The advice given is very good advice. Tub systems cost next to nothing. If you're willing to invest in the herpstat 2, I am guessing you won't mind dishing out a bit more money to set up a temporary tub. Here is a thread on how to set up a tub for cheap. All you need to buy is a UTH from your local petstore, or if you prefer to work with flexwatt that works as well, and then all that is left is the 15 quart tub! You already have hides, substrate and a thermostat so those are the hard parts already.

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...Basics...*DUW*

How are you measuring temps? If you buy one model of the accurite thermometer/hygrometer, which is $13, you can measure temps and humidity for your snake probably for the rest of its life.

And I dont think anyone really touched on the gender subject. Since your kids are younger, I personally would rather get a male for my kids because they usually dont get as big as females do. Males max out at around 3.5 -4 feet, Females usually grow to 4-4.5 feet if fed properly during its first 18 months. However, ball pythons are generally pretty timid and shy creatures and getting a female would not be a problem either. By the time the snake is bigger, your kids would be used to it already. The reason the feeding response at the beginning of a hatchling's life is because it has most of its growth spurts during the first years of its life so if improper living conditions are given, then your snake may not reach its physical potential. This all sounds pretty exciting and I can tell you are excited as well. Its great to see members on here who are willing to do whatever it takes to make their snakes happy.