The Problem With Pets

Will wants a pet.

That sounds nice and I really want him to have something to play with, but we have a problem with pets around here.

For starters, we can't have cats because Joel is Allergic. His eyes turn red, and his airways close up if he's around them very long. Also, and Shannon, I'm so sorry to say this, but I honestly believe that Cats are the spawns of Satan. They are evil looking little creatures that give me the willys.

Then there are Dogs. Will has asked several times if he could have a puppy. I believe he sees the perfect fairy tale dogs from Clifford and he thinks that he'll have a dog that plays and talks to him. To this I ask, "isn't that what Freddie is for?'

I don't mind when other people have dogs, however I have personal ownership issues with the canine species. For starters, they Bark- Loudly-. I'm a light sleeper and I can't have a dog either in my house or my back yard barking all night long. I'd wake up everytime. Then there's the issue with dogs and their poop.

Just a side note... I think that the only people who use the word poop are parents of babies & toddlers. Really. I never said poop until 4 yrs ago. Ever!

So dogs are what I call free-poopers because they just go when ever and where ever they feel like it. I can't handle this. I'll touch a lot of things, but dog poop is not one of them. Not even through a brown paper bag will I touch it, so it would never get cleaned up. And if it were in the yard, Will would step in it, and Ava " I have to put everything I come in contact with in my mouth" Cate would probably find it and try to eat it.

Now, if someone can find me a dog w/ chronic laryngitis and a colostomy bag , we might talk price.

Moving on.... I don't like Rats. I'd rather have a house full of roaches than one rat. Rats give me the heebie jeebies and are quite possible the only thing that will make be attempt to crawl up onto our dining room table. This also knocks out hamsters and gerbils because they are basically just mutant rats. Also, did ya'll know that there is no P in hamster? I didn't until I googled it. Hmmm.

Snakes are also a big No. I don't think I could sleep at night knowing that a snake might escape and take up residence in some unknown location in my house. Nope. Can't do it.

I think a fish might work if Will had a longer attention span, but it has to stay in it's bowl or tank and I honestly could see it being poured out on purpose, tipped over on accident, or flushed down the toilet because it wants to go live with the poops. At least that's how we got rid of Will's pacifier. So until he's older and understands that fish don't play back & are merely for watching, we won't be getting one of those. Also, fish are kind of boring... pretty, but boring. He'd loose interest within 15 minutes of getting it home.

Then there was the Lizard. About 2 months ago, Will caught a lizard all by himself and put it in an empty glass vase that I had on the screened porch. He kept talking about going to see his pet lizard and we just thought he had another imaginary friend. Three or four days into his hourly visitation, we finally asked to see the pet lizard. Sadly by this time, it was a nearly dead lizard in that vase, so we told him we had to let it go or it would die. He's been trying to catch another lizard since.

All this leads me to the Turtle. That's right. I said turtle. Will and Joel went down to the farm last night to ride on the four wheeler. Will found a turtle and fell head over heals in love. He begged to bring it home and for some reason was told yes. On the way home he decided that the turtle should be named Tommy. Tommy The Turtle. Catchy, huh?

So he brought it home and put it in a clothes basket w/ a dorrito, a marshmallow and a little piece of bread.

A turtle has to eat, right?

When bedtime came, we moved Tommy to the screened porch so he could sleep outside. Will now refers to that as Tommy's bedroom.

We told Will we could only keep the Turtle until the next time we go to the farm and then we have to return him to his home.

Will Cried and exclaimed, "but he's my pet! I love him"

What's a parent to do?

Tommy With a View of the Outside World. Poor Turtle is trying to escape.

Here is Will and is new "Pet", Tommy T. Turtle, bless that Poor Turtles heart

If any body has any hints for turtle care, please share. Please!