They Love Those Critters!

"It is a monstrous abuse of the science of biology to teach it only in the laboratory---Life belongs in the fields, in the ponds, on the mountains, and by the seashore."
James G. Needham




I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but even I am beginning to see a pattern here.

It's been going on for years.

It crosses "gender lines."

It covers all species.


Our children LOVE animals. And have forever! 


I love to see animals, but I don't feel the need to touch them. And I certainly don't feel the need to have them as pets! The kids, however, want to invite them all into our house!

It doesn't matter to these kids whether their latest "catch" is young,

or old.

Crustaceans, 

insects,

mammals,

birds,

fish, it doesn't matter to them. I actually had to explain to the girls that we could NOT put this in a big aquarium!

Or this!

How did she even see this tiny little praying mantis?

Ben couldn't just help herd this cow into the chute--he had to ride it.

They're everywhere!

And, of course, they always have to bring them in to show me.

It's on the bar stool!

I try to practice total denial when it comes to these things! I know they live in my house, but if I don't think about it, I can pretend they aren't in the kid's bedrooms. 


Rebekah's birthday is coming up and guess what she wants?! Another snake! And now she's added a chameleon to her wish list!!! EEEEKKKK!

They even tried to convince us that we needed one of these! Where on earth do they think we could put him? How on earth would we feed him?!

The two tiniest finches figured out how to escape their cage, which required the purchase of a new cage. But that left the bigger finch in the first cage all by itself. Of course, that wouldn't work. So this is the newest addition to the aviary. Now everyone has a buddy. I always get sucked into these schemes.

"Cup 'O Toad" is NOT my "cup of tea!"

As Spring approaches, I must steel myself. There are mental and emotional preparations that need to be made. There will be more critters. And they will come into my house. My plan? Make sure they go OUT of my house after their "photo shoot."