So here's how the story goes.........
Memorial Day weekend I took the kids to the ranch. Kyle came down and spent Saturday night because he had to work. He shows up with these cute little turtles. They weren't much bigger than a quarter. I wasn't sure what to think about it. Yes, they were cute and all but I knew that turtles carry salmonella. Everyone was wanted to hold them, and I was freaking out telling all the kids to wash their hands with soap. It was about to push me over the edge. I just knew someone was going to get a germ. Yes, I'm weird about salmonella ever since Slade got it as a baby and he had to spend the night in the hospital. So call me paranoid.
See, everyone wants to hold the little suckers. And I was very stressed out about it. I'm not a turtle expert and I didn't even know what kind of habitat they needed. The "man on the side of the road" that was selling the turtles told Kyle they didn't need much care of any kind, etc., etc. Well, #1, big mistake buying turtles on the side of the road. After we hauled them back to Lubbock, (funny how I get stuck taking care of all the animals that I don't want), we went to Petsmart to buy a home for the turtles. And no, I wasn't sold on them still.
Now, picture me with three kids running through Petsmart as your visual. I'm thinking a little tank with a rock of two. Slade is putting heat lamps, plants, rocks, & filtration systems into the basket that was totaling close to $100. He had googled pet care for turtles, so evidently he's an expert now. I was sweating because of nerves. Gunnar was running. Finley was chasing Gunnar. Then I happen to ask the sales associate a question about the tiny turtles. It's here that it all goes downhill. He goes into a full blown story telling me that these turtles were outlawed by the Texas Wildlife some or another since 1974 because of SALMONELLA and it is illegal to sell or buy them and we could be prosecuted for having them. I kindly thanked him and gathered up all my kids. We left the basket full of turtle supplies and I made everyone return to the car. We needed to regroup. We were in possession of black market turtles and from the way the man was acting, the FBI was going to break down our door at any second. Can one go to prison for buying an illegal turtle on the side of the road?
Now, picture every kid in the car crying as I tell them I just don't think it's a good idea to keep the turtles. They are illegal. They might make everyone sick. I had already Cloroxed counters, floors, used antibacterial like it was water. It was not pretty. My kids are overly dramatic-wonder where they get that from? So a negotiation process began. I started telling them that maybe they could get something else. Something without Salmonella. Please, please don't cry. So in the interest of making an already long story, short.......I left Petsmart with one hamster, a hamster habitat, a hexagon fish tank that we would prepare for Finley that would house three fish in two days when we "cleansed" the water, one Beta, and a Beta tank.
Meet Milo Smart. I made it perfectly clear to Slade Smart that I would NOT be cleaning the hamster cage EVER!!! He's knows I'm serious.
Milo in his hamster ball.
Finley's three fish, Brian, Emily, Katelyn. Not pictured, Gunnar's Beta. We just call him "Fish" for now. I guess I will be cleaning two fish tanks. Add that to my list of things that is a mile long.
I would like to send a special thank you to my husband for always having the super idea of getting the kids pets. Which is ironic because he is anti-pet. Perhaps he thinks that I don't have enough to do. Thank you, Honey.
We did learn that if there's one life lesson to come out of all this, it's that one should not buy turtles on the side of the road. There is a reason why the man can't stay in one spot too long. He's a fugitive.
So in the end, we moved the turtles to an "undisclosed" location. They are basically like being in the witness protection program and I'm their secret agent. Consider them vanished like a ghost. But I can tell you they are safe and happy. I think.
