Determination Wins

Last spring we rescued a box turtle from the middle of a two lane country road, his name was Speedbump.

Speedbump was more than a box turtle and he was more than a slow and gentle friend, he was a seed. He planted the notion that dogs and cats do not define the boundaries of pet ownership in our home, he demonstrated that parents are sometimes willing to adopt, and despite his plodding nature he inspired ideas that raced wildly behind conspiring young eyes.

Every parent of young kids knows, all things in nature must be owned and named. Turtle ownership set precedent and a whining frenzy ensued... I began to think my kids were planning in earnest for a great flood.

Like any good parent would do, I offered them an impossible promise for an impossible price if they would just leave me alone. "One year!", I said. "You each take sole responsibility for one pet we already own... feed it, clean up after it, ensure it is well cared for, and I will allow you each to buy your own pet with your own money next year". They bit the hook.

There was a time early on that I thought our dog, cat, and turtle might unite and go on strike against the diminished quality of their care. Things got better, mostly. Joey and Speedbump dropped out of the race early and Speedbump was returned to the Missouri woods he came from (off the road this time). Molly and Garett pressed on, swapping pets half way through the year to avert exhaustion.

One year later... we have two new pets; a Cockatiel, and a Bearded Dragon Lizard. Both bought and paid for (cages too) with allowance saved. The lizard gets live prey, crickets and meal worms kept in-house, so Garett is also tasked with feeding the food. In fact, we now own an entire food chain... that we regularly leave alone in the house together.

I thought I had been clever.
I thought I had capitalized on naive underestimation.
As it turns out, my kids were thinking the same thing.

House sitters wanted.