It's true. Our kids love animals. Corrie cried for almost an entire night when I told her that we were not allowed to have a kitty or puppy in our new house (no pets allowed in our lease).
So, they have taken to expressing their fondness for the animal kind by "creating" their own pets. Mac started with a worm. He named him "Dirt," and he carried Dirt everywhere in an empty pencil sharpener that he found.
Here is a picture of Mac and Dirt swinging together at the park. Mac said, "Mom, this is Dirt's first time on the swings! He loves it!" Sadly, Dirt died after a few short but adventurous days. The miracle was that he actually lived a few days.
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A highlight of the summer was visiting Grandma and Grandpa Johns at the very height of baby toad season. I don't know how many toads the kids managed to squeeze into their tiny little hands at once, but I do know that when I asked Mac to open his hands, about 7 squashed toads fell out. I don't know what was more unnerving, seeing so many little toad arms and legs trying to squeeze out of clenched toddler fists, or looking into the "toad tub" that they collected their toads in.
It seems these days that Corrie has focused her energy on her stuffed animals, especially a little hedgehog that she carries around in her shirt. Unfortunately, Mac has turned his attention to the insect world.
It seems that any empty container Mac can get his hands on is just waiting to be filled with a new "friend."
This new hobby is also a bit unnerving, but I thought it would be fine as long as the rules were clear that bugs are "outside" pets. "Hey," I thought to myself, "we'll be fine as long as we keep those critters outside."
By now I know that there is so much about that line of reasoning that is very, very wrong.
For example, meet Mac's pet spider that he named, "Orange Exclamation Point." Maybe you can't see him too well in the little tub that Mac caught him in because he is so small. I must admit that I thought he was a little bit cute...so tiny...and Mac was loving carrying him around and talking to him and "feeding" him all afternoon.
I guess it was a few hours before I asked Mac, "Why did you name him Orange Exclamation Point?" He said, "Because he has one on his back!"
Wait a minute...
I took a much closer look at the little bug. It did not seem so sweet anymore. I took a picture and zoomed in. Whoa Nelly. Not good!
I put a strong lid over the container and starting googling "spider with orange exclamation point." Eventually, I found an exact match, which about gave me a heart attack and put an immediate end to Mac's short relationship with "Little Orangey."
Even though I hated looking at the picture, I did let Mac make a poster about his tiny friend:
Mac and Corrie are still finding interesting ways to express their longing to care for a little creature of their own. (I keep telling them that they already have a fish, but apparently that doesn't count because I won't let them touch it or carry it around).
This afternoon the kids and I were sitting on the couch reading books, and Mac became distracted by something in the window. Next thing I knew, he was holding a fly and talking to it as it walked along his hand and arm...his new pet..."Fly Guy."
He kept saying things like, "look at him! He's so cute! Look at those beautiful wings." He and Corrie were playing with the fly as it contentedly walked along their hands. I was sure the fly was injured or dying, but it was completely fine! It could fly and everything! I have never seen anything like it.
After letting Corrie have a turn holding his pet, Mac picked up Fly Guy and said, "MOMMY! HE JUST LAID A BABY ON MY FINGER!"
What in the world? I looked at his finger and literally saw a TINY MAGGOT crawling on it!!!!
And Mac was saying, "Oh that is so sweet! Look at that cute baby!"
And that was the end of Fly Guy.
Poor Mac. :(
And now I am thinking that a guinea pig is starting to look pretty good!
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