had hamsters and rabbits and we will just wait for them to die naturally.

There was this one time that I picked up a puppy a week before we moved because she was following me on my bike. I brought her home and we brought her to the vet and she was admitted for having been dehydrated and she has a problem with her stomach. The nurse was surpised that be brought a stray puppy and was willing to pay for her hospitalization. I mean, that's a living being right, so I cannot just let her die if there's something that can be done.
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Old 01-25-2024, 02:31 PM
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You are not weird at all! Taking a beloved pet to the vet is the kind and compassionate thing to do. And don't get me started on photos. I always took multiple outfits for baby/toddler photos. I even spent exorbitant amounts to do to Sadie's (did your mall have them) and do the photos with seasonal props like a Harley/garage in June, a kissing booth for Valentine's day and a whole classic Christmas setup with a fireplace at Christmas. One year I even brought the dogs along. Worth every penny. We did the annual pics with bunnies and chicks at Easter until Connor was in jr high and I got push back.
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Old 01-25-2024, 10:36 PM
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You are not the slightest bit weird! I'm not a pet person, and I would absolutely have brought the hamster to the vet and paid the extra for it to be euthanized. My one "weird" animal thing that my family makes fun of me for is that I won't kill bugs when they get into the house. I catch them in something and then release them outside.

I never did the change of clothes at a photographer, but that's because of the tolerance of my family members for photos. I knew I was pushing my luck asking them to cooperate even without the "annoyance" of having to change clothes.
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Old 01-27-2024, 02:29 PM
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First, the hamster and guinea pig stories just show love and compassion for actual living creatures. Hitting a pet with a hammer is actually freaking horrifying to me. Like scary.

I worked at JC Penny portraits for fun when my son was born. I did not bring extra outfits but I went in every 3 months for new pictures since it was cheap for me. I would not have questioned anyone bringing extra outfits for a newborn. There were not changing rooms or time for changing of outfits for older kids though.

Hmm, I think I am weird with many things but I am ok with that. My husband is horrified that I will brush & floss my teeth in shower but for me, its just more time standing in a warm, relaxing shower instead of standing in front of a sink.
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Old 02-02-2024, 08:14 PM
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You’re not weird at all. I found myself frowning at the coldness of the vet and your DIL!
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Old 02-11-2024, 11:23 PM
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Nothing weird about any of those things!

I took multiple outfits for my daughter. That was the thing back then. I didn't take my son for pictures but by then I took them myself so I got exactly what I wanted.

I can't imagine putting down an animal myself. I live on a farm now and we have had animals that needed to be culled. My husband did it, very humanely. These are livestock, not pets though. The pets... vet for sure! We have had hamsters, rats, and a variety of other small animals.
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