This is how Jerry Rolls

Here is how Jerry (the hamster) has been rolling lately.  My aspie wakes up, jumps from his bed and checks on Jerry.  He then gives him a yogurt treat, whether Jerry is up or not, then takes him downstairs to play trains, cage and all.  If he has to go to the bathroom, Jerry goes.  If he goes into the kitchen for a drink, Jerry goes.  If the dogs get to close to Jerry, our aspie screams, "Stay back you miscreant!"  (From the Ice Age movie.)  When we go anywhere in the car, to school, therapy, or the grandparents, Jerry goes cage and all.  And when it's time for bed, Jerry is taken to his bedroom and place on the desk where he can be seen at any moment during the middle of the night if my aspie wakes up.  And, thanks to the wonderful teachers at my aspies pre-school, Jerry even got to go to school for show-and-tell last Thursday.  He was so excited he could hardly stand it!  His teacher said he gave her hugs all day thanking her for letting him bring Jerry!  On the way home he stated that Jerry liked going to school and like his new friends but didn't like it when all his friends surrounded him, just like him. 

Now normally I would be oh so happy with how amazingly attentive my son it being to this hamster.  I would be describing how this little critter is the first thing that my son has shown really emotional attachment to besides of course trains.  I would be bragging about how my aspie will get dressed without a fight if I say Jerry can come with us.    But instead though, I am going to tell you how the Jerry situation has sent me straight to the cabinet to take another anti-anxiety pill. Why? Because Jerry is knocking on death's door literally every minute of every day.  Poor Jerry is living in the house of hell, if you are a three inch long hamster.  With three dogs, two cats, a two foot terror baby and an over attentive aspie, this thing sees horror around every corner. 

If you look through the eyes of a hamster this is what you would see:

1. My aspie's hand inside your cage re-arranging your food bowl, treats, alfalfa carrot, fluffing your wood chips, etc.  You actually do not get a great rest, because my aspie would be too concerned that your housing arrangements are not just right.
2. Charlie the dog staring at you, just waiting for the opportunity to snap and finally have you in his mouth.  (Charlie looks at Jerry drooling as if he is a big fat juicy steak, in a the modern day Tom in Jerry style comedy.)
3. You would be constantly moving.  (Since Jerry goes everywhere with my son, his caged is constantly being moved, slid, and spun so that he will be in my aspie sight at all times.)
4. You will see and ride in the car.  I am not sure if hamster get car sick, but I sure hope not, because he goes in the car when we go in the car, if we are not going to the store, since we would not leave him unattended.  But, if mommy hits the brakes a little to hard, Jerry goes flying through his cage, since there is no hamster size seat belt.  My aspie has requested one, but we have not found one as of yet.....and never will.
5. Cats looking into your cage when your cage has been sitting still long enough.  (My cats do hunt mice, and since he is just an over sized mouse, if given the chance, I fear Jerry will become a trophy that I will find next to their food bowl in the morning...)
6. The baby.  Enough said. 
7. My aspie screaming into your cage because you must have not heard him when the first 52 times he called your name.
8. The tub.  (My aspie one night thought that Jerry needed to take a tubbie with him and the baby.  Of course I was in there to stop the catastrophe from unfolding, but it took lots of convincing to not toss the cage into the bathtub with him.)  
9. My husband trying to pick you up at my aspie's request.  Now, my hubbie loves Jerry like the rest of us, but if Jerry unexpectedly bites him I am not sure that my husband instant reaction wouldn't be to throw him across the room.  It's not that my husband would do it in anger but more reaction.  This is the man that punches out in his sleep if I try to roll him over when he is snoring too loud.  This is the man that went running line backer style through the house when I woke him up telling him that our dog was sick, but to him it sounded like I said ninja's were breaking in.  Let's just say, his reaction is to fight, not flight...and Jerry wouldn't stand a chance. 
10. The ball.  This is how Jerry has been rolling as of late.  We got him a ball so that he could roll around the house and get a little more exercise.  This has become my aspie's favorite thing for Jerry.  This way, Jerry can "follow" him and he can carry him a little more easily than in the cage.  Of course I only let Jerry be in the ball for 15-30 minutes at a time, but my son is constantly at his cage with the ball trying for him to climb in because "he likes it." 

And there you have it...Jerry's life with us in a nut shell.  My son loves Jerry more than anything else right now, and he has been in our life for over a week now, which is better than the fish...:(  I am sure that Jerry will live a long a healthy life with us here in the house of crazies.  But if something should happen, I have lots of pictures of him, and I am sure the hubs will visit ever pet show this side of the Mississippi to get a new "Jerry."