Unloving Mammal Mama. Not completely.

I know I told you that last Friday we were having a MOPS Girls Getaway weekend at the lake. But, with all the busy Q & A posts, I wasn't able to share that I canceled it the night before due to the uncooperative weather that was headed our way. And it was a good thing we did, because the cracking thunder and storms would have really rained on our parade. Big Bummer!! But, a gloomy Saturday it wasn't. We changed plans to meet for breakfast at 7:30 and the Quilt Show at 9. Now the Quilt Show... that's a whole different post. As for today, I need to talk about being taken advantage of.

Have you ever felt that feeling? Like someone just worked a creative maneuver move on you and you didn't even see it coming? Like someone's wheels were turning and manipulation was where they were taking you? You see, during breakfast, that Quilt Show morning, as 2 of my friends and I were putting in order our plan of action for our mid morning rendezvous, there was a lull in conversation. That's when it happened.

friend: "Hey, Tiff? You want to bunnysit Harvest for us while we go on vacation this afternoon?"

me: "Um. What?"

friend: "Harvest. He's the bunny we got 2 days ago. He's 2 months old and, well, we can't take him with us to Family Camp and he can't stay in our garage for 4 days, he'll die."

me: "Ahh. What? You have a bunny? What made you want to get a bunny? And you want me to take care of it? And if I don't, you're sayin' he'll die?"

friend: (looking a little taken back but honestly replying with) "Well, Julia and Luke can take care of it."

(in my head I'm invisioning what that might look like)

me: "Sooo. What do Julia and Luke need to do with this new bunny of yours, Becky? And, do I have to pick him up at all?

---Ok, let me try to explain that last question. Growing up I had an assortment of pets. Dogs, parrots, hamsters, and my tabby cat "honey" who I picked out when I was 4 and who lived until my first year in college. And I loved them all. I loved pets. And somewhere between losing "honey" and having our first child, I became this terrible germaphobe who doesn't appreciate the mammal type like before. I'm one that quickly and quietly wards away all lap-pouncing cats or drooling dogs. To all my creature loving friends, I guess I'm letting the cat out of the bag on this one. Sorry.---

I guess my bunny adopting friend was cashing in on the opportunity to use my bunnysitting services in return for her photography skills the entire day of the girls' Carnival party.

me: "Ok, we'll take him. I mean--come on--I know how to take care of bunnies. And actually, I had a bunny growing up. I used to show him in 4H. Then one year, I remember like it was yesterday, 4 days before that year's County Fair I found him [unresponsive] in his cage."

friend: (unresponsive but cracked a slightly forced smile)

So later that afternoon, over came Harvest. I wasn't planning on enjoying our bunnysitting at all, until I laid my eyes on this little guy...

I had no idea how cute this little buggar was going to be, how heartwarming it was going to be watching Julia treat it like her own little babe, and how silly Luke was going to act as to entertain it.

And of course, a bunny needs a blanket. What bunny doesn't?

And would you believe it? After the first day I was loving my new role as bunnysitter. We had such a great 4 days with "Harvey."

And then--just like that--I get a phone call from some lady declaring she is Harvest's real mom who then speeds over and hauls our little guy away. There we stand. Emptyhanded*. And very much feeling like we were taken advantage of.

*Ok, not so emptyhanded. How cute are these awards and paper bunnies? And how delicious was the bunny cake that was delivered the following day piping hot from the oven!!