Let it be known that for the last several months, our house has been pet-free. Well, with the exception of the two fish, one in each kiddo's room. And those are pretty new, too, actually. We've only had them for a few weeks.
But today was exciting for Brad and the kids because their new turtle arrived from Wisconsin. Brad's been pretty lost without his reptile hobby, and I think he wanted a little friend to take care of. He's been researching online for weeks, and slowly, tanks and lighting and filters and heaters and stands starting arriving at our home.
The kids have known the turtle was coming for a few days. Last night, Brad came in and told me that he and Jack had settled on a name. Shelton. SHELton. Turtle shell? Yes, I also thought it was pretty creative. This morning, when I woke Jack up, I asked him if he knew what today was. I was looking for Friday, but instead, he looked up at me, all excited and sleepy, and said, "Turtle day!"
When we got in the car to go to school, Hannah began to tell me about how Daddy is the only one that can stick his hand in the water. "Am I going to put my fingers in the water? No, I'm not. Is Jack? No, only Daddy's going to put his fingers in the water. Not me."
They were excited.
I could barely get them out of their car seats fast enough when we got home because they just couldn't wait to run down to the basement to see their new turtle. They just stood there for about five minutes, at eye level with Shelton's tank, watching in awe.
{Note: He looks gigantic in this picture, but his shell is only four inches long.}
*****
On another note - Hannah's good mood about the turtle didn't last for very long. I can't remember exactly what made her melt down, but I know that she went into a tailspin that was so horrible it made me forget how it started. We had originally planned to take the kids out to eat and to get some fish for Shelton, but I knew deep down that Hannah should not get to go out to eat post-tantrum. When she behaves poorly, there should be consequences, and this is something we're working on. I was able to convince Brad that he and Jack should go out together and have some special Daddy/Jack time. Jack was so excited about this idea! I think Brad felt bad leaving me at home with Hannah in her current state, but they finally left, and they had a great time. Hannah felt sad that she missed the opportunity, and hopefully, that will entice her next time to be on her best behavior. I'll keep you posted.
They went to eat at Red Lobster (Jack ate an entire plate of popcorn shrimp), and then they stopped by the pet store for some turtle snacks. When they got home, Jack was beaming from having spent special time with Daddy and for having been rewarded for being good (and not with tangible things). And I got to eat my favorite meal from Red Lobster and feel good about sticking to our guns and making tricky decisions.
Tantrum aside, it was a good night.
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