Summer So Far

I knew this summer was going to be good when I picked Kai up on the last day of school and he asked, "Mom, I have stuff left over from class and I want to bring it all home, but my teacher said I have to ask your permission first. So can I run back in and get the rest of my stuff?"  How I didn't realize that question was vague and loaded is beyond me. It was begging for follow up, but I was in a hurry so I told him to go get it and hustle his little butt back to the car. It turns out the "rest of his stuff" was a small food container (the kind you buy potato salad in at the deli counter) with a Darkling beetle inside.

Kai's New Pet

He named his beetle Tunnel because he likes to dig tunnels, obviously.  As disgusted by the idea as I was, I have to admit he's really not a bad pet. For starters, he'll only live for about 3 months (short term pets are good pets). We rarely even see him because he spends the majority of the day hiding under the oats and soil in his small Tupperware box. Really the only draw back to the beetle is trying to explain why you have a box containing  dirt, oats, and an apple slice on your shelf.

However, I do have one word of caution to those of you who are now thinking about ordering one of these little babies (you can get them at Amazon.com btw). If you were to say...leave town for a week and leave your beetle in grandma and grandpa's care. Make sure they tell the house keeper to leave the weird dirt and oat filled box on the counter alone.  Otherwise grandma and grandpa may spent the better part of an afternoon trying to figure out where she "put it away." Though I have to think that day and a half Tunnel spent in my parents dark pantry were probably some of the best days of his short little life.