If I were an animal, I would not move into this house.

If you've been following me on Facebook then you would know that I've had quite the summer of collecting and saving wild critters.  It all started when I saved the baby bird you read about HERE.  Then things really started rolling. 

When we were up in Arkansas, the cousins (along with Luke, Evie, and George) found a wild tarantula scurrying across their grandparent's driveway.  They actually live in a neighborhood, so the discovery was somewhat of a surprise to all of us.  However, without any fear, the cousins lured the tarantula (with the circumfence of approximately a red wine glass - these are the things I can use to identify measurements), into their hands and several kids took turns holding it.  My boys were not so brave (to my relief), but Evie was fearless (to my great discomfort).  Still, I had a tarantula for a time while I was growing up . . . and I held it . . . and everything was fine . . . and most tarantulas are not toxic . . . so I stiffened my spine and dealt with it.  It was late at night though, so no pictures. You'll just have to use your imagination.

Once we got back home (with two cousins in tow), the kids decided to adopt a rollypolly (pill bug) family, gathered from our front yard. They put them in a jar together with grass and dirt and within just a few days (after having been warned by their mother), the family of rollypollies perished.  It was not overly sad.  I guess we've got a tough lot around here.

Searching for the beloved pill bug.

 

Gathering the family.

Displaying the wildlife.

 

Later, Evie found some snails in the backyard and decided to befriend them.  She picked them up and let them slide their slick bodies all over her hands and arms.  Disgusting (to me, at least)!  George was quick to follow in his sister's footsteps.
 

 

And after that, Evie was at the park with her cousin Colt and brother George when she found a tiny little baby frog in the creek.  She caught it with her bare hands and then they figured out a way to keep the frog (only just having turned into a frog from a tadpole) in a plastic waterbottle filled with a bit of creek water, some sticks, and some grass.  I was super proud (mostly because I'm not actually afraid of frogs).  She LOVED this frog.  However, I was not particularly fond of the idea of keeping the frog as a pet, even when she begged and especially when she named it camo and placed it in a square jar on our dining room table. 

Frog is sittin gon stick in this picture.

 

Can you see it?

 

Frog is up against the right wall in this picture.

And with Camo, chilling in our dining room, Evie found another frog and brought it into our house to share with me, except this time the frog was dead . . . in our pool.  This girl has no fear of anything.

I was thrilled to be presented with this dead frog that Evie found in our pool.

Being blessed, George's old daycare accepted the gift of a baby frog -- they have a bunch of animals there including guinea pigs, hermit crabs, worms, lizards, and maybe fish too.  George's teacher let me know that each year her class raises tadpoles into frogs so she was well educated on how to care for a baby frog and I left it there in her good and caring hands.  I was also excited because this gave me a reason to go back and visit the wonderful people who loved George as a baby.  George brought the frog to his class and held a mini show and tell session. 

 

Then we left for our cruise, promising to visit Camo when we got home.  Unfortunately, the frog didn't make it that long.  I blame myself because we kept it for several days and I know it didn't eat a thing on our watch.  Once again, no tears from Evie or George, and luckily, we had a new critter to distract them from the loss.

While we were on the cruise, Colt found and caught a big, nasty, scary, threatening, black spider in our front yard.  To be honest, I'm thrilled it's no longer on the loose in our front yard, but on the other hand, I'm wishing it was acutally dead instead of tucked away in a terrarium in my house.  At first, he was just hanging out in this jar in my kitchen.  I was not a fan.

No one is really sure what type of spider it is, but Colt's research indicates that it is either a trap door spider, a rat spider, or some other kind (I forget).  One type is not poisonous, one is a little poisonous, and the other is super poisonous and required a doctor's immediate attention if you are bit.  And, let me tell you, this thing has fangs.  It is not my friend.  So, I'm not sure why I agreed to feed it and house it, but it is ensconced in Colt's bedroom.  Having funded this insane project, I've claimed naming rights, and decided to call it Dante.  It's perfect, right?  I've adequately threatened him that if it bites him, I will not take him to the hospital, and if it gets out of its cage I will, without hesitation, kick him in the nuts.  There is probably more to follow if the spider actually escapes, but I have no idea what I would do other than freak out like the woosy girl I am.  But, since I had a spider in my youth, I'm less threatened by this critter.

Now, you might ask, "Hey, crazy lady?  Where do you draw the line?"

Well, I'll tell you.  I draw the line with snakes.  I. Do. Not. Do. Snakes.  At all.  Period.

So, to top off this story, our goldfish named Sunburn died a few days after we got home from the cruise.  Again, no tears.  He was a good fish though, so we gave him a military funeral (fish style) with a 21 flush salute.  (Kidding, one flush was all he got).  And, when we went to the pet store to get crickets to feed Dante, we picked up two new fish.  Unfortunately, they died within 24 hours.  So, you may understand, after all of this, why I am hesitant to get another pet/critter in our house.  I'm putting it off. Plus, everytime we go to the pet store, Evie begs me for a cat, and that is NOT happening.

So, my little animal lover will have to content herself with snails and rollypollies for now, and I promise she'll find and pick up just about anything that lives outdoors as she continues to befriend new snails.