Paxton Peace Bunny’s Great Ideas
Actually, they are TREMENDOUS, SUPER-DUPER GREAT ideas!!
With hugs for the Community of Newtown, Connecticut USA and all families who have an empty seat at the dinner table.
Paxton Peace Bunny was a Kinderbunny who lived in a tiny little home in a very big tree in Old Town. He lived with his Momma, his Daddy, his brother and two sisters. It was a simple home filled with the smell of yummy ginger carrots and filled with lots of love and kisses.
Each night the family ate dinner together and because he was the youngest, it was Paxton Peace Bunny’s job to ring the bell to let the family know when the meal was ready.
One night before they ate, Momma Bunny told the family that some Kinderbunnies and Firsties who lived in New Town had been hurt. Some of the little bunnies were hurt so badly that they had gone to heaven. As the Peace Bunny family bowed their heads to give thanks for the food, they also prayed for all bunny families everywhere who had an empty seat at their dinner table that night. Later, as she tucked in the children, Momma Bunny gave each of them super long hugs and even snuggled in their beds awhile. She kissed their ears and nuzzled their necks a little longer. She read an extra bed time story to them. She kissed and kissed them until Paxton Peace Bunny rolled his eyes and said “Momma Bunny, good night already!�
Momma Bunny sang as she turned off the light and left the room, “I love you forever. I like you for always…” “Did you brush your teeth?” Daddy Bunny asked as he kissed Paxton Peace Bunny’s cheeks and gave tickle hugs. Momma Bunny called from the other room, “Settle down in there. I just got Paxton tucked in bed.” Daddy Bunny gave Paxton Peace Bunny another tight hug then he left the room. “Love you kiddo,” he said over his shoulder as he wiped an eye. “Love you more,” Paxton said with a big yawn. “Love you the most-est!” giggled his big sisters from their bedroom because that was how Paxton Peace Bunny said goodnight when he was a baby bunny.
About Caleb’s Rabbits:
Paxton Peace Bunny’s was born in July 2012 and he is already full grown and able to be a daddy bunny. We bought him from a local rabbit breeder when he was about 4 months old. He now weighs approximately nine pounds & is a delightful member of our family. His two sisters (same parents from a different litter months apart) are named Creampuff Aurora Peace Bunny and Star Peace Bunny. They are albino rabbits, so their fur is white and their eyes are pink. We trained all three rabbits to use a litter box so they are neat when we go on field trips and visit schools. Our rabbits are also trained to come running when we call them. (From the time they were little, we made kissing noises when we were going to feed them, so now they are easy to catch).
Just like a parent with a child, we need to make sure we buy and provide good healthy food choices to make sure they have enough energy to play. Each rabbit eats about 6 ounces of dry rabbit food a day, a lot of Timothy Hay and he loves veggies like celery and broccoli leaves. For special treats they also gets carrot tops, and little slices of apples or banana which is funny to watch. We also need to give only as much food as they needs to eat for the amount of exercise they will get because if we fed them as much as they want, they would eat all day long and hog only treats. We follow the rabbit food pyramid just like kids need to follow theirs! We make sure that rabbits get plenty of exercise, including several hours of outdoor play time each day. Sometimes we got old boxes from the grocery store and cut holes to make fun obstacle courses. Paxton means Peace –and that’s how we feel when he sits on our laps and just rests. We are planning to have baby bunnies this spring to give to the schools that have requested bunnies as part of the elementary STEM curriculum (science, technology, engineering and math) and for the Chef Paxton classes. The two girl bunnies can have a litter of 8 to 14 babies EVERY MONTH, so we will only let them play in Paxton’s cage when we have a good home for all babies that would be born. It is important to have a long term plan for all pets because they don’t stay little for very long, they eat a lot, and cages need to be cleaned often. We also needed a plan to pay for expenses (food, water, hay) and a plan for when we go on a vacation. Paxton enjoys hopping all around our fenced yard and he is so precious when he sits to clean his paws and ears. Now that it is winter, he stays more inside his “green” hutch that we built out of a wood desk, a door, recycled wood and plastic tarp. This winter Paxton likes to dig in the snow and to get a running start to slide on the ice in our backyard over and over. He is hilarious! When it is dark we bring them into the garage cages where it is a little warmer and the water won’t freeze as easily. If it’s lower than negative 10 degrees (F) we bring them inside for the night and let them stay in a special indoor cage. It IS Minnesota, doncha know. Thanks for reading about my bunnies!.
NEWTOWN CT, USA Thank you for your gift to the Newtown Rotary Foundation Sandy HookSchool Fund! www.newtownctrotary.org Story and photos by Caleb Smith (8) and his mom, Stephanie Hope Smith (Bloomington Daymakers Rotary, MN) who wrote this story on their flight home from Newtown 12/21/12. Special thanks to the Bachman family for helping with our bunnies when we are out of town, our family for help editing, & Little Enchantments in Minneapolis, MN. Contact: hopefulpeacemaker@gmail.com