January 1, 1999

The boys are boys if you catch my drift. I've seen bulges in their "area" the last couple days, but today, the first day we party like it's 1999, the Time's Square ball isn't the only ball a droppin'. This picture is of dusty, and entitled appropriately enough, "dustballs."

Now when I let the babies out, I'll usually take a couple and put them on the couch (where they can't get off). When I let them out in the hallway, zip, zing, swoop, they're all over the place. I can't keep up with them. Putting the back in their cage is almost a chore, because they're all over the place and I've got to find them. I put each on in the cage, one by one, closing the door each time, then put the next one in without letting the others spill out. Every time I look at them, I can't believe these are the same little pink balls of flesh that I found squeaking under Brook on December 6th.

Brook is doing great. I put her out in the living room to run around sometimes now because the babies bother her a lot for milk and their squeaking can get loud. I think it bugs her now, although I've seen her still feeding them. They're so big, watching them lie on their backs under her is funny. They're half her size now. She's getting good at going where I don't want her too, like on top of this barrier between the hall and my room, where I let Claude, Luke and Monty run around.

The two black girls are the only ones I get mixed up now. They look identical. I was calling one socks, but I guess it was both of them I was doing that to. One of the socks girls is a little more friendly, always climbing on my whenever I'm near, but I can't tell which one it is.

Dusty is identical to his mom, so I'm glad his "boys" are dropping. He actually wrestles with her too, and since he's getting close to her size, it's kind of weird to watch. He sits with me at my desk a lot now too, but always wants to climb onto my desk, which is a no-no for all the rats. He's just a baby still, and hasn't learned that yet.

Here are my two favorites, Dusty and GG, the golden girl. This picture is called "Golddust." I can't believe this beautiful little girl came from Brook and Felix. Not that they couldn't have such a good looking kid, but just that she looks nothing like either. I assume she's from her mom's side, because I'm pretty sure Felix's parents were a Berkshire and an albino. But when I got Brook, there were no other rats that looked like this. They all looked like Brook, or were black.

I just love this little girl!