For those of you who were not part of the big Miller/Childers/Danziger birthday extravaganza this past weekend and didn't know, my household got a little bigger on Sunday. In addition to Squeaky the "mouse" and Baby the fish, we now have two new critters in the house. They are anole lizards (aka American chameleons) who have yet to be named - Miranda is on the case and busy thinking up names. There was a minor bit of comedy involved here, which is worth sharing/preserving, as this blog is for Zach and Miranda when they are old enough or interested enough to read it.Anyway, we were chilling at the Childers house on Saturday, outside on the deck, and someone noticed a lizard scampering around on the side of the house - it seems that they are abundant in the Carolinas. Before I proceed, I should mention that each weekend that I am with the kids Miranda and I have a routine that we follow while Zachy is doing the Sensory Gym thing. First we go to Daddy's cookie meeting, then to the pet store to say hi to all of our "friends," then to the gumball machines to buy trinkets. Miranda always insists on being picked up so that she can great each lizard and snake in turn. She has been asking for either a little brown mouse (read as hamster) or a lizard as her next pet. I'm just not into the idea of another rodent, but I had been entertaining the idea of a reptile.
Back to the deck scene - so I mentioned to those present that Miranda has been wanting a lizard and my nephew, Spencer, pricked up his ears and offered to catch one for me. Before anyone realized what was happening (including myself) I had placed a $5 bounty on the head of a lizard and Spencer bounded away to bag one for me.
Now I used to be a pretty good critter catcher back in the day - often spending entire days in the woods stuffing hapless salamanders into mayonaise jars, capturing crayfish and baby birds, maiming arachnids, etc. - so I knew just how speedy these little lizards are and how difficult they can be to corral. But either I underestimated Spencer's talent or Carolina lizards are just way more laid back - whatever the case - he had a nice big one inside of four minutes and was looking for his cash.
I paid him and sent him (and several of my nieces who had joined the hunt) out looking for another. $3 (one for each kid) and five minutes later the kids produced another fine specimen and I was out of money. Spencer's parents thanked me for turning their son into a poacher, but I pointed out that 1) he was really good at it, and 2) with the recent demise of the Crocodile Hunter perhaps there was a void to be filled. I was, however, still left with the problem of how to get the beasties home to Brooklyn - hmmm?
Enlisting the help of my brother in-law Wayne, we poked air holes in a Gladwear container, put grass and twigs in it (to simulate their natural habitat), plopped the lizards in, sealed it up with tape and stuffed the whole mess into my carry-on bag. I had great fun at the airport anticipating the TSA screener's expression as the lizards went through the x-ray machine, but I was disappointed and guess they didn't show up, though I imagine they are sterile now. The bottle of water in the bag of the person behind me on the other hand, raised all kinds of Hell! - go figure. They stayed in my bag in the overhead compartment during the flight, on the bus, and on the subway ride home from LaGuardia.
Fortunately for the lizards, World of Pets on 86th Street was still open and I bought a plastic terrarium to put them in - eminently more comfortable than the Gladwear - and a bag of live crickets for them to eat. This was kind of weird - I don't recall ever spending money to buy bugs before, but I imagine I'll be a regular bug-buyer for the duration.
Anyway, it will all be worth it tomorrow night when I get to see the joy on my kids' faces at the sight of their new pets. I'll try to capture the moment on "film" - stay tuned.
Back to the deck scene - so I mentioned to those present that Miranda has been wanting a lizard and my nephew, Spencer, pricked up his ears and offered to catch one for me. Before anyone realized what was happening (including myself) I had placed a $5 bounty on the head of a lizard and Spencer bounded away to bag one for me.
Now I used to be a pretty good critter catcher back in the day - often spending entire days in the woods stuffing hapless salamanders into mayonaise jars, capturing crayfish and baby birds, maiming arachnids, etc. - so I knew just how speedy these little lizards are and how difficult they can be to corral. But either I underestimated Spencer's talent or Carolina lizards are just way more laid back - whatever the case - he had a nice big one inside of four minutes and was looking for his cash.
I paid him and sent him (and several of my nieces who had joined the hunt) out looking for another. $3 (one for each kid) and five minutes later the kids produced another fine specimen and I was out of money. Spencer's parents thanked me for turning their son into a poacher, but I pointed out that 1) he was really good at it, and 2) with the recent demise of the Crocodile Hunter perhaps there was a void to be filled. I was, however, still left with the problem of how to get the beasties home to Brooklyn - hmmm?
Enlisting the help of my brother in-law Wayne, we poked air holes in a Gladwear container, put grass and twigs in it (to simulate their natural habitat), plopped the lizards in, sealed it up with tape and stuffed the whole mess into my carry-on bag. I had great fun at the airport anticipating the TSA screener's expression as the lizards went through the x-ray machine, but I was disappointed and guess they didn't show up, though I imagine they are sterile now. The bottle of water in the bag of the person behind me on the other hand, raised all kinds of Hell! - go figure. They stayed in my bag in the overhead compartment during the flight, on the bus, and on the subway ride home from LaGuardia.
Fortunately for the lizards, World of Pets on 86th Street was still open and I bought a plastic terrarium to put them in - eminently more comfortable than the Gladwear - and a bag of live crickets for them to eat. This was kind of weird - I don't recall ever spending money to buy bugs before, but I imagine I'll be a regular bug-buyer for the duration.
Anyway, it will all be worth it tomorrow night when I get to see the joy on my kids' faces at the sight of their new pets. I'll try to capture the moment on "film" - stay tuned.
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